Ruby Walsh Cheltenham Festival tips - 'I wonder if Gordon will completely freshen him up at 33-1'

Former jockey and broadcaster Ruby Walsh turned his attention to the Stayers’ Hurdle on the second of this year’s Cheltenham edition of Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast.

He selected his idea of the winner as well as a big-priced fancy at 33-1.

Teahupoo, you were a big fan of his run at Christmas?

I was, I thought the race really played out to suit him, Rocky’s Diamond went a really good gallop, Ballyburn sat second, Teahupoo looked momentarily in trouble at the second hurdle away from the stands, but as the race progressed, he came to the fore and I thought he was really good.

I thought it was as good as he has shown on the track performance-wise, and nothing to dislike about it. But I think Gordon holds all the aces myself.

Is it a division where something can come along and stamp their authority?

Yeah, but that said, Teahupoo is slightly unlucky not to be [a multiple winner], like Jack blames himself last year that he probably didn’t make enough use of him from the second-last hurdle up to the road crossing at Cheltenham.

He won it the year before that and he was unlucky before that; he could be a triple Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle winner. He could be heading for a fourth, he’s slightly unlucky not to be when you look at it.

So he does set a standard and he is a very good horse, but he is going back for his fourth and that takes fair doing. Big Buck’s wasn’t unlucky, he just managed to keep winning no matter what I tried to do on him, he managed to find a way out of it and win.

For that reason I think he could be slightly vulnerable. I love Honesty Policy, I loved him in the Long Walk. I thought he progressed terrifically last year and that’s why I say Gordon holds the aces. I think Honesty Policy will give him all he wants of it.

I get the fact that he’s a six-year-old and he probably doesn’t have the depth of runs of the traditional Stayers’ Hurdle winner, but I just think he looks really talented. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being a Gold Cup horse in time.

Winner and one at a price?

I like Honesty Policy and the one at the price - it is taking a chance because he’ll need to really bounce back and be freshened up, but that could happen - is The Yellow Clay.

I think he had too hard a race in Navan. I think when Navan took out the middle hurdle in the straight so there’s only two hurdles in the straight now, I think horses are having hard races, especially a horse having his first run in the Lismullen Hurdle with Colonel Mustard.

Gordon’s at the time were needing a run, that second-last hurdle was out, the middle hurdle, so they got racing a long way out and finished absolutely legless.

I wonder is Navan with two hurdles in the straight actually having that sort of a knock-on effect now on horses? I must look it up.

He still came ahead and I thought at Christmas, he was backed into 4-1 at Christmas, but I wonder if the effects of that race at Navan were still on him? I wonder if Gordon will completely freshen him up, he was a really good novice last year, split The New Lion and Final Demand, so maybe at 33-1, just as a flyer.

Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle

Paddy Power: 7-4 Teahupoo, 5 Honesty Policy, Impose Toi, 7 Bob Olinger, 14 Theleme, 16 Ballyburn, 33 Hiddenvalley Lake, Iberico Lord, Kabral Du Mathan, Potters Charm, Strong Leader, The Yellow Clay, Wodhooh, 50 bar