The National Hunt season is set to really get going in the coming weeks as a number of big names return to action after their summer breaks.
Irish trainers dominated this year's Cheltenham Festival and will strongly fancy their chances of doing so again in 2022.
Paddy Power have revealed the five best backed horses for next year's meeting, and it's no surprise that four of them are trained in the Emerald Isle.
For many punters, plans for the following year's Cheltenham begin as soon as the Festival ends and some will already have placed a couple of ante-post bets.
Paddy Power report that ante-post betting has been "relatively steady" but they expect it "to really ramp up over the next few weeks when the muck starts flying and some of the big names get rolled out".
Here are the best-backed horses with the firm for Cheltenham:
Jonbon - Supreme Novices Hurdle 7/1 from as big as 33/1
Trained by Nicky Henderson for JP McManus, he came from point to points with a big reputation and even bigger price tag.
He made his racecourse debut at Newbury in a bumper and won at his ease.
Although 7/1 may seem a bit short for a horse that has only won a bumper, there is no hiding Nicky’s admiration for the horse and he is currently Paddy Power's biggest ante-post liability.
Honeysuckle - Champion Hurdle 2/1 from 6/1
Her 11 wins from 11 races says it all. She was brilliant all last year winning four Grade 1’s and it will take a serious horse to beat her.
She will make her reappearance at Fairyhouse where she will be going for a third Hattons Grace Hurdle before returning to Cheltenham to attempt to retain her Champion Hurdle crown and win at the Festival for the third consecutive year.
Galopin Des Champs - Festival Novices Chase 7/1 from 25/1
He had a strange season last year being beat at odds on twice before showing a little spark at the Dublin Racing Festival in behind Appreciate It.
He subsequently found himself on a nice handicap mark of 142 in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle & duly obliged before he bolted up at the Punchestown Festival in a Grade 1 over 3m.
Bob Olinger - Marsh Novices Chase 7/2 from 20/1
He has had a near flawless career to date only tasting defeat once behind the 2020 Cheltenham Bumper winner Ferny Hollow and culminated his season when winning at Cheltenham in the Ballymore Novices Hurdle by seven lengths.
His trainer Henry De Bromhead has always flagged him as a chaser in the making and he could easily go off a short price in this race if showing the same ability he did over hurdles.
Envoi Allen - Gold Cup - 12/1 from 20/1, had been as low as 7/1
Went into Cheltenham last year as one of the Irish bankers but he broke many an Irish heart when falling at the fourth fence.
He then came back to Punchestown but he had to be pulled up & was found to be lame.
Henry has flagged the second season novice race at Down Royal for his reappearance and if he were to show his old spark there he will be right back in the reckoning towards the top of the market.
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