Can you back against Dunguib?

Jockey Brian O’Connell has described Spinal Research Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hotpot Dunguib (10/11) as a “once in a lifetime horse” ahead of the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday.

Philip Fenton’s seven-year-old will be attempting to emulate the exploits of Montelado, the last horse to win the Champion Bumper at the meeting and follow up in the Supreme 12 months later.

O’Connell was in the saddle for his ultra-impressive bumper success last year when he was still an amateur, but turned professional before Dunguib ran in the Grade One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle in December.

Dunguib will face 17 rivals in the Festival opener, with the most notable withdrawals at the declaration stage being Bellvano, Peddlers Cross and Rite Of Passage, with all three having other options.

With Dunguib such a short price at the head of affairs, there are some fancy prices flying about for some highly-regarded youngsters, with Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten Oscar Whisky (8/1) falling into that bracket.

Get Me Out Of Here (9/2) is the biggest danger to Dunguib in the eyes of many a good judge, being unbeaten in four starts over hurdles and looking very classy in beating seasoned handicappers in the totesport Trophy at Newbury.

His trainer Jonjo O’Neill said: “The ground is lovely and there will no excuses on that front. It is good safe ground and I am looking forward to getting going,” he added.