Remember Dunguib? Hopes of the banker dashed on the first day.

Could the ghost of Dunguib stalk us all on the first day of the festival? How many us were banking on him for doubles, trebles and lucky fifteens - we all said surely he was the banker of the 2011 Festival. We would fill our boots in the first race - the true dead cert. We were wrong he could only manage third and his career then appeared to evaporate from there on.

In 2012 the first day presents us with three touted odds on bankers - Sprinter Sacre (Arkle), Hurricane Fly (Champion Hurdle) and Quevega (David Nicholson Mares). Could any of these haunt our 2012 multiple festival bets?

Sprinter Sacre - He appears to run with a divine wind behind him dominating his field over fences. Looking back to hurdles form though some of his rivals have his beating. Al Ferof has only been beaten by top class performers and not just run in novice company. Cue Card is going to test his stamina and Menorah and Kid Cassidy are no slouches either.

Hurricane Fly - His win in the Champion last year was impressive and his come back recently even more so.  Tomorrow Hills will be offering 8/1 about Zarkandar who could anything being unbeaten and having recently won the big prize at Newbury.

Quevega - The Festival heroine, ultra reliable and always impressive. As I have mused before what has she beaten at the Festival? The Mares contest is hardly the most competitive of races across the Festival cards. However, this year Weld has sent Unaccompanied over to give her a race, 11/2 may look very good value from Hills coming up that Cheltenham hill. So much so I placed an each way double today with Hills today on Scotsirish in the Cross Country (4/1) and Unaccompanied (11/2).


For punters I hope that we can exorcise the ghost of our lost first day banker odds on bets in 2012 - but don't bank on it!