1:30 JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE (GRADE 1)

Apple’s Shakira, on the face of it, looks a rock-solid favourite. She’s shown plenty of class, shown she can handle this course, shown she can handle soft ground and she receives weight from all bar one of her rivals. Yet, she has yet to face an opponent of real merit in the context of what she faces here and, on that alone, she looks a short price.

Stormy Island is the other filly in the race and it was interesting that Ruby Walsh had elected to ride her instead of MR ADJUDICATOR. She did bolt up by a quite remarkable distance in her maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse but it’s hard to weigh that performance up and surely Mr Adjudicator achieved a lot more in his Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle win over Farclas. That actually looks like the strongest piece on form on offer in this race, especially when you consider the aforementioned pair clocked a faster time than Samcro’s Grade 1 win on the same Leopardstown card.

A lot of people expect Farclas to reverse form with Mr Adjudicator but there is no real reason why he should, unless he has progressed more than the winner in the meantime, which we have no real way of knowing. Granted there is little between the two but Farclas is shorter than Mr Adjudicator in a lot of bookmaker lists and that is to assume that Elliott’s horse has improved past Mr Adjudicator. The Mullins horse handles soft ground, is unbeaten in two starts and has just as much scope for progression as Farclas, from a higher starting base, given he has defeated Farclas already.

SELECTION: MR ADJUDICATOR ALTERNATIVE: FARCLAS

2:10 RANDOX HEALTH HANDICAP COUNTY HURDLE (GRADE 3)

Willie Mullins has won this four times in the last eight years so it looks best to start with his runners. Before his injury, it seemed Ruby Walsh had decided to ride Meri Devie and, at the time of writing, jockey arrangements are still unconfirmed. Paul Townend is booked to ride SANDSEND and he may have the choice now to switch saddles, but it would be no surprise if he stayed with Sandsend. The Sullivan Bloodstock-owned horse impressed many with his win over subsequent winner Forge Meadow in a Grade 3 at Naas. Forge Meadow went on to beat Identity Thief, who performed with real credit in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, and Jessica Harrington’s horse is now rated 146. Sandsend has bundles of scope to progress on just his third run for Mullins and could easily be well treated off a mark of 145.

Of course there is any amount of potentially well-treated horses in this race. Two others really caught the eye - Smaoineamh Alainn and Flying Tiger. The former won over this course and distance on soft ground in December and has been put away with this race in mind. She is off an 8lb higher mark but the horse she beat - Remilluc - went on to better things in the meantime and so there is real hope she can do the same, considering her unexposed profile - three wins from three runs over hurdles. Flying Tiger won the Fred Winter last season and returns to the Festival off just a 6lb higher mark despite some very useful efforts over the winter. He wasn’t beaten far by Champion Hurdle fifth Elgin and Imperial Cup runner-up Call Me Lord in the Kingwell Hurdle last month and that should leave him spot on for this.

SELECTION: SANDSEND ALTERNATIVE: SMAOINEAMH ALAINN

Prior to that he had won four times in six runs including a game effort to win the same Grade 2 at Limerick which Penhill took on his way to winning this race last season.

2:50 ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICES’ HURDLE (GRADE 1)

The last four winners of this race were returned at double figure prices and since its inauguration, this three-miler has always been a difficult puzzle to solve. You tend to need a horse with plenty of experience, a battle-hardened sort - probably even more so this year given the testing conditions.

Santini has a standout chance on the form of his recent win over Ballymore runner-up Black Op but this will be just his third ever appearance on a racecourse. Chris’s Dream won a Grade 3 by 60+ lengths at Clonmel but it’s hard to weigh up that performance while Chef Des Obeaux is respected on account of his impressive Haydock score.

However it might be worth taking a chance on something at a price and, at around the 28/1 mark, the vote goes to FABULOUS SAGA. The six-year-old disappointed when favourite for the two-mile, six-furlong Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival but that surely wasn’t his true form and they probably just didn’t go fast enough to make it a proper stamina test which is exactly what he needs. Prior to that he had won four times in six runs including a game effort to win the same Grade 2 at Limerick which Penhill took on his way to winning this race last season. He handles soft ground, has plenty of experience and he could easily turn things around from his previous run to get involved.

SELECTION: FABULOUS SAGA ALTERNATIVE: SANTINI

Contrary to popular opinion, I thought Edwulf would have beaten Willie Mullins’ horse at Leopardstown anyway and Joseph O’Brien’s miracle horse has to be a big player.

3:30 TIMICO CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP CHASE (GRADE 1)

Jessica Harrington was extremely disappointed to lose Sizing John to injury in the lead-up to the Gold Cup but she might well still have the favourite for the race by 3.30pm tomorrow. OUR DUKE’S profile has improved without him even running - through the rain softened ground and the excellent performance from Presenting Percy in the RSA Chase, the horse to whom he gave 7lb and a beating at Gowran Park last time out. The eight-year-old already has the right credentials as a second-season chaser and a proven stayer. He seems to be hitting form at just the right time after a messy start to his season and so he looks the one to beat.

All in all it doesn’t look like the strongest Gold Cup. I can’t have Might Bite on his King George form and it’s no surprise to see him drifting, likely because of the soft ground. Native River is a solid proposition and there are reasons to support him, not least that he comes into this a much fresher horse than he was last year, yet he achieved very little on his comeback run at Newbury. Definitly Red has come in for support following all the rain and he is respected, though all the nice prices about him have now gone. Road To Respect has drifted on account of the ground and might have a few stamina questions and it’s hard to have much faith in Killultagh Vic coming into this off the back of a fall in the Irish Gold Cup. Contrary to popular opinion, I thought Edwulf would have beaten Willie Mullins’ horse at Leopardstown anyway and Joseph O’Brien’s miracle horse has to be a big player. It is right that the market is now finally respecting him a little more as he can’t be far away from either Killultagh Vic or Road To Respect (on a line through Outlander) and he comes into this off a career-best performance.

SELECTION: OUR DUKE ALTERNATIVE: EDWULF

4:10 ST JAMES’S PLACE FOXHUNTER CHALLENGE CUP OPEN HUNTERS’ CHASE

In a field mostly full of exposed hunter chasers BURNING AMBITION shines as a young and improving horse on the scene and he could prove tough to beat. His form to get so close to the classy Gilgamboa last time out at Punchestown reads well and, if he can come on again for that, with Jamie Codd to assist in the saddle, he will be bang there.

Interestingly Paul Nicholls said that Wonderful Charm was his best chance of a winner at the whole meeting. He went very close last year but the horse who beat him was his stablemate Pacha Du Polder, and he is also back again. He warmed up for this with a decent third placing at Doncaster and there is no reason why he shouldn’t represent himself well in this sphere again.

SELECTION: BURNING AMBITION ALTERNATIVE: PACHA DU POLDER

In comparison to some of the Elliott runners, he seems to have received a favourable handicap adjustment from BHA handicapping team as he gets to race off just a 2lb higher mark

4:50 MARTIN PIPE CONDITIONAL JOCKEYS’ HANDICAP HURDLE

Gordon Elliott absolutely loves to support the race named after his old boss, Martin Pipe. He throws four darts at it this year and three of them warrant serious respect. Flawless Escape is the favourite after his good performance to finish third to handicap snip and Gold Cup contender Total Recall at the Dublin Racing Festival. He has lots of scope to progress now, as does Sire Du Berlais who made a really pleasing return to action at Fairyhouse last month and who also has novice hurdle form with Mick Jazz last season. Blow By Blow looked to be getting his act together when running out a 16-length winner last time, so he warrants respect.

Yet in the week-long battle between the two Irish supremo trainers, it might be worth siding with Willie Mullins for this heat. Mullins has won this race three times in the previous seven seasons and has put forward three this time around. DEAL D'ESTRUVAL looks the pick. He is seriously unexposed, having had just the two runs for Mullins and his latest effort to chase home the seriously well-handicapped Off You Go in the Coral.ie Hurdle reads very well. In comparison to some of the Elliott runners, he seems to have received a favourable handicap adjustment from BHA handicapping team as he gets to race off just a 2lb higher mark.

Another Mullins runner who seems to have been let in lightly is Carter McKay, who was last seen finishing third in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novices’ Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. He now races off his Irish mark of 138 and may be able to take advantage.

SELECTION: DEAL D’ESTRUVAL ALTERNATIVE: CARTER MCKAY

5:30 JOHNNY HENDERSON GRAND ANNUAL CHALLENGE CUP HANDICAP CHASE

The ‘get out stakes’ race of the Festival looks as competitive as ever with most bookmakers going 8/1 the field. Yet the race perhaps doesn’t hold its usual share of unexposed improving horses. North Hill Harvey does fit that description and he is a horse who likes Cheltenham, but he isn’t coming here in great form. It might worth taking a chance on DOLOS, who will arrive at Cheltenham in good order. He has only had three runs over fences for Paul Nicholls, and warmed up for this with a decent second to Gino Trail at Doncaster on soft ground. He was put up 3lb for that run but he remains open to improvement.

There has been plenty of chat about Don’t Touch It but he doesn’t look especially well-handicapped and it requires a leap of faith to back him at his current price. His stablemate Rock The World, last year’s winner, makes much more appeal at his price of around 20/1, returning here off a 5lb higher mark.

Theinval would be the selection if the ground was a little better - he races off the exact same mark as he did when third in this race last season. The others to note are Some Plan, who fell when going well at Leopardstown last time, and Doitforthevillage, who won on the old course at this track in December and who has presumably had his chase mark protected since, with this race in mind.

SELECTION: DOLOS ALTERNATIVE: DOITFORTHEVILLAGE

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