1:30 JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE

This looks a very good renewal and while the British look strong, namely through Goshen and Allmankind, Aspire Tower has become a very backable price at the time of writing. Henry de Bromhead’s horse was seriously impressive at Leopardstown over Christmas and that type of performance would have him favourite here. He was below par last time, falling at the last, but there was every chance he was still going to win there, despite not running to the form of his previous win. Softer ground could help him also.

Allmankind should blaze a trail from the front and could prove hard to peg back but it will be difficult to see off all challenges up the hill. The pace in the race looks red hot even without him so it might be worth chancing something to come from behind. That could be A Wave Of The Sea who has the assistance of the seriously in-form Barry Geraghty.

SELECTION: ASPIRE TOWER ALTERNATIVE: A WAVE OF THE SEA

2:10 RANDOX HEALTH COUNTY HANDICAP HURDLE

Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton have combined to win the last five renewals of this contest and the former looks best placed to make the score 3-3. He has five runners and all of them have claims, Aramon possibly has the strongest. He finished an eye-catching fifth when last seen in the Irish Champion Hurdle, form which has been significantly boosted by the exploits of Honeysuckle and Darver Star earlier this week. He ran well in last season’s Supreme Novice Hurdle and looks well handicapped now off a mark of 149.

Ciel De Neige is another Mullins runner to consider. He was only just touched off in the Betfair Hurdle and ran really well in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Festival last season. He has scope to improve again and should run very well. Embittered is another Irish horse who should run well and of the home team, Stolen Silver looks worth noting. He ran a really eyecatching eighth in the Betfair Hurdle, staying on from the back of the field and earlier in the season he ran second to Chantry House at this course.

SELECTION: ARAMON ALTERNATIVE: CIEL DE NEIGE

2:50 ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICES’ HURDLE

This is often a tough test for novices and this renewal looks no different. Thyme Hill is tough and should be suited to a test like this but a few Philip Hobbs horses have disappointed this week. The same applies to Harry Senior who looks a sure improver for three miles and took a notable trial for this contest last time, however Colin Tizzard’s horses look badly out of form as well.

Latest Exhibition is a more solid option. He showed he has pace by beating Andy Dufresne over two and a half miles and then showed his stamina when outstaying his rivals in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown. He looks sure to run big here. Monkfish looks very talented but is a big chasing type and this might come too soon for him. At much bigger price, The Cashel Man could be worth a play. He was only just beaten by Thyme Hill earlier int he season and a big field and stamina test is exactly what he needed on the flat so this could suit him over hurdles.

SELECTION: LATEST EXHIBITION ALTERNATIVE: THE CASHEL MAN

Clan Des Obeaux looked an even better horse this year in the King George Chase

3:30 MAGNERS CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP

Al Boum Photo is the solid option, having been there and done it, but this is probably a better race than last year with second-season chasers Lostintranslatio, Santini and Delta Work, and an improved Clan Des Obeaux, who wasn’t far away last season.

The latter is the selection to give his trainer, a master with a staying chaser, a fifth win in this race. Despite his rivals faltering, he was seriously impressive winning his second King George at Kempton and Nicholls has changed things up this year, deciding not to run at Ascot in between runs. Freshness seems to be the key to Gold Cup winners these days and you can believe this eight-year-old will be arriving in peak condition to run a huge race.

Delta Work will have plenty of supporters given the week Gordon Elliott has had but the Irish form looks tight - between himself, Presenting Percy and Kemboy. Santini has long looked like an ideal type for the Gold Cup but his form this season doesn’t really add up to his current price. In fact the horse he beat last time, Bristol De Mai, looks a better option at nearly seven times the price. He ran really well in this race last year and the soft ground will suit him again.

SELECTION: CLAN DES OBEAUX ALTERNATIVE: BRISTOL DE MAI

4:10 ST JAMES’S PLACE FOXHUNTER CHALLENGE CUP

It’s hard to get a read on these hunter chasers but Minella Rocco was second in a Gold Cup over this course and distance and if he can run anyway close to that standard, he will be difficult to beat. He showed signs of coming back to himself when he beat last year’s winner of this race Hazel Hill at Wetherby and Derek O’Connor has assumingly chosen him over Staker Wallace who is another with solid claims.

Billaway impressed at Naas last time and is a lightly raced sort, open to further improvement. He lacks the experience of this course that the main selection has but he stays very well and has the assistance of Patrick Mullins, who has been excellent in the saddle, despite not getting a win as of yet this week.

SELECTION: MINELLA ROCCO ALTERNATIVE: BILLAWAY

4:50 JOHNNY HENDERSON GRAND ANNUAL CHALLENGE CUP

A tricky puzzle to solve. Jan Maat catches the eye at the bottom of the weights. He is a lightly-raced chaser who has some notable form with Wicklow Brave from last summer. He won at Punchestown on his latest start and although that form doesn’t amount to much considering only one other horse finished, he has scope to progress further here and Rachael Blackmore rides. His trainer Henry de Bromhead did very well with Put The Kettle On earlier in the week, who had a similar profile.

The Irish look strong here and the others to note are Paloma Blue and Chosen Mate. The former ran really well behind Eclair Du Beaufeu at the Dublin Racing Festival, and maybe able to turn around form now on slightly better terms. Chose Mate won a notable beginners chase on his latest start, form of which was boosted by Cappucimix recently. He looks sure to run well for Gordon Elliott and Davy Russell.

SELECTION: JAN MAAT ALTERNATIVE: CHOSEN MATE

5:30 MARTIN PIPE CONDITIONAL JOCKEYS’ HANDICAP HURDLE

There could be any amount of well-handicapped horses in this race and the market should provide a good guide. Five O’Clock makes most appeal, having won a key trial for this race at Clonmel. That race, the Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle was taken in by recent winners Champagne Classic and Blow By Blow on their route to winning here, and Five O’Clock was very impressive in winning there, pulling six lengths away from Front View. That runner is a player here, for the same owner, jockey and trainer combination last year but the Willie Mullins horse is taken to confirm form, even at the readvised terms.

Ilikedwayurthinkin is another big player. He won twice at last year’s Galway Festival. He was fifth in a big two-mile handicap hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas and appeals as the type to really improve coming up to this sort of trip now.

SELECTION: FIVE O’CLOCK ALTERNATIVE: ILIKEDWAYURTHINKIN