Rest of Cheltenham: fourth and final day

The card opens with the Triumph Hurdle at 14.30 CET, and bioth Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins have 3 runners each here. Despite Mullins´ fantastic form this week, we prefer the Lambourn runners and think that Preace and Co (Barry Gerasghty) and Top Notch (Daryl Jacob) could well make it a 1-2 for the Henderson stable. Favourites have a very poor record here, but Peace and Co, unbeaten in 3 starts including once in France and once over this CD, was very impressive in both his British races and he is the selection.

The Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle over 3 miles at 15.40 again sees Mullins, with 5 runners, and Henderson with 2 in opposition. This looks very tricky and could lie between Black Hercules (Mullins/ Walsh) and Out Sam (Henderson/ Geraghty), but Martello Tower (Mags Mullins/ Adrian Heskin) is just one of many alternatives. Obviously it would be nice for David Pipe to win the race named after his father at 17.40, but we don´t really believe it and expect one of the Mullins runners to win, while the ultimate dream result would be for AP McCoy to win the last race at 18.15 on his last ride at Cheltenham and in a race specially named after him today; he rides Ned Buntline for Noel Meade in the colours of his JP McManus, and this horse has an obvious chance, but he is likely to start at a false price, and we would rather go for an outsider like Astracad (Nigel Twiston-Davies/ Ryan Hatch).

We are left with 3 very trappy handicaps and the Foxhunters at 17.00, all with 24 (!) runners. Almost anything can happen here, but the Irish have a strong hand in all of them and should certainly take the Foxhunters, either with Salsify, who has already won it twice, or On the Fringe, third last year.