Cheltenham Festival Friday tips: Best Bets and Newsboy's 1-2-3 for every race on Gold Cup day

Willie Mullins is eyeing yet another Cheltenham Festival win in the Gold Cup after creating history on Wednesday.

Mullins is the trainer of favourite and last year's Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs, who has conditions in his favour to mount a successful title defence. 67-year-old Mullins claimed his 100th Cheltenham Festival victory earlier this week as his son Patrick won the Champion Bumper on Jasmin De Vaux.

Rivals for the Gold Cup include Fastorslow, Gerri Colombe, last year's runner-up Bravemansgame and Grand National winner Corach Rambler. There are several other races on Friday, however. Here's Newsboy's 1-2-3 for each race.

1.30
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 NURBURGRING, 2 MAJBOROUGH, 3 SALVER

NURBURGRING, a strong-galloping, progressive juvenile hurdler, gets the vote to salute the chequered flag.

Also trained on the Flat by Joseph O’Brien - he won one of his six starts and currently has a rating of 91 - my selection began his career over obstacles with a win at Killarney in August.

Nurburgring passed the post in front of Wodhooh at Listowel the following month - he was then demoted to second for interference - but showed the benefit of a gelding operation to beat Kala Conti by half a length in a Grade 3 event at Fairyhouse at the start of December.

The runner-up got his revenge on 7lb better terms in a Grade 2 contest at Leopardstown over Christmas, scoring by three-quarters of a length from Kargese, with Nurburgring a nose back in third.

JJ Slevin’s mount was doing his best work at the finish, however, and with the New Course placing an emphasis on staying power, Nurburgring should show to good effect here.

Kargese led home Willie Mullins stablemates Storm Heart (second), Majborough (third), Bunting (fourth) and Ethical Diamond (sixth) at Leopardstown, and the front four are hard to split, with Salver best of the home defence.

2.10
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 BIALYSTOCK, 2 L’EAU DU SUD, 3 MAGICAL ZOE

BIALYSTOCK is primed for compensation after being the innocent victim in a shemozzle at Leopardstown last time out.

A three-time winner on the Flat in France for Jean-Claude Rouget, Zoffany’s son started out for Willie Mullins in January of last year, ending his first campaign over hurdles with victories at Naas and Punchestown.

Bialystock has been out of luck in five attempts this season, and fortune unquestionably deserted my selection in Foxrock last month.

Sent off at 13-2 for the two-mile handicap hurdle won by the same connections’ Gaelic Warrior 12 months earlier, Bialystock was four lengths off the leaders when Ataboycharlie fell at the second-last flight and brought him down.

His finishing position, had he stood up, is pure speculation but Danny Mullins had yet to ask his mount a question and, Bialystock merits support from an unchanged handicap mark.

Dan and Harry Skelton won the County Hurdle with Faivoir last year and also have claims with L’Eau Du Sud, while Magical Zoe and So Scottish are others to put on the list.

2.50
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 READIN TOMMY WRONG, 2 CAPTAIN TEAGUE, 3 LECKY WATSON

READIN TOMMY WRONG, who has made great strides in just two starts over hurdles, should thrive for the chance to tackle three miles for the first time.

Recruited from the point-to-point field - he finished second at Bellharbour in Co Clare in February 2022 - Readin Tommy Wrong, whose name borrows from the Kenny Rogers classic Coward Of The Country, won bumpers for Willie Mullins at Ballinrobe and Tipperary in May of last year.

Reappearing in November, Readin Tommy Wrong went off the 8-15 favourite for a two-mile maiden hurdle at Cork and just netted for his backers in beating stablemate Lisnagar Fortune by a short head.

My selection was a 16-1 shot upped to the top level for the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle in Co Kildare in January, but caused an upset with a neck margin over fellow Closutton competitor Ile Atlantique and both his style of running and pedigree suggest three miles will trigger another personal best.

Captain Teague battled through the mud to lift the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury and is respected, along with Gidleigh Park and Readin Tommy Wrong’s stable-companions High Class Hero and Lecky Watson.

3.30
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 GALOPIN DES CHAMPS, 2 FASTORSLOW, 3 NASSALAM

GALOPIN DES CHAMPS has conditions in his favour to mount a successful title defence.

Willie Mullins’ incumbent continues his rivalry with Martin Brassil-trained foe Fastorslow - the score currently stands at 2-2 - and today’s playing surface key to the outcome of the decider.

Quicker terrain would undoubtedly have worked in favour of Fastorslow, a revelation since his neck second to Corach Rambler in the Ultima Handicap Chase here 12 months ago. But plenty of juice underfoot on Gold Cup day is music to the ears of those who have backed Galopin Des Champs to keep his crown.

A year ago, Paul Townend’s mount surged up the hill to beat Bravemansgame by seven lengths in steeplechasing’s Blue Riband. Galopin Des Champs, who had Fastorslow in his wake when winning the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown in December 2022, saw the tables turned in the Punchestown Gold Cup last April.

And Fastorslow again came out on top in this season’s John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, in which Galopin Des Champs gave an unvarnished show of fencing in third.

But the reigning champion was imperious in beating Gerri Colombe by 23 lengths in Leopardstown’s Lexus Chase over Christmas, and then held Fastorslow by four and a half lengths in the Irish Gold Cup in South Dublin last time.

It’s true Townend was able to dictate matters that day and Fastorslow is expected to strip fitter here, and narrow the gap - but not eradicate it altogether.

Jungle Boogie has it to do on form, Monkfish hasn’t tackled fences for nearly three years, and The Real Whacker has struggled in open company this term.

The rain will help L’Homme Presse but has worked against Hewick, while Gentlemansgame is high on talent but light on experience. The prospect of a stamina test brings Nassalam into the reckoning, and Gary Moore’s Welsh Grand National hero is the suggestion for those wishing to play at bigger odds.

4.10
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 FERNS LOCK, 2 ITS ON THE LINE, 3 SINE NOMINE

FERNS LOCK has an excellent chance of giving trainer David Christie a first Cheltenham triumph.

Co Fermanagh-based Christie is a high achiever in the point-to-point and hunter chase world but has yet to taste victory at the home of jump racing - until now.

Three-time pointing winner Ferns Lock began his career in hunter chases with successes at Fairyhouse, Gowran Park and Thurles before making a costly error two out back in Co Meath saw him lose his unbeaten record with a third to Willie Mullins’ Annamix.

After a return-to-action score in a Dromahane point-to-point was followed by a half-length second to Its On The Line in a Down Royal hunter chase, and Ferns Lock hardly came out of second gear in a similar event at Thurles in January to set himself up for today.

There is a lot more to come from this seven-year-old, who can gain his revenge on the 2023 runner-up when it matters most. Premier Magic and Billaway, the last two winners of the amateurs’ Gold Cup, warrant a second look, along with Sine Nomine.

4.50
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 LIMERICK LACE, 2 DINOBLUE, 3 ALLEGORIE DE VASSY

LIMERICK LACE is an improved performer in her second season over fences - and could have this race sewn up.
There was plenty of encouragement to be gleaned from the daughter of Walk In The Park’s novice campaign, which included victories at Down Royal and Naas at the start of last year.

And Gavin Cromwell’s seven-year-old has duly built on that, beginning with a 16-length supremacy in a mares’ chase at Clonmel in October.

On the strength of that performance, punters made Limerick Lace the 4-1 favourite for the ultra-competitive Troytown Handicap Chase over three miles at Navan in November and my selection emerged with plenty of credit with a second to Coko Beach.

Back against her own gender in a Listed chase over this afternoon’s two-and-a-half-mile trip at Doncaster two days before the turn of the year, Limerick Lace returned to winning form with a 10-length slamming of La Renommee, and another step forward will put Keith Donoghue’s mount in the firing line today. Willie Mullins’ pair Dinoblue and Allegorie De Vassy are feared most, ahead of the progressive Brides Hill.

5.30
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 SONIGINO, 2 QUAI DE BOURBON, 3 WHAT’S UP DARLING

SONIGINO is capable of rewarding each-way bets - at the very least - in the meeting’s finale.

To come home in front under rising star Freddie Gingell, the Paul Nicholls-saddled seven-year-old must leave behind a lacklustre ninth to Jay Jay Reilly in Kempton Park’s Lanzarote Hurdle in mid-January. But there are several reasons for thinking he can do just that.

An unlucky-in-running third at Aintree’s Grand National fixture in April, my selection built on a return-to-the-fray bronze medal at Chepstow in October to run fourth to Iberico Lord in the two-mile Greatwood Handicap Hurdle here the following month.

Sonigino built on that for a six-length score from Prince Zaltar back over an additional half mile at Aintree in November and, if one forgives his Kempton no-show, he’s a player here.

At the end of a momentous week for Willie Mullins, Quai De Bourbon is sure to have his supporters, while What’s Up Darling, Waterford Whispers and Answer To Kayf are three more names to throw into the melting pot.