Neil Mulholland has high hopes for Lord Accord success at Cheltenham

It's another big day for Templepatrick teenage jockey Sam Ewing with two rides at the Cheltenham Festival.

The 19-year-old is aboard Level Neverending in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (2.10pm) and Gevrey in the Magners Plate (4.10pm).

Banbridge hammered the bookies, particularly in Co Down, when winning last year’s Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

Banbridge — owned by Ronnie Bartlett, a leading Scottish businessman whose family originally hail from Northern Ireland — runs in today’s Turners Novices Chase (1.30pm).

Glenavy trainer Neil Mulholland, now based near Bath, runs Lord Accord — with Downpatrick jockey Declan Lavery on board — in the Kim Muir Chase (5.30pm).

Lord Accord won at Cheltenham back in October and Mulholland has high hopes for the horse.

“A winner at probably the best-known racecourse in jumps racing is always special and it was brilliant to see Lord Accord making his way into the Cheltenham winners’ enclosure,” he said.

“The seven-year-old won his first two starts after joining the yard aged five back in the autumn of 2020, once in a bumper and once in a hurdle, both at Fontwell, and he won again the following spring at Uttoxeter.

“He had another excellent autumn last year with two wins and a second-placed finish before not quite recapturing that form after a winter break. He came back in September at Worcester with a promising third and we felt that with the benefit of that run, he might take a step forward and he most certainly did.

“Travelling well through the race, Lord Accord was looking like the most likely winner coming down the hill towards the home straight, but with this race a furlong further than he had tackled previously and with a stiff uphill finish ensuring he would need to stay really well, there was always a moment of doubt, but he bounded up the hill carrying jockey Richie McLernon to a birthday success.

“He has certainly given (owners) Lynne and Angus Maclennan loads of fun and a good amount of success and hopefully will continue to do so.”

Meanwhile, Shishkin “will have to earn” a third Festival success in the Ryanair Chase.

The former Supreme and Arkle winner was odds-on for the Queen Mother Champion Chase last season, but was never travelling on very soft ground and was pulled up early in the contest.

He was subsequently diagnosed with a rare bone condition and his career looked to be under threat when he was beaten 15 lengths by Edwardstone in the Tingle Creek.

Nicky Henderson then opted to step up in trip, a decision which proved inspired as Shishkin powered clear to take the Ascot Chase by 16 lengths.

“We knew he was ready, but that was still a bit of a relief,” said Henderson. “He’s a very high-class horse, but he has had his problems which are well-documented and has been given all the time he needed to get back.

“We’ve always thought he would get further and it was lovely to see him do it like he did at Ascot and while we know it was just a few weeks ago, he has taken it in his stride.

“He’s in good shape, Nico (de Boinville) has been very happy, but Willie (Mullins) has a strong team and he’ll have to earn it.”

Shishkin takes on eight rivals in the two-mile-five-furlong contest and in what looks a stern examination, Blue Lord spearheads a Closutton assault that also comprises Chacun Pour Soi and Janidil.

Blue Lord has similarly done much of his racing over shorter trips and bids to give Mullins a fourth successive win in the race.

Blue Lord won at Clonmel on his seasonal return and followed up in a Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas, but he was upset when odds-on by Gentleman De Mee at the same track last month.