Cheltenham Festival: Day 4 final fields

Ante-post favourite Galopin Des Champs heads 13 declarations for Friday’s Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Willie Mullins’ charge famously came down at the final fence with the race at his mercy in last year’s Turners Novices’ Chase, but he has not looked back since, winning each of his three subsequent starts at Grade One level.

He has been skinny odds for the blue riband for much of the season and he will be joined by stablemate Stattler, who was eight lengths behind him in the Irish Gold Cup last time.

Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame arrives unbeaten in two runs this term, following up an impressive Charlie Hall return with a 14-length verdict in the King George VI Chase and he is the next best in the market.

Last year’s victor A Plus Tard has had just one start since his history-making win under Rachael Blackmore, being pulled up in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November.

He is one of two runners for Henry De Bromhead along with Minella Indo, winner of the race in 2021 but a distant second to his stablemate 12 months ago.

Ahoy Senor represents Lucinda Russell having bounced back from some early-season disappointments by winning the Cotswold Chase at Prestbury Park in January.

The Ruth Jefferson-trained Sounds Russian was second that day and he tries his luck again along with third-placed Noble Yeats, winner of the 2022 Grand National for Emmet Mullins, and Dan Skelton’s Betfair Chase hero Protektorat, who was fourth in the Cotswold.

Conflated represents Gordon Elliott having won the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December while Hewick bids to complete a remarkable rise through the ranks for Shark Hanlon, having landed the bet365 Gold Cup, Galway Plate and American Grand National in the last year.

King George second Royal Pagaille lines up for Venetia Williams with Joe Tizzard’s Eldorado Allen completing the field.

The Real Whacker was the only horse not declared as he contests Wednesday’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase instead.

Lossiemouth, Blood Destiny and Gala Marceau give Willie Mullins an extremely strong hand among a field of 15 for the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

As well as having the three market leaders, Mullins also fields Zenta, Je Garde, Cinsa and Gust Of Wind giving him seven chances in the Grade One affair.

Gala Marceau turned over odds-on favourite Lossiemouth at the Dublin Racing Festival when the grey met trouble in running, but the bookmakers have Lossiemouth favoured once more.

The only runners trained in the UK are Ben Pauling’s pair of Active Duty and Jipcot, plus Gary Moore’s Jupiter Du Gite.

A maximum field of 20 will go to post for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

They include the Mullins-trained Embassy Gardens, Emmet Mullins’ Corbetts Cross, Sandor Clegane for Paul Nolan and Gordon Elliott’s Favori de Champdou and Three Card Brag.

All nine have been declared in the Mrs Paddy Power Chase, in which Mullins fields three in Allegorie De Vassy, previous winner Elimay and Dolcita.

Colm Murphy’s Impervious, the Gavin Cromwell-trained Jeremys Flame and Henry de Bromhead’s Magic Daze are others with chances.

Sharjah, second in the Champion Hurdle in 2020 and 2021, will carry top weight in the McCoy Contractors County Hurdle.

Elliott’s Imagine is among a maximum field in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle with Ben Harvey booked.

Last year’s winner Billaway is part of another maximum field of 24 in the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase.