Cheltenham Festival day four – Photo out to finish Festival on a high

Molly Hunter
March 13, 2020 4:45 am

Mullins chaser faces stern opposition in Gold Cup defence.

The Cheltenham Festival reaches its apex today with the highlight of the National Hunt calendar, the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Last year’s hero Al Boum Photo returns but faces stiff opposition – including Nicky Henderson’s Cotswold Chase winner Santini.

Irish Gold Cup hero Delta Work is also a player, with King George VI Chase champion Clan Des Obeaux set to line up, too.

Elsewhere on the card is a competitive renewal of the JCB Triumph Hurdle – with Solo, Goshen and Allmankind leading the field.

The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle also promises to be a thrilling contest in which Philip Hobbs’ Thyme Hill, unbeaten over hurdles, is well-fancied to take the honours.

Hazel Hill then bids for back-to-back victories in the St James’s Place Foxhunter Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase, the race known as the amateurs’ Gold Cup.

Photo bids to strike gold twice

Al Boum Photo seeks back-to-back Gold Cup victories after a two-and-a-quarter length success in the race last year. The eight-year-old was then beaten on his next start in the Punchestown Gold Cup by Kemboy, who also lines up this afternoon. The quality of the field is further boosted by inclusion of Cotswold Chase winner Santini, Irish Gold Cup winner Delta Work and dual King George VI Chase hero Clan Des Obeaux.

Triumph favourite after Solo success

Paul Nicholls’ Triumph hurdle fancy Solo has run just once in Britain, but he was hugely impressive with a 13-length victory in the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle. As a result, he leads the market ahead of Goshen – who comes into the race having not lost a race in his last six runs on the Flat and more recently over hurdles. Allmankind is also a Flat recruit – and looks promising, having taken flawlessly to his new career by winning all three jumps starts.

Hill’s Thyme to shine?

Philip Hobbs’ Thyme Hill has won each of his three starts over hurdles en route to the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, but faces a field filled with rivals in similarly good form. Chief among them, Paul Nolan’s Latest Exhibition has taken graded races on his last two outings.

Hazel Hill hunting for another Foxhunter

Hazel Hill bids for a second successive victory in the St James’s Place Foxhunter Challenge Cup, having prevailed by four lengths last year from the reopposing Shantou Flyer. Dangers include two former Festival winners in Minella Rocco, who beat Hazel Hill at Wetherby in February, and Don Poli. The latter has warmed up with two point-to-point victories at Alnwick.