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Friday 

1.20pm JCB Triumph Hurdle 
WHEN I first previewed this race last month, it was shaping up to be one of the most intriguing races of the Festival and that was before Tritonic bolted up at Kempton. 
Alan King’s horse is currently vying for favouritism for the race, but would need to jump a lot better than he did the last day to win at Cheltenham. 
I find it difficult to split the main Irish duo – former stablemates Zanahiyr and Quilixios. 
The former beat Saint Sam by six lengths at Leopardstown in December while the latter beat Saint Sam by five and a half lengths at the same track last month. 
At a bigger price, I’d give Adagio a live chance in this as he is a course and distance winner and the Pipe team have been in fine form this season. 
He is priced around 12/1 so is a decent each-way punt at those odds. I don’t fancy anything at bigger odds so I’d couple Adagio with Tritonic in a reverse forecast as the prospect of better ground on Friday might just count against the Irish raiders. 
Selection: Adagio 12/1 (Each-way and reverse forecast bet with Tritonic) 


1.45pm McCoy Contractors County Hurdle 
THE County Hurdle hasn’t been a kind race to me over the years and I tend to look for a couple of big each-way selections. Ganapathi was a good second to Dreal Deal in the Moscow Flyer Hurdle before disappointing last time out, but he could be on a nice weight for this and is currently around 6/1. 
One that has been mentioned a few times at different preview nights is Gowel Road for Nigel Twiston-Davies.  He won well at Newbury last month and looks set to carry a low weight and currently trading around 14/1. 
Another who could be overpriced is Petit Mouchoir at 33/1, albeit he’d need to put a few disappointing runs behind him. 
Yet, he was a solid fifth of 17 runners in last year’s Champion Hurdle and a return to that sort of form would have him right in the mix for a County Hurdle. 
Selection: Ganapathi 6/1
Each-way: Petit Mouchoir 33/1

2.30pm Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle 
LAST year’s renewal of the Albert Bartlett was an absolute thriller and the saying “bet small, win big” rang true as I landed a 150/1 winner in this race. 
I placed a £1 bet on Monkfish, Latest Exhibition, Fury Road and Thyme Hill to be the first four home in any order and they duly obliged. 
I doubt I’ll touch for a special like that for quite some time and this year’s field doesn’t look to be of the same quality. 
The one I’m drawn to is Barbados Buck’s – primarily because I was such a huge fan of Big Buck’s, the four-time winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle. 
Connections will be delighted if he turns out to be anywhere near as good as Big Buck’s and this is one of the few Cheltenham races to elude Paul Nichols. 
He is priced at around 11/2 and is a solid chance in what looks an open renewal. 
At a similar price, Torygraph has been improving all season and looks set to run a big race and has been put up as the best hope of the week for Giggingstown and is around 6/1 in the betting. 
Selection: Barbados Buck’s 8/1 (Each-way)

Each-way: Torygraph 7/1

3.05pm WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase
THIS looks set to be the race of the year if all the main protagonists make it to the start at 3.05pm on Friday afternoon. 
Two-time champion Al Boum Photo bids to make it a hat-trick in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but he faces his toughest task to date with Champ, A Plus Tard, Royale Pagaille and Minella Indo all holding chances of taking his crown. 
Outsiders Frodon, Kemboy and 2018 Gold Cup winner Native River cannot be dismissed easily either. 
As a punter, it is easy to overcomplicate things and study form over and over again. The form is reflected in the betting. Al Boum Photo is the favourite and is the most likely winner of the race. Why look beyond him? 
He was a little bit short in the betting for my liking at 5/2, but is now 10/3 joint-favourite thanks to support for A Plus Tard and the in-form Rachel Blackmore/ Henry De Bromhead team.
Others have doubts about their jumping (Champ and Minella Indo) and some aren’t proven at the trip (A Plus Tard). I also think Royal Pagaille ought to have run in Tuesday’s National Hunt Chase and I’d be surprise if he has the class to win a Gold Cup. 
I’d still keep Minella Indo onside as my each-way selection as he has been first and second in two runs at the track and, hopefully, Henry de Bromhead’s charge can return to form at around 10/1. 
Selection: Al Boum Photo 10/3
Each-way: Minella Indo 10/1

3.40pm St James’s Palace Festival Hunters’ Chase
TAKING on a Willie Mullins favourite (again) may not be the wisest betting strategy for this week, but he can’t win every race and some of his fancied runners will get turned over. 
Billaway was sent off the 11/4 favourite for this race last year, but was 10 lengths behind shock 66/1 winner It Came To Pass. 
One year later, Billaway looks like being sent off at similar odds while last year’s winner is around 9/1. 
On The Fringe, Salsify and Pacha Du Polder were back-to-back winners of this race and It Came To Pass can follow in their footsteps. 
Stalker Wallace was forth in last year’s race and perhaps he can get a bit closer this time around for Enda Bolger. 
Selection: It Came To Pass 9/1  
Each-Way: Stalker Wallace 10/1

4.15pm Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase
IF Tony Mullins is to be believed, punters should “motor” into Elimay for the Mares’ Chase and she looks to be one of the bankers of the week. 
There probably isn’t much value left in her price at around 6/4, but her run behind Allaho in January is, by far, the strongest form on offer. 
Moyhenna is a consistent sort who could be a shade overpriced at 20/1. Yet, I’d be keen to have a small each-way bet on Magic Of Light ahead of her tilt at next month’s Grand National. 
While the trip is probably on the short side for her, she is a top-class mare and could be in the hunt at 12/1. 
Selection: Elimay 6/4

Each-way: Magic Of Light 12/1


4.50pm Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle 
AND so to the last race of the 2021 Cheltenham Festival. Picking the first winner of the meeting is good, but everyone wants to end on a high with the winner of the Martin Pipe. 
Having backed Langer Dan in last Saturday’s Imperial Cup, I was hoping he got a run as his Sandown win was seriously impressive. After two horses withdrew on Thursday, Dan Skelton's charge makes the cut and is now a 8/1 chance. He'll have to carry a five-pound penalty for his win last weekend, but I think he is a great each-way bet.  
Ganapathi was another selection for this. However, he is set to tackle the County Hurdle earlier on the card. Willie Mullins looks to have another live chance in Gentleman De Mee. He was a 5/1 chance earlier in the week. However, steady support now has him as the 3/1 clear favourite in the last race of this year's Cheltenham Festival.  
Selection: Gentleman De Mee 3/1

Each-way: Langer Dan 8/1