Trainers hoping to finish festival with a flourish

TRAINERS Dan Skelton and Olly Murphy will be hoping for success on on the final two days of the Cheltenham Festival.

Alcester-based Skelton saddles three horses today (Thursday) including punters’ favourite Protektorat and another trio of hopefuls on Gold Cup day tomorrow.

Protektorat won last year’s Ryanair Chase and is again among the favourites with Harry Skelton on board although the Willie Mullins mount Fact To File looks the one to beat.

Earlier in the day, Catch Him Derry has a decent chance in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle while outsider Langer Dan could cause a stir in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle.

Murphy, whose yard is in Wilmcote, has just one entry tomorrow - Westerninthepark in the day’s final race, the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase which looks wide open.

Course winner Valgrand is the mount of Harry Skelton in tomorrow’s opener, the William Hill County Handicap Hurdle, and brother Dan has two horses in Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle which rounds off the festival - Doyen Quest and Nurse Susan. Murphy also has one horse in that race, Act of Authority.

Jockey Sean Bowen brought up his 150th winner of the season at Warwick's popular Four-Legged Friend Race Day on Sunday when taking the £18,000 JCB Tele-Handler Handicap Hurdle on odds-on favourite Woodie Flash for the Wilmcote trainer.

Bowen described Woodie Flash as “a strong stayer who can be hard work” and he certainly earned his riding fee, having to keep the winner's mind on the job over the three-and-a-quarter mile trip. The only danger at the end was course winner Kintail, but he unseated Sam Twiston-Davies at the final flight, leaving Woodie Flash in the clear to record his sixth win.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Murphy had trained Go Dante to win Sandown Park's Betfair Imperial Cup for the second year running and, going into Cheltenham Festival week, his 114 winners had amassed over £1.3m in prize money.

Murphy and Bowen continued their winning ways at Stratford's new season opener on Monday when Summerleaze, who had travelled well throughout the race, led on the run-in to beat Nowyouvebinandunit in the Pricing By Real Bookmakers At DragonBet Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

But hopes of a Murphy/Bowen double were dashed when Hara Kiri, who was seeking a four-timer, was withdrawn from the following race because of unsuitable ground.