Royal A Skybet Player

Good morning/evening everyone, I trust we are all getting excited for the 2015 Cheltenham Festival as we can just about see it on the horizon. Today marks Festival Trials Day where the last preparations will go on some Cheltenham candidates and other plans will be finalised. Over the course of this weekend we will see Saphir Du Rheu revert back to the smaller obstacles in a bid for the World Hurdle in March, Dynaste step up in trip and take on the young pretenders of Many Clouds and Smad Place. We also have a few on trial at Doncaster with the exciting Blaklion back at three miles and the Skybet Chase where Easter Day is a non runner and is redirected to Cheltenham

If that isn't enough for you then we are spoiled even further on Sunday as Hurricane Fly and Jezki do battle once more in the Irish Champion Hurdle. In the novice ranks we will see No More Heroes stake his Festival claims and one of the races of the weekend in the Irish Arkle which will see Un De Sceaux vs Gilgamboa vs Clarcam... Enough for you!?

As always @Ontheotherhoof have a video preview prepared for you as we cover all of tomorrow's action on Channel 4. Joining me on the panel were @Calummadell and @Adamwebb121 as they give their best bets of the weekend ahead. We hope you can tune in via the link below.

Festival Trials DayCheltenham Festival Trials Day

Now onto the all important selections!

1:50 Cheltenham - The Giant Bolster

We start today off in one of the feature races of the entire weekend and one that will be sure to give us a few Gold Cup clues. Only 6 take their chance in the Betbright Cup but we aren't short on class with Hennessy winner Many Clouds and last year's Ryanair winner Dynaste in the field. In addition to those two we have the small matter of last year's winner The Giant Bolster and the progressive Smad Place who was second in the 2014 RSA to contend with.

Preference is for The Giant Bolster who as previously mentioned won this race last year, but this is a tougher renewal and he will need more here. This is likely to be his main goal for the entire season however whereas many others in the field will have an eye to the Cheltenham Festival. That was the same story last year but he still managed a tenacious third in the Gold Cup, once again proving his love for his local track. We haven't seen a great deal of him this season as he hasn't blossomed so far when finishing last in the Charlie Hall and fifth in the Betfair, albeit only fourteen and a half lengths behind Silviniaco Conti. That isn't too much of a worry as he does most of his winning this side of Christmas and today will have been in the diary since Trials day last year. One slight negative is that Tom Scudamore can't ride due to Dynaste's presence in the race, however Tom Cannon is a more than able deputy and rode him in the Betfair Chase.

With a few too many questions over the rest in the field, we will side with the tried and tested selection of The Giant Bolster who is already a credit to connections at the grand old age of 10. (7/1)

2:40 Doncaster - Blaklion

At the start of the week Blaklion had some interesting entries for this weekend including one in the Cleeve Hurdle, but this is his preferred route and probably looks the best choice for his Cheltenham prep.

Connections haven't had a bad time of things this season with Blaklion and The New One and seem to be winning left right and centre. Blaklion will look to follow in his stablemates shoes by winning a Festival Novice Hurdle, but that will more likely be the Albert Bartlett rather than the Neptune.

After winning two bumpers he entered a few horses to follow lists before the season started but was made to work at Perth on hurdles debut. The Twiston-Davies yard were out of form at that time however and he took a huge step forward to win the Persian War at Chepstow next time out. He then suffered defeat for the first time in his life at Cheltenham over two and a half miles when finding only Parlour Games too good. There is no shame in that as the race probably wasn't enough of a stamina test for him and Parlour Games is now prominent in the Neptune markets. That record was set straight in no uncertain fashion on his first try at three miles back at Cheltenham when winning by an easy 11 lengths. Next up was his first attempt in a Grade One when contesting the Challow Hurdle at Newbury, but once again he found Parlour Games too good and had to settle for third. I was present that day and after the race Blaklion wouldn't have blown out a candle so looks to need three miles as a minimum these days. He steps back up to that trip today and it would be a bit of a shock were he to get beat in the hands of Ryan Hatch who fully returns to the saddle today after injury. (7/4)

3:15 Doncaster - Royal Player

Our last port of call today comes in the Skybet Chase and we take a bit of a chance on a more unexposed runner representing Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson. Despite only being a six year old and only tackling fences three times he has achieved a mark of 147, but that still might not be enough to stop him today.

He ran in a good Novice Chase on his debut over the larger obstacles and looked to be in need of the run on soft ground at Ffos Las. Since then he has won two handicaps and looks to be learning plenty from each experience and seems to be a thoroughly progressive type. His run last time was the effort that caught my eye after absolutely tanking through the race in a three mile handicap at Musselburgh before winning well off top weight. Today represents a whole different task off a ten pound higher mark against far better opposition, but he unexposed and could still be better than a mark of 147.

One of the main dangers today could come in the form of Night In Milan who won the Grimthorpe here last season and always performs well at this course. The once top class novice Medermit is another that is worth serious consideration off top weight, but Tom Bellamy takes off a valuable five pounds. Royal Player is the selection today however and should be on his way to bigger and better things in his career. (9/1)

NAP - Blaklion
Nb - Royal Player

Have a good day today everyone and as always, happy punting!