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THIS to me is by far the best day of the Cheltenham Festival, with two feature events for the price of one and some cracking handicaps to boot. So let’s start with the latter and the Handicap Hurdle Final at 2.10 which is arguably the most open race of its kind of the week, hurdle or chase.

Earlier on in the season, Icare Allen was made quite a tight favourite on the back of his third at Aintree, but he hasn’t run since then, and to my eyes he has fallen down the pecking order. I prefer the two Henry De Bromhead runners, Gabby’s Cross and POPOVA, and will be having an each-way wager on both of them. The latter gets the nod based on her really eyecatching qualifying run at Punchestown behind Jody Ted and is too big in the marketplace.

I really wanted to see Monkfish run in the Stayers Hurdle, but Mr Mullins has deemed the Gold Cup much more suitable so I will probably side with NOBLE YEATS at 3.30. He stays better than all but Paisley Park and remains unexposed over timber as he will be having just his fourth hurdles start.