Can Dan Skelton land another County Hurdle? Key quotes for the big final day handicap

Willie Mullins has won this race six times but the type of horse with which he has been successful appears to have changed in recent times. His first four winners were double-figure prices at 10-1, 20-1 (twice) and 25-1 but his last two went off favourite.

It's not just their place in the market that has changed. His first four winners had loads of experience — Thousand Stars (35 runs Flat and jumps combined), Final Approach (19), Wicklow Brave (14) and Arctic Fire (19) — but his last two had barely any. Saint Roi (four) and State Man (three) had only seven outings between them.

This year's five entries have a varying amount of experience and the trend towards his winners being less exposed would point you in the direction of Westport Cove (six) and Zenta (seven).

Absurde might have had only four jumps runs over hurdles but he has a lot of experience on the Flat and 18 runs in total puts him in the same category as Mullins' early winners. The same can be said for Bialystok, who has had a total of 20 runs.

Risk Belle is in the middle after 11 starts so is more difficult to weigh up, but she appears the second string on jockey bookings as Mark Walsh prefers Zenta.

Gordon Elliott might have a superb overall record in handicaps at the festival but he has never won this and may have taken a page out of the Mullins handbook this year.

He brings King Of Kingsfield into this on the back of just eight starts. He was ahead of Absurde when third at Leopardstown behind Slade Steel and Ballyburn, who have won Grade 1 races this week. A win for King Of Kingsfield or Absurde would make that arguably the strongest piece of form this season.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

RP Recommends: how to bet on the County Hurdle

By Tom Park, audience editor

Another cavalry charge is expected here, so place terms are once again your friend. Most firms are paying six places, but Sky Bet are paying seven and that gives them the edge. Their price is often significantly shorter than the rest of the market so look around and consider taking SP if they are shorter. L'Eau Du Sud and Pied Piper are the two I fancy to at least make the top seven.

• RP Recommends: Sky Bet

Skelton aiming to make history again

The apprentice will overtake the master if Dan Skelton makes his Cheltenham Festival even more memorable and lands another County Hurdle.

He was assistant to Paul Nicholls while the 14-time champion trainer scored a couple of his four wins in this hugely competitive race and Skelton has matched that tally since taking out his own licence in 2013.

Fresh from a handicap double on Wednesday and two Grade 1 successes on Thursday, Skelton has every chance of beating Nicholls' County record this year, but you must consider his whole team.

While Superb Story (8-1 winner in 2016) and Ch'tibello (12-1 in 2019) were well fancied, Mohaayed (2018) and Faivoir (last year) beat a shorter-priced stablemate when scoring at 33-1.

Dan Skelton hugs Bridget Andrews after Faivoir's win in the County Hurdle last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

So keep a close eye on L'Eau Du Sud, who is a single-figure price after his second in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury, but do not ignore Imperial Cup runner-up Faivoir, who bids to become the first dual winner of this — a feat stablemate Langer Dan achieved in the Coral Cup two days ago.

Skelton said: "L'Eau Du Sud had bad ulcers in the winter but he ran really well last time at Newbury and I think he'll go very well here. The track should suit him.

"Faivoir won this last year and he's obviously in good form, having been second last Saturday, beaten just a head. It's not ideal running back this quick but he seems well."

Handicap king Elliott bidding for his first County

Gordon Elliott has never won this race but it is surely only a matter of time. Look at the formbook.

His phenomenal record in all the other handicap hurdles at the meeting shows he knows exactly how to get the job done, landing the Martin Pipe conditional jockeys' race twice, the Coral Cup and Pertemps Finals three times each and a remarkable four Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdles.

Elliott has been peppering the target in this race too, most recently when Pied Piper was beaten just a head in second last year.

Pied Piper is back to try again 12 months on, joined by promising novice King Of Kingsfield and longer-priced contenders By Your Side, Media Naranja and Samui.

Elliott said: "We've thought for quite a while that this sort of race might suit King Of Kingsfield. He has a lot of pace and has always worked very well. We hope he will be bang there. He's a good horse.

"Pied Piper was just touched off in the race last year and we're having another go with Danny Gilligan's claim. He's got a touch of class and deserves to bag a big one. Samui, By Your Side and Media Naranja all need to improve, but hopefully one of them might sneak a place."

Pied Piper (second left) narrowly denied by Faivoir in last year's County HurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker

Cheltenham or Wolverhampton for Parramount?

Charlie Longsdon faces an unusual choice on Friday morning. Does he run Parramount in the County Hurdle or in a 1m1½f novice event on the Flat at Wolverhampton?

Cheltenham is first preference for Becher Chase winner Snow Leopardess' half-brother and the trainer said: "If they avoid the rain, he'll probably go in the County Hurdle. If it does rain, the sensible decision would be to go to Wolverhampton. It's an odd double but he ran a cracker at Wolverhampton last month.

"His half-sister ran in the Grand National so I thought he'd need a mile and five or a mile and six but the owner knows the family better than I do and was adamant he wants a mile and two and he's probably right.

"If the ground is right at Cheltenham he could run really well, he's fresh and there's a big hurdle prize in him before he goes chasing."

What they say

Gavin Cromwell, trainer of Encanto Bruno
He's in great shape and runs well fresh. He has form here, having won a novice hurdle at the October meeting, which is definitely a plus. Ground would be the worry: the better the ground, the better his chance.

Gary Moore, trainer of Hansard
He's been disappointing since winning the Gerry Feilden at Newbury. If he's back on song then he'd have a reasonable chance of running into a place.

Harry Fry, trainer of Gin Coco
You can forget his last run, we ran him back too quickly, and he's been off since. We need the ground to dry back a good bit but he's got good course form, having finished second in the Greatwood, and has a great record fresh.

Jonjo O'Neill, trainer of Petit Tonnerre
He finished seventh last year, has some fair form over fences this season and could have an each-way chance.

Sheena West, trainer of Mr Freedom
He could damn near have won the Boodles last year but his saddled slipped and he got bumped. He had a nice confidence-booster round Plumpton last time, he's on top of the world and he's relatively unexposed, so I see no reason why he shouldn't run well.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Afadil
He needs the ground to dry up and if there's any more rain he won't run. He has no weight, ran well at Musselburgh and would have an outside chance but he is better on better ground.
Reporting by David Carr

Read more of Friday's previews: 

Willie Mullins saddles more than half the field but which is the stable first string? 

Can Captain Teague step up in trip and repel powerful Willie Mullins contingent in Grade 1 Albert Bartlett? 

Galopin Des Champs goes for a famous Gold Cup double - but what does Willie Mullins make of his chances? 

'He's better and stronger now' - last year's runner-up Its On The Line bids to go one better in Hunter Chase 

Dinoblue has the stamp of a champion and sets a high bar in much-maligned Mares' Chase 

'We have a nice team for this' - Better Days Ahead leads Gordon Elliott's seven-strong squad in Martin Pipe  

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