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Flooring Porter is gunning to win the Stayers' Hurdle for the third successive year at the Cheltenham Festival. Photo: Sportsfile

The Mares' Novices' Hurdle honours the memory of young Jack de Bromhead. Nicky Henderson's Ahorsewithnoname finished second last year so will be aiming to better that.

F irst run in 2016, it's the newest race at the Festival. Willie Mullins trained the winner in the first five years. Magical Zoe runs for Jack's father, Henry.

Datsalrightgino goes in the Plate Handicap Chase and he feels very much at home in the Cotswolds. Emmet Mullins' So Scottish is among the most fancied.

The centre-point of the day is the Stayers' Hurdle. Danny Mullins is having a terrific season. He will ride Flooring Porter, who is bidding to win the race for the third year in a row. Davy Russell is aboard the well-backed Teahupoo, while Blazing Khal will run for Limerick trainer Charles Byrnes, who won the race ten years ago with Solwhit.

Blazing Khal spent 14 months out with injury. All were impressed with his victory in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan last month. Home By the Lee, Klassical Dream and Gold Tweet also add so much to the quality of the contest.

The opening race is the Turners Novices' Chase. The Mighty Potter goes for Gordon Elliott. He's among his most fancied runners of the week. He excels over the fences, but so do Balco Coastal and Appreciate It.

The Ryanair Chase includes Janidil, who was second in the race last March. The nine-year-old Shishkin was in top form at Ascot last month. Blue Lord is also well-rated.

Walking On Air is among the favourites in the always competitive three-mile Pertemps Handicap Hurdle.

Gordon Elliott has won it three years on the spin (2018-2020). Davy Russell rides his horse, Maxxum. An Tailliur will be ridden by Jonjo O'Neill and trained by his father, Jonjo, who inspired one of the greatest Cheltenham days of all, with Dawn Run in 1986.

The last race on the card, the Kim Muir Challenge Cup, at three and a quarter miles, will prove a stern test for the amateur jockeys.

Stumptown and Angels Dawn are among the leading tips. Willie Mullins' horse is called Mr Incredible. Very much like the man himself.

(4.50): Jack De Bromhead Mares Novices' Hurdle

Racing TV will broadcast every race. Virgin Media 1 and ITV 1 will broadcast the first five races each day.

•Andrew Gemmell has been blind since birth. Growing up, he listened to cricket, football and horse-racing commentaries. He was intrigued by Lester Piggott. One of Andrew's teachers would secretly place a bet on his behalf. It grew into a love of horse racing. He's the owner of Paisley Park, which won the Stayers' Hurdle in 2019, with the roof coming off the Cheltenham grandstand. Gemmell follows West Ham United. Paisley Park was named after Prince's recording studio.

•The Ryanair Chase is one of the biggest races of the day. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary saw his horse, Balko Des Flos, win it in 2018. The following year, Bryony Frost, on Frodon, became the first female jockey to win a Grade One race at the Cheltenham Festival.

•One of the best performances in the Novices' Chase came from the brilliant Vautour in 2015. He won by 15 lengths. A Ruby Walsh masterclass.

•The highlight of the day is the Stayers' Hurdle. Big Buck’s won it four years in succession. Another Ruby showstopper. Flooring Porter is bidding is going for a third in a row. The horse was bought by a four-person syndicate from a Facebook ad for €6,000 in 2018. The name came from two business interests – a flooring business and a pub.

•Over the Moon – "The first year I went, I arrived the night before. I made my way into the racecourse. There was a moon, and from the grandstand, I could see the final fence. The final fence at Cheltenham. That famous, legendary obstacle. It's a moment I'll never forget." Journalist, broadcaster and author, Donn McClean.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Keith Donoghue proved himself to be the Cross Country Chase king once again as Delta Work (11/10 favourite) made it back-to-back successes in this quirky Cheltenham Festival test.

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