Who To Follow On Day Four Of The 2022 Cheltenham Festival

James Mackie | @jamesmackieee

Thu 17 Mar 2022 12.06

Cheltenham 13:30

Vauban

J: Paul Townend

T: W P Mullins

N/A

Age: 4

Weight: 11-0

OR: 146

Days: 41

The first selection on the final day of the Cheltenham festival comes in the Grade One JCB Triumph Hurdle and the horse we have sided with is the Willie Mullins trained Vauban.

Being bought by Rich Ricci from France after four decent runs on the flat, he was given to Mullins and made his hurdles debut around Christmas time.

He took on the ex John Gosden horse Pied Piper and went down by half a length in heavy ground, but the Gordon Elliott Juvenile has since gone on to bolt up in a Grade Two at Cheltenham.

Vauban also franked the form last time out when taking the Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival and if improving again could be very tough to beat looking to have bags of pace.

Form: 41121View

Date	Course	Distance	Type	Weight	Position
29/12/22	LEO	16	Sft	11-12	2
30/04/22	PUN	16	Y	11-0	1
18/03/22	CHL	17	GS	11-0	1
05/02/22	LEO	16	Y	11-2	1
31/12/21	PUN	15.5	Hy	11-2	2

Willie Mullins will be looking to bring the house down on the final day of the festival and hopefully score another trainers championship at the four day meeting.

In the first race of the day he fields Vauban and Il Etait Temps who both hold leading chances off the back of the form in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the DRF.

In the County Hurdle he has won five of the last 11 renewals and he fields the favourite State Man, who looks a graded horse in a handicap.

Minella Cocooner and The Nice Guy are his leading chances in the Grade One Albert Bartlett and then in the Gold Cup he will be looking for Al Boum Photo to land his third win in the race.

He will be hoping Billaway can go one better in this year's Hunters Chase having lost by a short head last year and then in the Mares' Chase, he has two big chances with Elimay and Concertista.

Finally, in the Martin Pipe, his leading chance is Adamantly Chosen, with Five O'Clock also holding big claims having not been seen since his fourth in the race last year.

Davy Russell could be in for a huge day on Gold Cup Day with a great book of rides, especially in the big one with Galvin now being joint favourite.

Starting the day off he has moved onto Fil Dor, who looks to have a big chance if getting back to his best after getting beat last time out.

In the County Hurdle he has a live chance with Top Bandit who has been set up for the race and then in the Gold Cup, Galvin will be looking to take the Glory.

The final ride of the afternoon for the rider comes in the Mares' Chase with last year's festival winner Mount Ida looking to score at Prestbury Park again.