Off and running in the 3.30 at Cheltenham …

Seamoon Story and Hillberry Hill set the early running, but it’s not a frantic pace.

Daylatedollarshort is settled three lengths off the pace.

Heading down the straight into the setting sun, no issues with jumping the hurdle in front of the stands though.

Down the back, still Seamoon Story taking them along, four lengths from first to last.

Now Hillberry Hill moves up alongside Seamoon Story, looks like the jockey on Seamoon Story has some tack issues.

Seamoon Story is still in touch but racing wide, Hillberry Hill leads them around the final turn.

Sunny South West come through to challenge, also Daylatedollarshort, and it’s Sunny South West that’s going to notch the win.

That’s a double on the card for Michael Kenneally, who rode his first winner at Cheltenham less than an hour ago on Black Bamboo!

3.30 Cheltenham, handicap hurdle, 2m 5f

More than half of the original field of 13 declared runners are out of the final race on the ITV card, including Nicholls’s A King Of Magic, who would have gone to post with a leading chance.

Daylatedollarshort is the market leader now for Olly Murphy’s yard. He is back up in trip by a furlong-and-a-half after winning a big-field event at Chepstow last time, while Hillberry Hill, trained by Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls, is next in in the betting. He’s the most lightly-raced runner in the field, with just three starts to his name, and was an impressive winner of a novice event at Southwell in March. This is his handicap debut and an opening mark of 122 could be lenient.

Fasol was Paul Nicholls’s final runner of the day and took him to 3,930 jumps winners in Britain, tying Martin Pipe’s all-time record.

He has one runner tomorrow: Pourquoi Pas Papa in the handicap chase at Cheltenham at 1.25.

Fasol it is! Congratulations to Paul Nicholls, the joint winning-most trainer in National Hunt history!

Off and running in the 3.10 at Windsor …

Kapitein Kool takes them along early, with Anniversary in close attendance.

Secret Squirrel is fifth, Zarakerjack poised in fourth going well.

Watamu also travelling nicely, but Kapitein Kool still leads and going well.

Three out, turning in, Watamu is going really well and moves forward.

Over the last, Watamu and Fasol are together, they’re fighting for the line, this is going to be very close …. PHOTO! And this could be Paul Nicholls’s record-equalling winner if Fasol gets the verdict.

It’s off to Windsor now on ITV for the 3.10, a two-mile handicap hurdle with Zarakerjack favourite at 11-4 and Watamu and Secret Squirrel – a past winner over track and trip – next in on 4-1.

A perfectly-judged front-running ride by Michael Keneally. He had an easy time of it on the lead at a track where it generally pays to be handy in any case, but was a half-length down over the last before summoning enough from his mount to reclaim the lead.

Black Bamboo has had an easy time of it on the lead here, still has a handy lead turning down the hill. But he dives at the third-last! Lost momentum but still on his feet and going ok.

William Yeats making ominous progress now, he’s moving up alongside Black Bamboo as they turn in.

Up to the last, Black Bamboo just leads, can he hold on? Yes! What a brave performance from the front, William Yeats looked to have his measure but Black Bamboo found more.

Black Bamboo leads now, Lucky Lyreen second with Margaret’s Legacy third .. but slow at that hurdle and drops back to fifth.

Margaret’s Legacy has now tacked on at the back of the field, but 20 lengths behind the leaders, Lucky Lyreen and Black Bamboo.

Those two are well clear turning into the straight for the fist time. Margaret’s Legacy now fifth, in a chasing group of three.

Off and running in the 2.55 at Cheltenham – BUT THE GAMBLE WAS RELUCTANT TO STRIDE! Margaret’s Legacy finally gets going but trails the second-last runner by 10 lengths early.

The springer in the market for the next race here is Warren Greatrex’s Margaret’s Legacy, who has been backed from 16-1 to 13-2. That’s a fair old plunge.

The crowd figure for today’s card is in. They were hoping for around 30k, and in fact, they got more than 32k: a total of 32,618 to be precise. That’s the best for this card since the post-Covid bounce-back year of 2021, and the favourite’s win in the big race is likely to be the main memory they take home, rather than the unusually thin fields.

2.55 Cheltenham, handicap hurdle, 2m 7f 208yd

Another of the races on today’s card that has suffered from a series of non-runners, with six of the original 16 declarations now sitting it out.

That leaves Sam England’s William Yeats as the narrow 5-2 favourite from Ifiwerearichman and Aimeric on 7-2. Rambo T is a 9-2 shot and it is 12-1 bar the four.

JP McManus is chatting to ITV Racing after his first Paddy Power Gold Cup success.

At the last, the other horse was going very well but I did think ours might find a bit. [Harry Cobden] is at the top of his game and I think he’s as good as there is. I’m very lucky to have him.

The crowd loved that one too, there was a huge roar from the stands as the favourite battled back to land the spoils.

Harry Cobden spoke to ITV Racing’s Alice Plunkett after his Paddy Power Gold Cup win on Meetmebythesea.

These big days don’t come along all that often and I’m going to enjoy every one of them from now on. You just have to pinch yourself when you’re in this position.

Harry Cobden is absolutely buzzing after that win, his first big-race success in the famous green-and-gold colours of JP McManus. He punched the air passing the post and is beaming from ear-to-ear on the way back to unsaddle.

Down to the last, Blueking D’Oroux leads from Meetmebythesea, will he get a good jump?

No! He’s slow at the last and surrenders the advantage, Meetmebythesea was quicker and leads on the hill, he’s staying on well and Blueking D’Oroux won’t get there, it’s a first Paddy Power Gold Cup for JP McManus!

Now Blueking D’Oroux comes to challenge and jumps to the lead two out

Meetmebythesea, Quebecois and Blueking D’Oroux are 1-2-3, turning in now two to jump

Mistake by Release The Beast four out, they’re turning down the hill.

Over the water, six to jump, Quebecois and Meetmebythesea lead with Blueking D’Oroux close behind.

Up the straight for the first time, Quebecois and Meetmebythesea narrow leaders, Zurich is starting to struggle already.

Out past the packed stands, Matata slow at the one away from the stands.

Meetmebythesea is prominent early, so too Quebecois and now he goes on.

Tightly bunched though, and now Zurich makes an early error and drops to the rear.

Off and running in the Paddy Power Gold Cup!

Meetmebythesea is going to be one of the shortest-priced favourites in the history of this race. He’s down to 2-1 favourite …

Meetmebythesea is down to 9-4 for the Paddy Power, with Blueking D’Oroux next in on 4-1. Quebecois is a point longer on 5-1, Zurich and Release The Beast are 7-1 shots and it is 14-1 bar the five.

Release The Beast has been a springer in the market, he was fourth in the Grand Annual over two miles here at the festival.

The fact that the feature is a handicap means that there is not as much video form around as there would be for a Graded race, but a couple of the likelier runners – Zurich and O’Moore Park – were behind Madara in the field for the valuable Plate handicap chase at the festival eight months ago.

Madara was due to line up today, but was scratched yesterday.

2.20 Cheltenham, Paddy Power Gold Cup handicap chase, 2m 4f 44yd

And so we move on to the feature event – early on the card to avoid any possible issues with low sun later in the afternoon – and Meetmebythesea, last season’s winner of the two-and-a-half mile novice handicap chase at the festival meeting in March, is a warm favourite to give JP McManus, his owner, his very first win in this historic event.

His main market rivals are Quebecois – who bids to give Paul Nicholls a share of the all-time record for jumps winners alongside Martin Pipe – and Blueking D’Oroux, a former inmate of the Nicholls yard who switched to Dan Skelton over the summer.

It has to be said that he’s a fortunate winner in other respects, though, as the race cut up so severely.

A wonderful moment for the Haslam team though – it’s his first Cheltenham winner!

That was a really brave performance by Ben Haslam’s chaser, he seized his chance willingly when Workahead got in too close to the last.

Folie Golith was slightly slow away, Passing Diamond and Workahead set a strong pace …

Newton Rambler, the outsider of the field, is a faller at the second …

Going out to the back, still Passing Diamond and Workahead striding along …

Mistake by Workahead! He took off a long way from the fence and just caught his back legs.

They’ve bunched up much more now, over five out , still Passing Diamond in front.

Four out – good jumps by the leaders, the front pair go on again, six lengths back to Putapoundinthejar in third.

Two out, Workahead goes on, he gets to the last in front …

But he’s slow at the last, he’s let Passing Diamond back into it, the long-time leader is back in front and he’s going to hold on, Passing Diamond gets home by a couple of lengths with Workahead and Folie Golith next.

Off and running in the Arkle Trial!

A fair bit of market confidence behind Workahead, he’s the even-money favourite with Folie Golith drifting to 7-2. Putapoundinthejar, from Tony Martin’s shrewd yard in Ireland, is 9-2 and it is 7-1 bar the three.

1.45 Cheltenham, Arkle Trial Novice Chase, Grade Two, 1m 7f 199yd

There’s no glossing over the fact that this is nothing like the race that it promised to be, but in the absence of both Kabral Du Mathan and Old Park Star, it is an obvious chance for Henry de Bromhead’s Workahead to get a Grade Two win on the board.

He was a fair hurdler and a decent winner on his chasing debut at Wexford in May, but only second at 1-3 at Roscommon in June. It’s not great form for a potential Grade Two winner, but it is the best on offer.

The obvious danger is Faye Bramley’s Folie Golith, a four-year-old filly who gets 15lb from the favourite.

Doctor On Call was going best until the closing stages there but it may be that lack of a run this season just caught up with him.

Going back to the Triumph Hurdle Trial, meanwhile, Atomic City got quotes of between 16-1 and 12-1 for the Triumph Hurdle afterwards. He’s likely to be a fair bit shorter than that if he gets there, and realistically, where else would he go?

Into the final mile, little change in the order though Doctor On Call is making some progress. Kildinan Prince has also made a place or two.

Surrey Lord is making some progress now as they turn into the straight, second-last coming up.

Doctor On Call is going best two out, and now jumps it alongside the leader.

Down to the last, Doctor On Call has not gone clear, Reallyntruthfully won’t go away, they’re fighting it out to the line and it’s Reallyntruthfully that is getting the better of it, he’s going clear to win at 10-1!

Off and running in the 1.25 at Windsor!

A steady early pace as you’d expect at three miles.

Thank You Ma’am is prominent, he generally makes the running. Reallyntruthfully is also close to the lead, Doctor On Call travelling well in fourth.

The favourite is going well, but Kildinan Prince is sat last, albeit travelling well enough.

A circuit to go, Doctor On Call’s backers will be pleased to see him still going well in fourth. Kildinan Prince, though, has all but one of the field in front of him.

Doctor On Call is being heavily backed just before the off at Windsor, now down to 2-1. Clearly no worries among the punters about his fitness.

Surrey Lord is another interesting runner here, though the three-mile trip is possibly a concern.

1.25 Windsor, handicap hurdle, 3m

There are fewer issues with non-runners over at Windsor, where the ground is good, good-to-soft in places, and 12 runners go to post for the first of two races from the riverside track on the ITV Racing schedule.

Doctor On Call, a summer switcher from Paul Nicholls’s yard to Sam Thomas, is the narrow market leader at 5-2 to follow up a four-and-a-quarter length success in a three-runner race at Ludlow back in February. It’s limited form and he has been off the track for 269 days, but Thomas is a dab hand at getting them ready first time up.

Emma Lavelle’s Kildinian Prince is his main market rival, making his handicap debut off a very workable mark of 120 having shed his maiden tag in a three-runner race at Exeter in March.

Heading away from the stands now, Atomic City has passed Tiny Riot but is still second-last.

Down the back, Magnetude has taken over in front, all bar Tiny Riot covered by three lengths behind.

Three to jump, still Magnetude in front, Charles Darnay and Atomic City both going well.

Now Charles Darnay jumps into second at the third-last. Atomic City making eye-catching progress on the bridle too.

Over the second-last, Charles Darnay has a narrow lead turning in but Atomic City goes well too.

They’re in the air together but Atomic City is going best, he’s quicker away from the final hurdle too and going clear, putting down a big marker for the Triumph Hurdle back here in March!

Atomic City held up last, Charles Darnay mid-division.

Electrical is taking a very strong hold in front, Magnetude tracks him in second.

Off and running in the Grade Two Triumph Trial!

More money for Atomic City just before the off, he’s down to 6-5 with Charles Darnay out to 3-1. Admiral Will Brown is a 4-1 shot and James Owen’s second-string, Magnetude, has also been nibbled at, down to 17-2.

Just under 10 minutes to the off in the Triumph Hurdle Trial and there is still plenty of money for Atomic City, currently trading at around 11-8. Charles Darnay is attracting backers too, though, at 9-4, while Admiral Will Brown, who was rated 78 on the Flat and won his hurdles debut at Down Royal in October, is also lively in the market at 9-2.

There was fine display of jumping for the big Saturday crowd to enjoy in the opener, as Oran McGill got into an excellent rhythm on Dinoland and comfortably held Little Ledgend by six lengths.

Jon Pullin, Cheltenham’s clerk of the course, has been discussing the ground and slew of non-runners on Racing TV.

“We’re comfortable that we did everything we could and got as much water on as possible ahead of the meeting,” Pullin said.

“When we finished irrigating on Thursday afternoon ahead of Thursday night’s frost we were comfortable there was enough moisture in the ground. We were hopeful that would hold for yesterday and today because we knew realistically we couldn’t get anymore water on due to the frost.

“As it transpired we had a sharper frost than forecast and that sharpened it up on Thursday into Friday and the same last night so we’ve gone good, good to firm in places but the majority is good.

“With irrigation and the little rain we have had between the Showcase [meeting in October] and this one, we have put 400mm on, but we’ve only had 16mm of rain.”

Cheltenham 1.10, Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle, Grade Two, 2m 87yd

With the two star names in the Arkle Trial at 1.45 both scratched, this is now the main supporting act on Saturday’s card in some respects, as there are a couple of very interesting juvenile prospects in opposition.

Charles Darnay, whose trainer, James Owen, is hoping to win this race for the third time in four years, was the early favourite after the declarations on Thursday, but has since been supplanted by Joseph O’Brien’s Atomic City, who was a lightly-raced maiden winner on the Flat but looked a natural over hurdles when making a successful debut at Cork last month (in this video at 1m10sec).

Charles Darnay, meanwhile, was also highly impressive on his hurdling debut, at Wetherby.

There is very little to pick between the pair of them on that (limited) evidence, but personally I plumped for Atomic City, mainly because his maiden event at Cork was run in an excellent time for the grade and he won with plenty to spare.

They are on the way to post at Cheltenham for the opener, a handicap chase for amateur riders over three miles and a furlong, and the going is now good, good-to-firm in places.

Transmission, Top Guy and Jaccours are all non-runners here, leaving nine runners and a market headed by Olly Murphy’s Little Ledgend at 11-4.