Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase Tips: Wonderwall to find the right tune

The big race for amateurs at Cheltenham on Friday is the Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase, which is due off at 16:40 and is the penultimate race of the entire festival

Read on for my Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase Tips.

Wonderwall to Complete Double

While many of the races at the Festival have been dominated by Irish runners in recent years, this race has produced a good mix of UK and Irish success stories, with the former providing six of the last 10 winners.

Irish runners dominate the head of the market with race regulars It’s On The Line, Panda Boy, Con’s Roc, Wrappedupinmay and last year’s winner WONDERWALL all featuring at single-figure odds.

Preference is for the last of those names, with Sam Curling’s gelding set to make his fourth start at this meeting having also contested the Bumper and County Hurdle in the past.

The selection has been lightly raced since winning at Cheltenham 12 months ago, making just one appearance in the interim. That start resulted in a victory, as he came home two-and-a-half-lengths clear of his nearest rival in a 12-runner open point-to-point at Dromahane in November.

The son of Yeats was always prominent on that occasion and given he goes well fresh, his subsequent absence is of no concern.

Jockey Rob James, on board for last season’s win in this race, returns to the saddle, with the gelding having been partnered by Derek O’Connor in the previously mentioned Dromahane event.

Music Best Of The British

Predominantly point-to-point and hunter chase orientated trainers based in the UK have been responsible for two of the last three winners of this contest, and MUSIC DRIVE looks the pick of the UK runners.

The gelding showed good form when in the care of Gordon Elliott, including placing second to subsequent Grade 1 winner Hermes Allen in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Cheltenham in November 2022.

He was a cheap purchase at the sales the following May and he impressed in winning both point-to-point starts prior to contesting this race 12 months ago.

The nine-year-old registered a good effort in finishing 13 lengths fourth in that event on what was his first start over regulation fences.

Music Best went on to deliver an impressive victory at the chief expense of Aintree winner Gracchus de Balme over this course and distance at the Hunter Chase meeting in May.

While the gelding suffered a defeat when chasing home Linelee King at Revesby Park in January, he is expected to have improved for that effort with this event being his main target this season.

Trainer Kelly Morgan, sister of Rules trainer Laura, came close to winning this with Top Wood back in 2018 and her representative now has underfoot conditions to suit.

Jockey Ellie Callwood, on board last year, is again set to ride, and the son of Muhtathir looks to hold strong claims of providing her with her biggest winner to date.

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