Darren Skelton / 12 March 2009 Free Bet

So here we are, day 4 of the annual War of Attrition that is The Cheltenham Festival. How has it been for you all so far? Feel free to make a comment below as I'd love to read how everyone has got on thus far (preferably tales of how much you've lost please, so I can feel a bit better).

Those shrewdies at Betfair know that I always enjoy my fortune on the last day of the festival so they've asked me to cover the last day's racing (at least i think that's the reason). As usual for me I've had a few winners but just haven't bet them properly and have somehow still managed to be down a few bob.

Kasbah Bliss was a big disappointment for me as he was my banker of the week, but credit has to go to Ruby and Paul Nicholls who have once again proved that they're the kings of the festival. Big Bucks was a worthy winner (well done Cillian!) and could well make a big career for himself over fences next year.

Friday's action kicks off again at the welcome new time of 1:30 with the Triumph hurdle, the stage where the ex flat stars get to shine. Ebadiyan would be the most popular winner of the week and one would think that racing would have to be put back an hour or so while they try and relocate the Monaghan Maestro , Oliver Brady, from the winner's enclosure. His horse definitely has a fighting chance and even though he was beaten last time out there was a lot to like about his attitude at the finish and the hill may bring out the best of him. Jumbo Rio was Ebadiyan's conqueror last time but word from his connections is that they think Cheltenham may be a bit too stiff for him. My selection in this race is going to be the often underestimated, Starluck. This horse has not been asked a question in three starts to date and even though he comes from a small enough yard I think he may be well up to this task. One of the horses behind him last time was Silk Affair who won the Fred Winter earlier in the week. I think we may get a nice price about this horse because of his modest connections and a horse to beat him will have to be really special.

The County Hurdle has been moved to the second race of day two but it remains one of the hardest puzzles of the week to solve. In recent years the Imperial Cup winner has always been the starting point for this race and that's no different this year as the winner Dave's Dream is the forecast favourite. I'm going to offer up an each way selection, and an unoriginal one at that, because literally any of these horses could win this race without surprising anybody. The ground may have come right for American Trilogy who Paul Nicholls thinks is on a fair mark and Ruby Walsh thinks is tackling a perfect trip. Who are we to argue with these two racing giants? At [29.0] on betfair at the moment, American Trilogy represents a fair bet.

The Albert Bartlett Novice's Hurdle is up next and I've been given some rock solid information that Brown's Bailey is going to be very well backed for this and is well fancied. Mouse Morris has been quite this week but this horse has been running on what can only be described as inappropriate ground up to now and one would think that he's going to improve markedly for this.Get on early!

And so we come to the Gold Cup. This race has divided opinion among race goers all over the land with people looking to oppose the recent Gold Cup winners Denman and Kauto Star. There's a school of thought that once you win a Gold Cup you're never quite the same horse again. I don't subscribe to this lazy theory because arguably there's not a whole lot of difference between winning the race and filling a place. It's quite amazing that we can freely get [7.00] about last year's imperious winner of this race but his preparations for this have been diffident to say the least. He can never be totally discounted but it would be a performance of the century (and more) if he could win this. Kauto Star is a superb traveller and a superb jumper and in all ways, a superstar, but he's not the invincible machine that he once was and could be vulnerable to a younger horse. I think Barbers Shop could be just the horse. Henderson and Geraghty have been irresistible together this year and although the horse has to improve, he was a clear second behind Ryanair chase winner Imperial Commander in the Paddy Power and I think there's a considerable amount of improvement left in him. Neptune Collonges didn't look himself in Ireland last time and fans of Exotic Dancer may think that this may be his year - I don't see it I'm afraid.

The Foxhunter's chase is next and a race that's never short of drama should once again get the pulses racing. I was told last month to back Cappa Bleu for this race and it's quite unbelievable that he's so short for a horse that has never raced properly under rules. He's made some immense impressions in the point to point world though and because I was told about him so long ago, I'm finding it hard to look elsewhere.

The next race on the card is in honour of Martin Pipe and inevitably David Pipe has armed himself with 8 equine weapons and it would be silly to look elsewhere to be honest. I don't have any strong convictions about this so my advice would be to pick a pipe horse and hope for the best.

David Pipe's father was honoured in the previous race and it's Nicky Henderson's dad who's honoured in this year's curtainfall. I personally wish they'd load the last day with a few more high class races as it almost feels like an anti-climax when it comes to Friday evening. I'm probably being selfish though as nobody likes to see the festival end and come Saturday morning us punters have a lot less to look forward to. I've already backed Pasco each way for this at 20s as I think he could be another potential Nicholls. It's the last race of the festival so I hope whatever you back you do so without needing it to win!!!