James Ewart runners at the Cheltenham Festival

James Ewart have also runners at the Cheltenham Festival when he saddles Aikman and Captain Americo in next month.

The Dumfriesshire trainer license held for seven years before this season and think they have enough horses on them.

Aikman has choice of five entries with a wonderful book their place at Huntingdon previous week Minella Sydney Memorial banks'Novices hurdle win in the class.

Captain Americo four-mile National Hunt Chase at Newcastle in January for Prince on Wayward Wetherby behind victory and a third position recently on the following courses.

He said, "Aikman has come out of the race very well and I think he now will have the opportunity to go to Cheltenham".

He has five entries and the only one he definitely won't run in is the Supreme. I would prefer not run in the two handicaps he's in even though he's now as short as 16-1 for the Coral.

He's in the Martin Pipe Handicap as well, but probably his choices will be the Neptune or the Albert Bartlett.

Captain Americo goes for the National Hunt Chase and is in tip-top form. He was ridden out this morning and is as good as ever.

Cheltenham is a very special place and you only go there when you believe you have something you have a chance with. I've been training for seven years and we've never had a runner at the Festival.

This year we will have two. We are only going there with Aikman and Captain Americo because they truly represent the best chances we've ever have had of a runner with potential to be placed or even possibly win a race."

Cheltenham ruled out for Pady

Tom Cooper has discard the Cheltenham Festival from Forpadydeplasterer's agenda - but his stable star still has a opportunity of making the Punchestown Festival.

Ryanair, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Gold Cup entries was banned for Forpadydeplasterer on Wednesday after his journey to Kempton for the rescheduled King George VI Chase left a mark.

"He came back from Kempton a very sick horse and I think making the two trips to Kempton, first in December and then when the race was rearranged, put paid to him," said Cooper.

"I thought last week we were looking good for Cheltenham but I'd rather not take him over again so soon.

"I'll keep him over here for the rest of this season and hopefully he'll be ready to run at Punchestown."

Cheltenham Festival with Keys

In Cheltenham festival Keys could be the first runner for Derby winning instructor Welsh Roger Charlton after maintaining his unbeaten record on Saturday.

The four year old is a leading fancy for the Champion Bumper after a hat-trick with a short-head win over Cinders And Ashes at Cheltenham. Charlton said, “It doesn’t get much more exciting than a short head after an inquiry and with my first runner at the home of jumps racing”.

Willie Mullins confront in Cheltenhan Festival

At concert for the Cheltenham Festival, Willie Mullins confront a race against time to have Fiveforthree.

Willie Mullins said at the races, "He did his first bit of work the other day and has done two or three pieces of fast work now and I don't know if he's going to go chasing or not yet. We can't even school on this ground the way it is at home. He's a good jumper but we might have to review the situation over Christmas and give him another season over hurdles. We had intended at the start of the season to go chasing. However, here we are at Christmas and you have to make the most of your novice year. If you want to go to Cheltenham, time is running out, but there are lots of chases to be won over there and maybe with that's what we want to do. Maybe we'll start off in a beginners chase, hopefully he'll stay sound and then we can try to get a few more and skip Cheltenham. If you are going to Cheltenham you have to prepare for it and that time is running out."

Cheltenham Festival Betting: The Irish challenge in 2010

Following the January trials, Wayne Bailey takes a look at how well or otherwise horses from the Emerald Isle are likely to perform in March...

“It's not very original, but it will take a good horse to beat Dunguib in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and already, he’s become the Irish banker of the festival.”

In just over a month, waves of bodies both equine and human will cross the Irish Sea for the annual assault on the Cheltenham Hill and of course, the Guinness Tent. I'd guess that the numbers making the trip will be slightly down this year - and some festival regulars I've spoken to are now out of work because of the economic downturn, especially those who were employed in the building trade.

But whether the action is watched live from Prestbury Park or down the local pub, certain Irish horses are going to be backed heavily and hopefully cheered home. Following the January trials in both Ireland and the UK, here's a revised look at the Irish challenge for 2010.
Pre Book your Cheltenham Tickets online from GigSport.

Venalmar to go novice chasing on return

VENALMAR, runner up in the Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival, is back in training having missed all of final season and is to go novice chasing.The seven year old's trainer Mouse Morris said on Monday: "Venalmar had to have a chipremoved from a leg, but he's all rigth now and the plan is to start him off over hedge in October or November."Winner of the Grade 2 Woodlands Park 100 Slaney Novice Hurdle over 2m4f at Naas in January 2008, Venalmar lost out by a neck to Fiveforthree at Cheltenham two months later.He has not run since finishing down the field at the Punchestown festival in April 2008.

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Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is the most famous place in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom and has race prize money second only to the Grand National. It is an event where many of the best British and Irish trained horses race against each other, the extent of which is relatively rare during the rest of the season.
It takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Because of the nation's horses and the fact it usually coincides with Saint Patrick's Day, the meeting is often very popular with Irish visitors.
Huge amounts of money are bet, with hundreds of millions of pounds being gambled over the four days and so the Festival is often noted for its atmosphere, most notably the "Cheltenham roar", which refers to the enormous amount of noise that the crowd generates as the horses enter the home straight and long run in.

Cheltenham Festival 1980 to 2004

2004
The multi-million-pound Centaur centre is ready in time for the 2004 National Hunt Festival. It includes a 2,200-seat arena and another 4,000 to the capacity of the 50,000 course on race days. The centre also provides Cheltenham with an arena big enough for pop concerts for 6,000 people.
2003
The new National Hunt season opens with more than 25,000 tickets already sold for the 2004 Festival.
2003
Best Mate completes an historic double by winning the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup for the second year running.
2002
It is announced that prize money for the new season at Cheltenham will break the £4 million barrier for the first time, with more than half the money is attached to the Festival meeting in March. There are also plans to extend the meeting from three to four days from 2005.
2002
Work starts on a multi-million redevelopment at the course.
2002
Tickets for 2002 Gold Cup Day sell out in record time.
2002
Ambitious plans are announced for a £15 million redevelopment scheme at the racecourse including a new purpose-built arena and widening of the course to increase crowd capacity from 50,000 to 54,000.
2001
After being postponed from March until after Easter as a result of foot and mouth restrictions, the Festival is cancelled for the first time in 50 years.
1997
The £10 million Tattersalls grandstand and Panoramic Restaurant opens.
1996
The luck of the Irish strikes gold with seven Festival winners from the Emerald Isle, the best Irish tally since 1977.
1993
Cheltenham Hall of Fame exhibition opens, a display of the history of racing at Prestbury Park featuring a gallery of truly great Gold Cup winners including multiple winners Easter Hero, Golden Miller, Arkle and L’Escargot.
1992
New parade ring opens with 25 open boxes and facilities to accommodate up to 1,000 spectators.
1989
A £5 million grandstand extension opens, with standing room under cover for 2,000 people and seating for an extra 300. There are also restaurants, boxes and entertainment rooms. Later the same year a £1 million stable block for 160 horses is completed at the racecourse entrance.
1981
Work begins on a new landscaped paddock, weighing room and permanent facilities for the tented village