The highlight of the National Hunt season takes place this month as the Cheltenham festival stages its four day extravaganza

This year the main attraction for many people is the eagerly awaited
clash between two of the biggest stars in horse racing,Kauto Star and
his stable companion Denman.

Their meeting in the Gold Cup looks set to be the clash of the week.
Kauto Star comes into the race as the defending champion from last
year, while Denman is the young pretender.

Both horses have shown tremendous form this year, winning four Grade 1
races each. Though he was beaten on his first start of the season,
Kauto Star quickly regained the winning thread by defeating Exotic
Dancer in the Bet Fred Chase at Haydock Park.

He also defeated the same horse when he crushed his rivals to capture his second King George.
Denman showed his wellbeing, by trouncing his rivals in the Hennessey
Gold Cup,and when he put away the top class chaser, The Listener in the
Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Both horses, trained by the excellent Paul Nichols have come through
their final prep races without a hitch.Although there was a minor scare
with Kauto Star, they are both on course to clash in the race of the
year. It will be a race to saviour. Do not miss it.

The Champion Hurdle is the race that Irish horses have farmed over the
last ten years. The Irish have won eight of the last ten running of the
two mile event starting with Istabraq in 1997 right up to Sublimity’s
victory twelve months ago.

Once again the raiding party has a strong team to go to battle with.
For many the favourite is Sizing Europe, trained by Henry De Bromhead.

He leaped to the head of the market after his impressive victory in the AIG Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in January.

He beat a number of top class horses that day without breaking sweat.
The one slight reservation to be had is that he may lack the experience
needed to win a championship event.

If the favourite is to be beaten, punters could do far worse than back
Osana. The horse, trained by David Pipe, has already won at the track
this year, when he defeated the current champion, Sublimity, in
November. He has had a light campaign, been trained for this race and
will be primed to show his best.
Just like the Gold Cup, Paul Nichols also trains the top two favourites
in the Champion Chase, which is the main event of day two.

The two horses, Twist Magic and Master Minded have had different
campaigns in the run up to Cheltenham but they have both been equally
impressive. Twist Magic captured the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown when
he beat the reigning champion Voy Por Ustedes by four lengths.

It was then the turn of Master when he, like his stablemate beat Voy
Por Ustedes in the Game Spirit Chase at Haydock Park in early February.

It will be a race not to be missed, but Twist Magic may just have the edge over his younger opponent.
The Cheltenham festival is without doubt the highlight of the racing
year and with all the top class races and horses on show, this is one
show that you don’t want to miss.

- Alan Conway

Tips for Cheltenham 2008

Tuesday March 11
2.00 Fiveforthree 10-1
2.35. Noland  3-1
3.15 Osana  11-2

Wednesday March 12
2.00 Breed Breeze 10.1
2.35 Tidal Bay 7-1
4.00 Leg Spinner 6-1

Thursday March 13
2.00 Big Bucks.16-1
2.35 L’Antartique.7-1
3.15 Kasbah Bliss 7-1

Friday March 14
2.00 Five Dream 16-1
2.35 Gone To Lunch 5-1
3.15 Neptunem Collonges 25-1

(Odds: Paddy Power)