Hunter prospects advertise their chances for Cheltenham showpiece

The three Amateur only restricted races at the Cheltenham Festival have a long tradition of pushing able young riders up the racing food chain and into the mainstream, although there have been plenty of able amateurs capable of rising on level terms with their professional counterparts. Jim Wilson, three times a winner of the race that is now the Coral Cup on Willie Wumpkins, is better known as the amateur who won the Gold Cup on Little Owl in 1981. More recently, Long Run took the race under Sam Waley-Cohen, but the amateur division take these opportunities with the seriousness they deserve, appreciating the chance for better recognition beyond the immediate confines of the sport's close-knit following.

The races where amateurs will try to get a mount are the National Hunt Chase on Tuesday, Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase on Thursday, and, of course, the Foxhunter Chase on Friday. And whilst there are runners who come direct from the Point-to-Point field, the value of the Foxhunter now at £50,000, ensures that a majority of the horses entered are from professional yards, unlike the other two Foxhunter Chases, where home-trained horses are more commonplace.

February is a peak month for Hunters to achieve a successful prep race and the last week has seen a flurry of largely bloodless races with small fields where horses have achieved the necessary qualification criteria and shaped their challenge for the big stage next month.

The West Country is always well represented in the Cheltenham Foxhunter, and don't expect 2022 to be any different. There's Porlock Bay to return for a second tilt, whose sparing runs since last March have been a second to Premier Magic at Chaddesley's Harkaway fixture in late December, and a 2 1/4l second to Salvatore at Bangor on Friday last under Will Biddick.

Biddick was also successful for Anthony Honeyball at Ffos Las last Thursday on Pure Vision, whose owner J P McManus always enjoys a Festival runner. And as a trainer in his own right, Biddick may well put forward others, like Monsieur Gibraltar, who gave Olive Nicholls a winner at Larkhill in December.

Warwickshire's Tom Ellis can be expected to put forward at least one candidate, and Gina Andrews is a plus for any combination. Sadly we learnt little from Dubai Quest's canter round Wetherby on Saturday last, beating Le Breuil 5 1/2l, with the remainder of the 5 runner field pulling up. However, his reputation is pretty much unblemished, this being his seventh consecutive winning performance.

Ellis also has Latenightpass, second in the Aintree Foxhunter in 2021, and winner of an Alnwick Open in December. He has subsequently fallen in a comparable race at the same venue a fortnight ago. In addition, don't rule out a rule for Fumet d'Oudairies, second in the John Corbet Cup to Vaucelet at Stratford last May, and winner of two Opens at Horseheath this term.

Mark and Sara Bradstock have plenty of experience of Cheltenham after winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Coneygree in 2015. Nine year old Mythbuster won an open Hunters Chase at Musselburgh on Saturday for their daughter Lilly, and likely merits an entry too. It's not every day a small stable gets to field a Festival runner, so they may be tempted to tilt at windmills, but it's not inconceivable this cast-off from de Bromhead could figure in the finish.

Meanwhile, James Owen's Pont Aven put in the most eye-catching performance at Ludlow last week, dismissing his opponents with ease.

Hot favourite remains Billaway, second to Porlock Bay in '21, and subsequently fifth to Cousin Pascal at Aintree. He prepped up with a second at Thurles last month, and will be one of a strong team from Closutton after winning easily at Naas on Saturday. Cousin Pascal has been carefully prepared this season, and will come on for his opening run behind Wagner at Hereford last month.

The other Irish challenger comes from north of the border, where David Christie trains in Fermanagh. Vaucelet was a convincing winner of the Stratford Foxhunter last May, and has subsequently burnished his credentials in a Portrush Point-to-Point and a Hunters Chase at Fairyhouse.

And not to forget the Hertfordshire representative, Premier Magic, winner of that splendid open race at Chaddesley over Christmas, and now fully launched into the major league.

You can never rule out two amateurs who ride most under Rules in Sam Waley-Cohen and David Maxwell. Sam has a couple of potemtial mounts, the most likely fo which is Igor, winner of an open at Larkhill in January, but Maxwell has a choice. Dolphin Square won comfortably over the big fences at Lingfield two days ago after a campaign largely over hurdles this winter that included a thriller at Cheltenham on New Year's Day, whilst Bob and Co could also represent him. Bob and Co hasn't been seen out since running Vaucelet a close second at Stratford last May, a month after winning the Champion Hunters Chase by a nose from Billaway at the Punchestown festival.

If ever there was one of the 28 races that is more open, I have yet to see it. It looks a fascinating dessert after the Gold Cup in a little over a month.