![By Nilfanion (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://markavery.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Cheltenham_Racecourse-300x204.jpg)
Most people regard this as the least interesting day of the Festival – they are wrong.
The Ryanair Chase is one of the best races of the four days and the World Hurdle is another.
The Ryanair is run over that ‘funny’ distance of 2.5 miles – a bit far for some of the quick horses and not far enough for the out-and-out stayers. Some great horses have won this race (and its -predecessors) in the past and I have often profitted from it. This year it looks like a contest between Al Ferof, Benefficient and Dynaste. I’d be better off if Al Ferof won.
The World Hurdle sees the return to this contest of Big Buck’s who has won this very race four times already – but not last year, as he missed the season through injury. After 16 race wins in a row Big Buck’s returned to action here at Cheltenham at the meeting at the end of January and was third. He can be forgiven one rusty run after all that time, and all those wins, but is he is former self? Is he getting too old? Is he a spent force? we will see on Thursday and the roar will be enormous if Big Buck’s is involved in a close finish. If he is involved in a close finish, it’s likely to be against Annie Power – another Mullins horse and unbeaten in 10 runs. This is a gem of a race. I fancy the young Irish Lady to beat the old Englishman
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I fancy Annie Power too. A star still in her ascendancy.
Going by the like/dislike there seems to be a rather modest overlap in interest between birding and National Hunt ! For myself, its always interesting to look into another world, especially as its one where my mathematical limitations mean I’m not foolish enough to dip my toe in !