Irish trainer Dermot Weld has revealed it is “unlikely” that Unaccompanied will run in the Champion Hurdle.

The news has come in light of her richly disappointing run in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, where she finished a well-beaten fourth behind the ultra-impressive and leading contender for the Champion Hurdle at Prestbury Park, Hurricane Fly.

That performance has had many punters salivating over the chances of Willie Mullins’ charge defending his Champion crown and the even money quotes surrounding his chances have all but disappeared now such has been the momentum behind his chances.

Rival trainers have also admitted the performance was outstanding, including Nicky Henderson, who has classy youngster Grandouet all set to take on Hurricane Fly but now may think twice regarding his chances of toppling the hot favourite.

Nothing has been confirmed on that front, but Unaccompanied is all but certain not to turn up.

Her below-par run came as a surprise to many punters as she was well backed on the day of the race, going off a strong second favourite behind the eventual winner.

Before that disappointing effort, the five-year-old, who finished second in last year’s Triumph Hurdle at the Festival, had looked a real Champion Hurdle contender. She followed up a nice win in a Listed event at Naas with a top-class performance in the Istabraq Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Conditions were very different last Sunday however, and Weld has admitted that didn’t play to her strengths.

“Unaccompanied wasn’t able to handle the very testing ground at Leopardstown and Davy [Russell] looked after her,” Weld said.

“She’s come out of the race okay and I will be talking, but it’s unlikely she go the the Cheltenham Festival and take on Hurricane Fly again.

“We could aim her at the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival, although we will also be looking at some good Flat races for her, including the Alleged Stakes at the Curragh, which she won last year.”

The quirky yet talented six-year-old made his chasing debut at Taunton on Tuesday and put in a sparkling round of jumping on route to an easy victory that had some bookmakers cutting him into 16-1 for the Arkle.

That price does look fair enough though, as if he lines up, the Nicholls’ charge will have to face the Sprinter Sacre, Al Ferof and Peddlers Cross, all of whom have the potential ability to do great things now and in the future.

It’s also wise to bear in mind that Sanctuaire is far from straightforward and since his win at Cheltenham in the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at the Festival in 2010, he has been frustrating to follow, including refusing to race at Kempton on his last start over hurdles. Put simply, consistency isn’t one of his strong points and Nicholls has openly admitted he’s a bit of a tool.

But the switch to fences could be the key to success with a horse that looked a real top prospect when landing that aforementioned race at the Festival two years ago.

Nicholls eventually may not decide to run both Al Ferof and Sanctuaire in the Arkle, but at the moment, he isn’t ruling out the prospect.

“I think the will have done him the world of good, both mentally and physically,” Nicholls said.

“Once he jumps off, he’s very obviously a tool. He was a bit guessy at jumping, but that can improve.

“I did put him in the Arkle and he’d be something to follow round Aintree, but we’ll see. I could run him in the Kingmaker at Warwick [later in February] now, or find him another small race.”

Donald McCain has revealed that Peddlers Cross could go straight into the Cheltenham Festival without another run. A few options had been considered in the lead up to the Racing Post Arkle Trophy in March, but now it seems a decision has been made.

Peddlers Cross lost out to Sprinter Sacre at Kempton recently of course and there are many who saw this as a significant moment with regards to Cheltenham preparations, but McCain isn’t panicking.

Speaking about the next month or two for Peddlers Cross, he said: “There has been plenty said about Peddlers Cross after Kempton but I can give you the latest on him and it all seems to be very positive.”

“He seems very happy in himself and he is back on the road and working very nicely. Having weighed up the options, I would think it is highly likely that he will now go straight to the Arkle.”

“here only seemed to be two suitable races that fitted in the timescale available to us and neither would be ideal.”

“I don’t think Warwick would suit him especially well and the other option at Kelso might mean having to run on ground that would be more demanding than I would want so close to the Festival.”

“He’s got enough experience over fences as far as I am concerned and the main thing now is to have him absolutely spot on for the day that matters.”

As with many trainers, we shall see if McCain has made the right decision by the time the Cheltenham Festival is been and gone in March. Some will say Peddlers Cross will be undercooked, others – including McCain – believe the benefits of freshness will be witnessed.

Elsewhere, Andy Stewart has admitted that his horse Big Bucks will eventually get beaten. Ahead of what is expected to be another successful few months, he said: “You never know what will happen, and one day he will get beaten.”

“At Ascot he looked better than ever. There was a moment three out where Ruby (Walsh) was careful, but after that it was a formality.”

After securing a convincing victory at the Supreme Trial’ Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock this week, Cinders and Ashes has emerged as a major contender for the Cheltenham Festival.The win at Haydock saw the horse display electric pace as well as the ability to overtake using sheer power.

Trainer Donald McCain is now excited at the prospect of Cinders and Ashes running at Cheltenham, revealing that the prospect will not run again

before March.

Referring to the win at Haydock to begin with, he said: “I’m relieved.

I didn’t really want to run him on this (heavy) ground again as he didn’t like it the last day.”"I was looking for other options but couldn’t find anything else suitable, so we’ve gone down the tried-and-tested route.”"He’s done it really well and Jason said he jumped great apart from the last. Everything he does he does very well.”

“He travelled like the best horse in the Cheltenham bumper last year, but he didn’t quite get home.”"He’s grown and changed a lot over the summer – he’s very exciting.

That will be it for him before Cheltenham.”McCain is just one of many trainers assessing their options ahead of Cheltenham of course with everyone looking to get things bang on the money.With the sheer amount of effort that goes into this in mind, the news that Spirit Son has suffered an injury setback is very disappointing for all concerned.

Expected to be a major force at Cheltenham, the highly rated hurdler hasn’t been in action since April last year and the comeback looks set to be delayed once again.

Trainer Nicky Henderson said: “The picture is grey. If you are going to miss two weeks at this point of the game, you are really out of the ball park.”"We had a hiccup with him earlier on (in the season) which cost me three weeks, but this was a new problem.”"I’d rather start next season with a horse in one piece than risk him and lose him for this season and next.

“There will of course be many other horses on display at Cheltenham, but the loss of the extremely talented Spirit Son is a major one.

Owner Andy Stewart has revealed that he is keeping the faith in the fact that Pacha Du Polder can earn a place at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

The five-year-old – a French recruit for Stewart – has made a fantastic start to life in Britain and many are discussing the impact the horse could make at Cheltenham in March.

Acting as somewhat of an unknown quantity, Pacha Du Polder – who won narrowly at Sandown recently – could be backed heavily by punters if Cheltenham does turn out to be a realistic option.

Discussing this very topic, Stewart said: “He beat Eradicate on his first run for us at Sandown and that horse has gone on to win twice since.”

“Our horse disappointed at Ascot next time when Paul’s Nicholl’s horses weren’t really firing and Ruby Walsh said the horse was never going that day.”

“It was a below-par run, but we think he is a lot better than that and he should be out at somewhere like Wincanton, Exeter or Taunton.”

“We’ll have to see how he gets on there, but he’ll be entered for the Arkle and the RSA Chase at Cheltenham because they’re early closing races.”

There are of course many horses in this position, knowing that performances in the next few weeks will determine possible involvement at the Cheltenham Festival.

Elsewhere in news related to the famous March event, Dessie Hughes has revealed that Magnanimit will take on the Hennessy Gold Cup next month as preparations continue for Cheltenham.

Speaking about Magnanimit winning the Lexus Chase recently, he said: “I was very pleased with him, he ran a hell of a race. Right down to between the third last and the second last he was within a couple of lengths of the leaders.”

“He hadn’t run since the RSA so he just got a bit tired, he was running well in the RSA until he got injured where he fractured a joint. He was stood in his box for months. He’ll run in the Hennessy all being well.”

Next on the agenda of course could be the Cheltenham Festival, with the RSA Chase the most likely event for Magnanimit.

Speaking on New Year’s Day, Henderson revealed his plans for Binocular, Grandouet and Spirit Son as they prepare for the Champion Hurdle on 13th March 2012.

He said: “Spirit Son worked very well on Saturday and is about three weeks off a run. I think the old Agfa Hurdle could be the race for him ahead of Cheltenham.”

“For obvious reasons we won’t be taking Binocular to Sandown and I’ve yet to decide where he’ll go. It’s possible he could run in Ireland.”

Elsewhere in news related to the Cheltenham Festival, Ruby Walsh has spoken about his belief that Long Run deserves to be one of the favourites for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup at the 2012 Festival, despite inevitable pressure from Kauto Star.

He said: “Kauto is not getting any younger and Long Run beat us comprehensively in the Gold Cup last year.”

“It’s over three and a quarter miles, and on a different track and a different day.He was only a length and a half behind at Kempton so he closed the gap from Haydock.”

“Would I get off Kauto Star? No. Do I think Long Run should be favourite? Yes. I’m looking forward to it and I hope we all get there.”

As for the owner of Long Run, Waley-Cohen senior, he admits that despite falling short in the major events recently, all focus is on getting ready for the Gold Cup.

The owner said: “Sam (his son) will be free on the 11th of February to ride in the Denman. We haven’t finally decided whether to run him in it, but it is one of the many factors that will help us make our mind up.”

“I’m going down to see the horse at Mr Henderson’s tomorrow but I believe he’s come out of the race fine. All roads lead to the Gold Cup.”

While many people’s attention is on the Christmas period right now, there are many looking ahead to next year’s Cheltenham Festival with interest.

Now is the time to start your betting of course, studying the form for particular events across the four action packed days of racing.

After plenty of excitement and extensive build-up, the 2012 Cheltenham Festival gets underway on Tuesday 13th March 2012 and the Festival Handicap Steeple Chase forms an exciting part of what is known as Champion Day.

The third race on the first day of the festival – which was formally known as the William Hill Trophy – is three miles long and acts as the first significant handicap race of the Festival for eager horse betting punters.

In terms of what to look for in potential winners, stamina is a major attribute required as there are 19 fences to jump in this race. It is also fiercely competitive with top quality competitors taking part in what is a very significant race for trainers and jockeys to win.

On a similar note to this, it is highly unlikely that anyone other than the top trainers in the business will have a winner in this particular Steeple Chase, given the quality of the field.

Looking at the betting odds at this stage, Quantitativeeasing is the current favourite at 8/1, followed by the high-quality duo of Great Endeavour and Planet of Sound who are both available at 12/1.

Then comes a cluster of contenders at 14/1 including Bensalem, Carruthers, Galaxy Rock and Wymott. As ever, a lot can change between now and March, with the day the weights are announced by the handicapper particularly decisive in this event.

Overall, it is going to be a fantastic event and it gets underway at 2.40pm on Tuesday 13th March 2012.

The build-up to the 2012 Cheltenham Festival is well and truly underway. It is an event everyone looks forward to with interest and before racing punters know it, it will be time for the greatest event in the horse racing calendar.

Kicking things off in the 2012 event, acting as the curtain raiser for the whole festival on Champion Day is the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. The Grand 1 National Hunt race opens the festival and is traditionally greeted by the ‘Cheltenham Roar’, a sign of the excitement at this point of the year.

Looking more specifically at the type of race this is, it covers around 2 miles and 110 yards and has a total of eight hurdles. It is a significant race for everyone in racing and as it opens the Cheltenham Festival, one of the most tense.

Looking at the betting markets for the 2012 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, last year’s winner Al Ferof is not expected to run, so there is an opportunity for a new winner in this extremely competitive race.

The favourite is Steps to Freedom at 9/1. The 5-year-old has been in excellent form in 2011 and big things are expected at Cheltenham. As already mentioned though, this is set to be a very open race and the winner could come from anywhere.

The most likely contenders are Waaheb (10/1), Prospect Wells (12/1), Sous Les Cieux (14/1) and Galileos Choice (16/1). However, a horse like All The Aces – available at 20/1 – cannot be ruled out.

This is a fast and furious race and anything can happen. It is an explosive way to start the four days of racing and always gets the punters in the mood for more.

The 2012 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival is set to get underway at 1.30pm on Tuesday 13th March 2012.

The novice chasers this season have so far provided ante post punters with plenty of class to choose from as our resident Cheltenham blogger Ben Cook takes a look at the latest pointers to the 2012 Arkle.

The Arkle betting features the winner, third and fourth from last seasons Supreme Novice Hurdle.

Add to the mix last years runner up and fifth from the Champion Hurdle, all of which make for a fascinating betting market.

The question is ‘Can we cross off Peddlers?’

The 2012 Arkle should be hotly contested and with ample talent already on show, it is set up to be a mouth-watering renewal. The Arkle sees Peddlers Cross, formally unbeaten over hurdles until he bumped into Hurricane Fly, at the top of the market.

The son of Oscar won 6 out of his 8 hurdle starts setting up a big reputation which he has so far applied successfully to the bigger obstacles. Peddlers is best priced at 4s for the 2m novice chase showpiece after two facile victories and will be bang there if he turns up on top form on the 13th of March.

However at the price I have to put a cross through Peddlers and look for value elsewhere. Al Ferof showed a superb turn of foot in last seasons Supreme leaving his rivals for dust.

The grey gelding has won both of his starts over fences but did give his supporters a scare at Sandown when just prevailing by a neck. Al Ferof is a general 7/1 chance and he will go to the festival with a huge shout where champion trainer Paul Nicholls will undoubtedly have him primed.

Sprinter Sacre made an impressive debut over fences pulling away nicely over the last to beat Lightning Rod under a hands and heels ride by 24 lengths. Sprinter Sacre is a general 6/1 chance and with connections broadcasting their feelings about his class it would be no surprise to see him sprint clear of the field at Prestbury Park in March.

Menorah unseated Dickie Johnson on his chase debut when clear of the classy Sam Winner forcing west country trainer Phillip Hobbs to switch the former Supreme Novice Hurdle winner back to the smaller obstacles. However Menorah disappointed over hurdles at Cheltenham and will subsequently be switched back to fences. Menorah clearly has bags of ability and with Phillip Hobbs behind him the son of Kings Theatre could make his market price of 14s look huge come spring.

Cue Card is the most interesting horse in the market in my opinion, as his defeat to Bobs Worth was certainly without negatives. If you like Bobs for the RSA chase you have to like Cue for the Arkle. Only going down by a short head and giving the winner 7lbs he can’t be discounted. Unusually the Irish don’t seem to have a market principal but don’t be surprised to see a raider come to the foreground soon.

This seasons renewal of the Arkle looks high class and with many horses yet to enter the frame it is hard to make a concise ante post selection. Peddlers Cross could be a superstar but a tentative selection is for Cue Card at 16s.

Colin Tizzard believes he has enough pace to keep up with the big guns and therefore Cue has to be marked on your Cheltenham card. Mind you it is Cheltenham and it will be no surprise if it’s all change come March.

After Paul Nicholls announced the retirement of the great Denman this week, the site was inundated with tributes to this legend, so it was only fitting that we make our own. This is Cheltenham worshipper Ben Cook’s tribute to this Prestbury Park legend.

In the month of December 2011, the curtain was drawn on an illustrious racing career of one of the best loved jump horses. The monster chestnut gelding by Presenting and out of Polly Puttens accumulated career prize money of £1,081,873. The “Tank” won 14 out of his 24 races including The Cheltenham Gold Cup, 2 Hennessey Gold Cups, a Lexus Chase and The RSA Chase. His racing style thrilled the racing world and at the age of 11, Denman has graciously bowed out.

Denman was born on 17th April 2000 in Castlelyrns in County Cork. Polly Puttens struggled with the birth of Denman but with the strong persuasion of Colman O’Flynn, his son and Edmond Kent the Tank was introduced to the world.

All three admired the size and scope of the creature that stood before them; however none of them quite knew that this monster would write racing folklore. Edmond Kent bumped into Adrian Maguire in August 2004 with the proposition of training Denman. Adrian, formally stable jockey to the great David Nicholson, pounced at the opportunity and in November 2004 Denman graced Maguire’s stables in Lombardstown.

After dotting up by 8 lengths in his point to point Paul Barber agreed to purchase the strapping Presenting Gelding for 120,000 euros. Denmans hurdling career started at Wincanton in October 2005 and finished at Cheltenham in March 2006.

The Tank won 4 out of his 5 hurdle starts only going down narrowly to Nicanor in the RSA novice hurdle at the Cheltenham festival in 2006. Denman was always going to make a chaser but excelled in the hurdling division and was making his 120,000 euro price tag look like a bargain.

The Tank took to fences like a duck to water with 4 brutal victories leading up to the RSA chase at the festival. Sent off the 6/5 favourite, Denman murdered the field by 10 lengths causing Denmania to break out. A certain Kauto Star won the Gold Cup two days later setting up one of the most intriguing races in history.

Denmans next victory was one of the most eye opening, jaw dropping performances to hit a racecourse in recent years. The Tank not only beat his nearest rival by 11 lengths but he also gave him 1 stone 5lbs, a performance that propelled him neck and neck to the head of the Gold Cup market.

On 14th March 2008 Denman lined up with his stable companion and what looked to be his only rival in the race. What followed would be murder on the racecourse. Denman took up the running with just over a circuit to go and never looked back. His jumping was thrilling, his pace was outstanding, the Tank romped home by 7 lengths extinguishing the ‘Star’. I was exhausted just jumping up and down on the finish line but I can’t imagine how Denman felt.

He put everything into every race, racing in 4 Gold Cups winning once and finishing runner up 3 times. Whether your favourite memory is his thrilling 2008 Gold Cup win, his devastating 2007 Hennessey win or his historic win in the 2009 Hennessey we must all be grateful for his efforts in every race and what he has done for the sport.

It would be a lie to say goose bumps were not felt up and down the country when he took up the Hennessey 3 out in 2010, only to be heartbreakingly beaten into third.

Thank you for the memories, the excitement, the power. Thank the Tank!