We finish day three at the Cheltenham Festival with the Kim Muir, a race on the schedule since the 1940’s and so one that is steeped in history.

Cool Ground, Ballabriggs and Cause Of Causes were just some of the big names to have taken this, along with some of the best trainers in the business.

As an amateur riders’ affair though, some are just a little guilty of putting too much emphasis on the rider. Yes, Jamie Codd won this four times and some inexperienced jockeys will struggle, but we’ve reached a point that whatever Derek O’Connor rides is always going to be well backed.

Jockey bookings are taken into consideration here, of course. But we’d much rather put more weight on the horses in terms of ability, progression/regression, handicap mark, stamina and underfoot preferences.

We have a full field of 24 to sort out here, each looking to take no fewer than 22 fences en route to a famous win. These are our six against the field:

Main Contenders

Angels Dawn 

Angels Dawn has been held back 49 days between races, presumably in order to come here in what is considered peak condition.

This is a mare who seems to handle soft ground very well, winning this race last year and being placed in a Grade 3 at Gowran last time. There are few holes in this one, the handicap mark being perhaps the only stumbling block.

Bowtogreatness 

Ben Pauling trains Bowtogreatness and he is very interesting indeed based on his last run.

He had reached a peak at Aintree last April but didn’t hit those heights again when spotted at both Newbury and Cheltenham over the winter.

Despite that, he was sent off 4/1 joint-favourite last time out with connections clearly feeling he was coming back to himself and he ran with credit in third place. Assuming he steps up on that as expected, he is bang in contention here.

Demnat 

Venetia Williams has another Thursday contender, this time with Demnat.

Demnat has run into the places on all chase starts bar the one in which he was carried out, although the opposition hasn’t always been the strongest.

That said, he was a very easy winner indeed at Ludlow two starts ago and if building on that, has a decent race in him for sure.

Git Maker 

Git Maker ran into the first two on all five of his chase starts before heading to Ascot three months ago where he was sixth in the Silver Cup. It must be remembered however that he was only 9/2 for that and his underwhelming run wasn’t expected.

There is more to come from him now, he isn’t badly handicapped and summing a good round of jumping he can finish nearer first than last.

Whacker Clan

Had Whacker Clan not run last time out, when he was beaten in a hurdle race at Naas, he would be a much shorter price for this race.

Before that he’d run third in a summer chase at Wexford, won a handicap chase at Tramore and scored again in a better race at Cheltenham in October.

We’ll judge his progress on those races over fences and, while it’s been a while since we’ve seen him, it is obvious he will have improved plenty since October and his prep may prove to be genius.

Where It All Began 

Gordon Elliott can dominate in no way like he once did, but that’s not to say he won’t train more Cheltenham winners with Where It All Began offering him a major chance.

This eight-year-old won ever so easily in the Grand National Trial at Punchestown and there’s no way of knowing right now where his ceiling is.

Yes, he’s up 12lbs for that win but that would have to be on the conservative side for him. He’s clearly in the form of his life, ahead of the handicapper, a proper stayer and one who loves the ground so must hold major claims.

Summary

Whacker Clan may have been prepared expertly for this event and we have to keep that in mind. He can go well, as can Demnat too but it’s very hard to ignore the claims of WHERE IT ALL BEGAN and yet he is around three times the price of the favourite at the time of writing.

Many, even those with genuine talent, will be crying off late on in this race but that’s where our horse excels and it would be no surprise to see him surge up the hill.