Fans are counting down the days to the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
One of the biggest weeks in the National Hunt calendar, the top horses, trainers and jockeys will be out to win.
Henry de Bromhead’s Minella Indo won the feature Gold Cup last year, with Jack Kennedy in the saddle.
Robbie Power is due to ride the defending champion this year as he clashes with runner-up A Plus Tard again at Prestbury Park.
The chaser's jockey Rachael Blackmore is out to land back-to-back Champion Hurdle triumphs on Honeysuckle, while Shishkin is another star on show in the Champion Chase.
Willie Mullins, top trainer for the past three years, sends over another top squad, with Galopin Des Champs and Facile Vega just two of his exciting prospects.
His horses contributed to a record 23 wins for Ireland at last year's fixture and British trainers will hope to get more than five on the board.
Here's a quick guide to the big event in Gloucestershire...
Racecard times
There will be 28 races over the four days, March 15-18. This is the programme:
Day 1: Champion Day – Tuesday, March 15
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – 1.30pm
Arkle Novices’ Chase – 2.10pm
Ultima Handicap Chase – 2.50pm
Champion Hurdle – 3.30pm
Mares’ Hurdle – 4.10pm
Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle – 4.50pm
National Hunt Novices’ Chase – 5.30pm
Day 2: Ladies Day – Wednesday, March 16
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle – 1.30pm
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – 2.10pm
Coral Cup – 2.50pm
Champion Chase – 3.30pm
Cross Country Chase – 4.10pm
Grand Annual Handicap Chase – 4.50pm
Champion Bumper – 5.30pm
Day 3: St Patrick’s Thursday – Thursday, March 17
Turners Novices’ Chase – 1.30pm
Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle – 2.10pm
Ryanair Chase – 2.50pm
Stayers’ Hurdle – 3.30pm
Paddy Power Plate – 4.10pm
Mares’ Novice Hurdle – 4.50pm
Kim Muir Challenge Cup – 5.30pm
Day 4: Gold Cup Day – Friday, March 18
Triumph Hurdle – 1.30pm
County Hurdle – 2.10pm
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – 2.50pm
Gold Cup – 3.30pm
Festival Hunters’ Chase – 4.10pm
Mares’ Chase – 4.50pm
Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle – 5.30pm
Key runners
The action gets underway on day one with Honeysuckle racing for back-to-back Champion Hurdle (3.30pm) triumphs. Ridden by Rachael Blackmore, the first woman to scoop the top jockeys' title in 2021, the mare is chasing her 15th win in a row.
The Supreme Novices' Hurdle (1.30pm), which starts the action, has strong contenders from 'home' trainer Nicky Henderson. The British stables had just five winners at last year's meeting, but he holds strong claims with powerful Sandown scorer Constitution Hill and expensive purchase Jonbon.
Wednesday's Champion Chase (3.30pm) sees one of the big clashes of the week, as Shishkin takes on Energumene. Just a length separated the pair at Ascot and Willie Mullins, the trainer of the latter, plans to run Chacun Pour Soi too. He was favourite for the race last year, but his run petered out after the final fence.
Tiger Roll is also due to run on the card in the cross country chase (4.10pm) – and if he can deliver another win, it will be his sixth at the meeting.
'Banker' Allaho will be one of the shortest-priced favourites of the week in Thursday's Ryanair Chase (2.50pm), which precedes the Stayers' Hurdle (3.30pm). It is very open this year, as the Gavin Cromwell-trained Flooring Porter returns to defend his title. Cases can be made for the likes of Champ, Klassical Dream and 2019 hero Paisley Park.
Henry de Bromhead's Gold Cup (3.30pm) one-two from 2021, Minella Indo and A Plus Tard, renew rivalry in the Festival feature, which this year is sponsored by Boodles for the first time. There was just over a length between them on that occasion and this season A Plus Tard has posted the most impressive warm-up performance, easily taking the Betfair Chase.
Dual winner Al Boum Photo and Protektorat, part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, are also in the line-up.
Weather
Based on the current forecast, up to 10mm of rain could fall at Cheltenham this week.
The meeting has started on soft ground in recent seasons and that is how it is being described at the moment.
Clerk of the course John Pullin is monitoring conditions, as the closer the rain arrives to the start of the meeting, the more effect it will have.
A couple of dry days could see the ground get faster – and this is even more likely with a breeze.
The week itself appears dry and bright, with temperatures of around 14C.
