Bob and Champs face off in Turners

Bob Olinger and Galopin Des Champs will face off in Thursday’s Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, with the Grade One contest drawing a field of just four.

The Henry De Bromhead-trained Bob Olinger was a comfortable winner of the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Festival and he just shades favouritism on Tuesday morning after winning both his chase starts this term, most recently landing a Punchestown Grade Three in January.

Galopin Des Champs represents Willie Mullins and he is also unbeaten in two chase runs, hacking up by 22 lengths at Leopardstown at Christmas before winning a Grade One by nine lengths back at that track last month.

The pair will be joined by another Mullins inmate in El Barra, who was a wide-margin winner at Limerick on Sunday and Busselton from Joseph O’Brien’s yard.

Last year’s winner Allaho heads nine declared for the Ryanair Chase, another Grade One contest on the third day of the Festival.

He galloped his rivals into the ground in last year’s edition, triumphing by 12 lengths and arrives on the back of two wins so far this term for Mullins.

The handler also runs Janidil and Melon, a four-times Festival runner up who secured his first win in over two years last time out.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Conflated looks a major player as he drops back in trip after winning the Irish Gold Cup last time out, while Shan Blue heads the home defence for Dan Skelton as he returns to action for the first time since a horrible fall in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October.

Eldorado Allen, Fanion D’Estruval, Mister Fisher and Saint Calvados complete line the line up.