Lucky 15 tips for Cheltenham Gold Cup day on Friday

13:20 Cheltenham - Selma De Vary

French recruit Selma De Vary shaped with bags of promise on her debut for Willie Mullins behind stablemate Narciso Has in a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival last month and any improvement on that will give her outstanding claims of landing the Triumph Hurdle.

A winner at Auteuil in November, that DRF race was a tough ask for the filly on paper, but she acquitted herself very well and briefly touched a low of 1.4 on the betting exchanges before bungling the final flight.

Her owner, Rich Ricci, was expecting her to come on a good deal for the run, so to show as much as she did, having raced keenly under restraint early on, was a huge effort.

This is a tough race, but the absence of long-time ante-post favourite Narciso Has clearly enhances her claims.

14:40 Cheltenham - Panic Attack

Dan and Harry Skelton are enjoying a good festival and Panic Attack should make a bold bid in the Grade 2 Mares’ Chase, despite having a fair bit on with last year’s winner, Dinoblue.

The 10-year-old, who runs in the bright orange colours of Bryan Drew and which were carried to victory by the yard’s Madara on Tuesday, has enjoyed a sensational season, rattling off a hat-trick with big-race successes in the Paddy Power Gold Cup in November and in the Coral Cup (formerly the Hennessy) at Newbury.

She barely broke sweat when landing a mares’ Listed chase back at the Berkshire course in January and it’s possible her mark of 147 underestimates her current ability.

15:20 Cheltenham - Doctor Steinberg

Willie Mullins has won the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle four times since 2017 and in Doctor Steinberg, he looks set to continue that winning trend.

The six-year-old was a good horse in bumpers last season, but he’s taken his form to a whole new level since switching to hurdles this term, improving in significant chunks of 10lb with each of his three runs, recording Racing Post Ratings of 129, 139 and 149 in winning at Galway, Navan and Leopardstown.

He’s now officially rated 150 and is fully deserving of that mark and position at the top of the market, his last win coming in impressive fashion in a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival.

He’s won on ground ranging from good to heavy and has already beaten his chief market rival, Thedeviluno, at Navan in December.

This step up to 3m could also bring about further improvement.

17:20 Cheltenham - East India Express

Nicky Henderson can top and tail the festival, East India Express coming here off the back of an unlucky defeat at Windsor in January under today’s pilot, Freddie Gordon.

East India Express, who relishes good ground, was beaten a neck at the Berkshire track at the Winter Millions Festival, rallying strongly after meeting significant interference at a vital stage.

Clear of subsequent winner Guard Duty and the reopposing Act Of Authority on that occasion, he’s up 4lb to a new high of 137, but shouldn’t be unduly inconvenienced having run to a Racing Post Rating of 139 last time.