Cheltenham Festival tips: Day four selections by Harrogate racing expert Jeff Garlick

On Friday the Gold Cup is the highlight of the entire meeting with Galopin Des Champs likely to start a hot favourite.

No Grand National winner has gone on to win a Gold Cup in my lifetime but Noble Yeats certainly has a chance this year. This race is usually run at a furious pace so stamina is a key requisite and Noble Yeats has that in spades.

Conflated is another on my short list along with Sounds Russian. A win for the latter would be a fillip for Yorkshire racing, with the horse being trained in Malton by Ruth Jefferson.

Willie Mullins should again be in the winner’s enclosure with either Blood Destiny or Lossiemouth in the Triumph Hurdle and his Allegorie De Vassy has a great chance in the Mare’s Chase.

I fancied Hunters Yarn for a race on Wednesday and the fact he has been switched to the County Hurdle by Willie Mullins is a tip in itself. With Galopin Des Champs also housed in his County Carlow yard it could be yet another great day for Mullins who had FIVE winners on the last day last year.

His big rival Gordon Elliott could also have a good Friday with Favouri De Champdou in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle and Imagine in the Martin Pipe Hurdle.

Vaucelet should also go well in the Foxhunters for Irish trainer David Christie. So there could be a ‘green wash’ for Irish stables on St Patrick’s Day.

Garlick's Goodies: Friday 13:30 Blood Destiny; 14:10 Hunters Yarn; 14:50 Favouri De Champdou; 15:30 Noble Yeats; 16:10 Vaucelet; 16:50 Allegorie De Vassy; 17:30 Imagine.