The New Lion will spearhead a strong team for Dan Skelton on Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival.
Described last month as 'the best chance we've had heading to a novice at the Cheltenham Festival' The New Lion will have to get the better of Final Demand and nine other rivals if he's to break the hoodoo of Challow Novices' Hurdle winners in the champion novice over the intermediate distance.
An easy winner of his first two starts over hurdles, The New Lion took the step up in class in his stride when breezing to his hat-trick in the Newbury Grade One after which the six-year-old was sold by Darren Yates to leading owner JP McManus.
The last 20 Challow Novices' Hurdle winners to line up in the Turners Novices' Hurdle have all been beaten but confidence in the Skelton yard remains high. This is a deep field, however, with the presence of impressive Dublin Racing Festival winner Final Demand a notable stumbling block.
Willie Mullins' charge is not the only viable challenger with the well-regarded Potters Charm and his Cheltenham conqueror Sixmilebridge among the opposition as well as Gordon Elliott's Grade One Lawlor's Of Naas Novice Hurdle winner The Yellow Clay.
Skelton is also responsible for leading Coral Cup fancy Be Aware, who is part of a maximum field for the big handicap, and Unexpected Party who will attempt to defend his crown in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase.
Sixteen runners have been declared for the Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase and 18, headed by Copacabana, for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
The highlight on day two of the Cheltenham Festival is the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase where Jonbon tops a field of eight, including Marine Nationale a brilliant winner of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle under the late Michael O'Sullivan in 2023.
Seven runners have been declared for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase and all are trained in Ireland with four of them, including hot favourite Ballyburn, based at the Closutton stables of Mullins.
Wednesday runners and riders
13:20 Turners Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
14:00 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase (Grade 1)
14:40 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
15:20 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (Limited Handicap)
16:00 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
16:40 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
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