'He's as good, if not better, than last year' - confidence building in defending Hunters' Chase champion

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Rob James will be reunited with Wonderwall at Cheltenham on Friday, when the pair will aim for successive wins in a Princess Royal Challenge Cup Hunters' Chase in which Sam Curling-trained stablemate Wrappedupinmay could prove one of their toughest opponents.

Curling, one of Ireland's leading point-to-point trainers and currently leading the race to become champion in that sphere, secured the first of his two Cheltenham Festival wins with Angels Dawn in the Kim Muir in 2023.

She went off 3-1 favourite for the hunters' chase last year, finishing ninth, and it was her bigger-priced stablemate Wonderwall who emerged victorious, defeating Its On The Line by a neck under James.

After landing a point-to-point at Dromahane in November, the ten-year-old has been kept fresh for a crack at becoming the first horse since Pachu Du Polder in 2018 to land back-to-back runnings of the Cheltenham contest.

He is a best-priced 9-2 favourite for the race, with last year's runner-up Its On The Line next in the market at 5-1 in his quest to go one better after finishing runner-up three times.

"Wonderwall is all set for Cheltenham," said Curling. "He was at the Curragh earlier in the week and I couldn't be happier with him. Hopefully it keeps drying as he loves dry ground. He's going as well, if not better, than last year."

Curling's other runner, eight-year-old Wrappedupinmay, had eight starts for Paul Nicholls, landing an Exeter bumper and handicap hurdle, before moving yards.

He has won his last two point-to-points, beating Ryehill at Dromahane in December before following up at Carrigarostig in January, when he scored impressively by 11 lengths from Macs Charm.

David Doyle, who was crowned champion under-21 rider in point-to-points last season, will take the mount. He is a best-priced 10-1 shot for the contest and Curling thinks he can run a big race, particularly if there is ease in the ground.

"Wrappedupinmay will run if it's not too quick," said Curling. "He's going very well but would be a bit more ground dependent; he'd prefer softer ground. The intention is to run though."

Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase (March 13)
Paddy Power: 7-2 Wonderwall, 5 Its On The Line, 6 Panda Boy, 7 Con's Roc, 8 Wrappedupinmay, 10 Music Drive, Stattler, 11 bar.

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