Sam Spinner out to add to fairytale on big day for O'Keeffe and Colliver

Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1) | 3m | 4yo+ | ITV/RUK

Sam Spinner will attempt to give the fairytale story of his trainer Jedd O'Keeffe and rider Joe Colliver its happiest ending with a victory in the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle.

For O'Keeffe, the Middleham trainer who battled throat cancer in 2011 and faced financial ruin, and Colliver, who has rebuilt his career after serving time in prison, stand on the cusp of another breakthrough moment.

Sam Spinner, owned by Paul and Caron Chapman whose steadfast support has helped O'Keeffe establish a now thriving stable, will become his trainer's first festival runner and only Colliver's fourth ride.

They have both earned that chance through their development of Sam Spinner, never out of the first two in nine starts, into one of the sport's leading stayers following his win in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle in December.

This is a new experience but one O'Keeffe believes Sam Spinner can cope with, particularly as he is proven in the conditions.

"I really didn't imagine the ground would be as it is," said O'Keeffe. "It's in our favour but I don't think soft ground is essential.

"Though it frightens me to look at the quality of most of the other runners, I look at his form and on what he's achieved this year and he deserves his place. For us the exciting thing is that we knew at Ascot he wasn't completely running on empty when he reached the line.

"It will be the same approach and same tactics, which is not necessarily to lead. He'll line up prominently and Joe will just go his nice even, rhythmical pace and will sit where he's happy. If that means he's in front, great, or third or fourth, so be it. We'll do our own thing."

The trainer continued: "This means a huge amount, I can't believe it really. It's a bit like a dream, not just to have a horse able to go the festival but one with a leading chance.

"For us we're not trying to create a fairytale, what we're trying to do is win the race. I'm as comfortable at having Joe ride the horse as anybody else. He knows him well, has done really well on him, and deserves to be on him.

"I like working with a jockey I have a good relationship with, that we think along similar lines. To me that's more important than booking a big name and someone I don't know very well."

Pros All-the-way winner of the Long Walk who still looks on the upgrade

Cons Can expect to be taken on this time, which will be a test for his young jockey

A race worth quitting chasing for

There is an impression this race is the weaker relation of the festival's championship prizes, which has helped persuade connections of the likes of Yanworth and The New One to tackle the race.

Yanworth began the campaign as one of the most exciting recruits to the novice chase division, and with two wins in that sphere – including the Grade 2 Dipper last time – his form was certainly good enough for him to have contested either the RSA or JLT.

However Alan King has opted for a return to hurdling with last year's beaten Champion Hurdle favourite, and Barry Geraghty has picked him over Unowhatimeanharry.

King said: "I'm really looking forward to running Yanworth. His preparation has gone well and I've been very happy with his work. Horses who have been chasing can jump a bit big when they first return to hurdling but he's done a lot of schooling and it's gone fine.

"Yanworth stayed the three miles well when winning at Aintree last spring and I'm very pleased we’ve chosen this race.

"It's up to him to go and do it now but he should have conditions in his favour. He seems to love bad ground, as he showed when he bolted up on trials day at Cheltenham the season before last, and that won't be the case for some of the field."

Pros Class act who beat Supasundae over three miles at Aintree last year

Cons Cannot afford to jump as big as he did some of his fences in transitioning back to hurdles

Could Supasundae make it a terrific Thursday for Jessica Harrington?

Speedy enough to win an Irish Champion Hurdle over two miles but sufficient stamina to push Yanworth to the pin of his collar over three miles when not the finished article at Aintree last season, it is not hard to see why Supasundae has spent much of the last six weeks at the summit of the Stayers' Hurdle market.

He has also got course-winning form having captured the Coral Cup at last year's festival off a mark of 148, and his current rating of 164 is identical to Sam Spinner, who has usurped him at the head of the market. What's not to like?

Well, the ground. He has been foiled on both tries over three miles and the soft surface is sure to test his stamina.

"The ground is what it is and we cannot not do anything about it at this stage," said trainer Jessica Harrington on Wednesday. "He has form on soft ground so I think he'll cope with it.

Yanwroth (centre) and Supasundae (right) fought out the finish to the Liverpool Hurdle over three miles last termCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He's travelled over fine and I was delighted with him this morning when he had a little trot. He seems full of himself and is a different horse to the one who won the Coral Cup last year. I'd like to think he's got a great chance."

Pros: Has the class to win a Grade 1 over two miles and has a Coral Cup win at this track to his name

Cons: The soft ground could test his stamina to the limit and has never won over three miles

What they say

Willie Mullins, trainer of Bacardys, Penhill, Augusta Kate and Let's Dance
Penhill landed the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle a year ago but has not run this season. We were preparing him for Royal Ascot when he met with a setback and, although he's been progressing well and is fit and in good form, it will be a big task for him in such a competitive race without a run. If he finishes in the first three it will be a good result. Paul Townend, who won on him at the festival, is again on board.

Bacardys will be tackling the distance for the first time. He won a couple of Grade 1s, one of them over two and a half miles, last season and hasn't run over hurdles since winning at last year's Punchestown festival. His two runs over fences this season didn't go to plan, so we decided to keep him a novice until next season, and that's why he's reverting to hurdles here. I think he'll stay the trip and he's very well. I certainly wouldn't put off anyone who fancies him.

Augusta Kate, who had other entries this week, ran her best race of the season when second to Presenting Percy in the Galmoy Hurdle in January. We think she has improved and she has each-way possibilities at a big price.

Let's Dance, who won the mares' novice hurdle at the meeting last year, completes our team. She was disappointing on her only previous attempt over the trip and we're trying cheekpieces as we think she might need them at this stage of her career.

Chris Grant, trainer of Donna's Diamond
The ground being the way it was we thought we'd have a crack and supplement. We might not have another chance to have a runner in the Stayers' Hurdle again. It's not going to be easy but we're hoping for a respectable run. The one thing he'll do is handle the ground.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of L'Ami Serge
He ran a terrific race over fences at Doncaster but didn't get much of a run up the straight. He was second to Sam Spinner at Ascot, where you have to say it looked as though he'd come to win the race – but we've seen that before. He's proven he stays three miles, certainly when he won the French Champion Hurdle, but he was also only just beaten in last year's County Hurdle. He's not slow and races like a two-miler, but he gets three miles. It's difficult with him and it won't be easy for Daryl [Jacob], but he knows how to ride him.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Old Guard
I'd be a bit worried about the ground. If it was very heavy rain overnight we might just look at it and think whether to run or not, because I'd be very nervous going three miles on testing ground.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of The New One and Wholestone
They both have chances. We weren't expecting heavy ground at the start of the meeting and I was sad yesterday we hadn't gone for the Champion Hurdle with The New One. He'll be ridden with restraint and hopefully will go really well. Wholestone loves Cheltenham and I'm sure will be right there at the end.

Tom George, trainer of The Worlds End
He's been progressing all season. He wasn't quite right early on but he ran well in the Long Walk and improved again in the Cleeve. From what we've seen he's improved again, so hopefully that will be enough to put him in the mix.

Harry Fry, trainer of Unowhatimeanharry
He wasn't at his best last time so we deliberately took the decision to come here fresh and use the time to get him back to his best. He seems that way at home from the way he's been galloping. Noel [Fehily] was thrilled with him when he sat on him at the end of last week to school him. We know he handles conditions, know he'll stay, know he handles the track. Hopefully he can do what he did last year.

Turnovertastic

The line between which of the Stayers’ Hurdle and Ryanair Chase is Thursday’s feature race has become a bit blurry, but there’s no doubt which race has proved more popular with punters over the last few years, with the Stayers’ Hurdle second only to the Gold Cup in turnover terms last year, based on day-of-race bets in Coral shops. The Ryanair was only 19th of the 28 races, and with Un De Sceaux once again a fairly warm favourite it is unlikely to make too many inroads into the Stayers’ superiority on this measure.

Top 2017 Cheltenham Festival races by turnover

1 Gold Cup

2 Stayers’ Hurdle

3 Champion Hurdle

4 Albert Bartlett

5 Foxhunter

19 Ryanair

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