Walsh sides with Canyon of Mullins' talented trio

Willie Mullins has never won the Stayers' Hurdle, or the World Hurdle for that matter, and Annie Power may have been his best chance in 2014, but he puts a talented trio into bat this year and any one of them have the potential to hit a six.

Despite the fact his wife Gillian is part of the Act D Wagg Syndicate who own Clondaw Warrior, Ruby Walsh has placed his faith in Nichols Canyon. He started his season off with a roar in the Grade 1 Morgiana but there have been just whimpers heard from him of late.

"I’ve gone with Nichols Canyon, as I feel he has done the most," said Walsh. "He has won seven Grade 1s, albeit at shorter trips, but went to America in May, when he ran over three miles at Iroquois, and certainly wasn’t stopping. He was a bit below his best on his last two runs, but seems to have come back to himself over the last couple of weeks."

Paul Townend is on Shaneshill, who is the Irish version of My Tent Or Yours. He has been runner-up at the last three festivals – the 2014 Champion Bumper, the 2015 Supreme and the 2016 RSA Chase.

This could this be a case of fourth-time lucky for the consistent eight-year-old, who warmed up for this test by beating Snow Falcon and Clondaw Warrior in the Grade 2 Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park in January.

Katie Walsh has got the nod to partner Clondaw Warrior, the 2015 Ascot Stakes winner at the royal meeting. He's arguably the second-most versatile member of the Closutton team after Vroum Vroum Mag and what a feat it would be to win a championship race at the Cheltenham Festival. The drying ground is most certainly in his favour.

Nichols Canyon

Pros Seven-time Grade 1 winner who could be suited by the step up to three miles

Cons Has been out of sorts on his last few outings over two miles and arrives on the back of a fall in the Irish Champion Hurdle

Shaneshill

Pros Loves Cheltenham, has been runner-up at the last three festival, has been trained for the race and will love the ground

Cons Has a habit of finding one too good on the big day and could be vulnerable to something a bit extra special

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