Trainer form: who is hot and who is not at Cheltenham ahead of the last day?

Racing Post tipster Robbie Wilders assesses the trainers and riders in and out of form ahead of the final day of the Cheltenham Festival . . .

Good week

David Christie

Trainer David Christie clearly produced Koshari in tip-top shape for the Stayers' Hurdle and he ran an absolute screamer at odds of 100-1 to finish not far away in seventh.

Most aging horses who leave Willie Mullins are instantly dismissed as being has-beens but Koshari's effort was full of encouragement and betters anything he has previously achieved.

That bodes well for Winged Leader, Christie's other runner at the festival, in the St's James's Place Festival Challenge Cup on Friday (4.10).

Winged Leader has been prolific in point-to-points and already has a verdict over race-favourite Billaway.

Nicky Henderson

The form of Nicky Henderson's horses was subject to plenty of scrutiny going into the festival but there has been lots to savour for a yard that registered two Grade 1 victories this week.

Although Shishkin couldn't make it three when a beaten odds-on favourite in the Champion Chase, Henderson's horses seemed to relish the drying ground on Thursday.

Chantry House: out to continue Henderson's good form on FridayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Runners from Seven Barrows placed at 50-1 and 33-1, Champ ran well in the Stayers' Hurdle, while Mister Coffey nearly landed a touch in the Kim Muir when sent off a well-backed 5-1 joint favourite.

The omens are positive for unexposed novices First Street and Broomfield Burg in the County Hurdle (2.10). Chantry House also has a squeak in the Gold Cup (3.30).

Bad week

Gordon Elliott

This may seem a harsh inclusion as Gordon Elliott enjoyed two winners at the festival on Wednesday but Thursday's results were sub-par for the trainer.

Form figures of P0847PPFB00009 from his last 19 Cheltenham runners were probably worse than expected for a trainer with such a powerful team.

Gordon Elliott: experienced a disappointing Thursday at the festivalCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Seven of those runners were priced at single figures, albeit Conflated was running a big race in the Ryanair before falling and the ill-fated Sassy Yet Classy was desperately unlucky to be brought down.

Perhaps Thursday will be an anomaly as Elliott has plenty of strong chances to add to his tally on Friday and it will be interesting to see how his string fares.

Davy Russell

Few jockeys ride Cheltenham better than Davy Russell but this week hasn't yet gone to plan for the decorated rider.

Russell's swansong with Tiger Roll was spoiled by Delta Work and the rider was stood down for the remainder of Thursday after hurting himself in Conflated's Ryanair fall.

You can't keep a good man down, though, and Russell will hope to return with aplomb on Friday with an enviable book of rides that includes Fil Dor, Galvin and Mount Ida.

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