Aghawadda Gold, trained at Hazlewood near Tadcaster by Tom Tate, can lift the £100,000 Guinness Arkle Trophy Chase tomorrow on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Unbeaten in his three races over fences, the North Yorkshire gelding faces by far his toughest test but has the quality, class and jumping ability to hit the jackpot.

Aghawadda Gold started the season with an easy win over fences at Newcastle in November and followed up at Wetherby's Christmas meeting when beating Ballad Minstrel in likewise decisive style.

His most recent success, at Newcastle last month, was a faultless 16 lengths success over triple-winner Barnburgh Boy without coming off a tight rein.

Russ Garritty, Tate's number one jockey, rode Aghawadda Gold in his first two victories but a crushed vertebrae sustained in a fall at Sedgefield last month has sidelined Garritty to for the remainder of the season. Jason Callaghan, who deputised for Garritty at Newcastle last time, has the mount tomorrow.

Aghawadda Gold faces some high-class rivals, among them His Song, Wynyard Knight and Makounji, but the bold-jumping North Yorkshire chaser is napped to triumph in what promises to be one of the best races of the Festival.

North Yorkshire trainers could enjoy further success tomorrow.

Malcolm Jefferson's Kings Measure can take the £45,000 Stakis Casinos Handicap Hurdle Final. A progressive performer who showed plenty of resolution to beat The Butterwick Kid at Haydock last time, Kings Measure is weighted to confirm his superiority over that rival tomorrow in the hands of Lorcan Wyer.

Tim Easterby has excellent prospects of landing the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase with the improving Scotton Green, while Kevin Ryan has high hopes that Noyan will make a bold bid in the same event.

Irish eyes will certainly be smiling if Istabraq can repeat his success of 12 months ago in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle, the highlight on the opening day of the Festival.

You won't get fat on his price, but the odds-on Aidan O'Brien trained favourite has looked better than ever this year and is impossible to oppose in the hands of Charlie Swan.

Step On Eyre, impressive winner at Haydock and Wetherby on his last two starts, can complete a hat-trick by landing the William Hill National Hunt Handicap Chase, while Irish challenger Colonel Yeager can reward each-way backers in the opening Citroen Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

At Sedgefield, where admission is free to the paddock and course enclosures, recent winner Hiltonstown Lass can do the business again for Sheriff Hutton trainer Tim Walford and his teenage son Robert - a student at York Sixth Form College - in the Tote Trio Hunters' Chase.

Tomorrow's tips

CHELTENHAM

2.00 Colonel Yeager,

2.35 Aghawadda Gold (Nap),

3.15 Istabraq,

3.55 Step On Eyre,

4.30 Scotton Green,

5.05 Kings Measure.

SEDGEFIELD

2.25 Topothenorthracing,

3.00 Heavy Hustler,

3.35 Cathedral Belle,

4.15 River Unshion,

4.50 Hiltonstown Lass,

5.20 The Lambton Worm.

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