TIM EASTERBY was praying the heavens didn’t open as he prepared to bring Hawk High back to the scene of his greatest triumph today.

The Great Habton trainer will saddle the five-year-old in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival (2.40pm) but was concerned at weather forecasts suggesting significant rain could fall at Prestbury Park right up until post time.

Hawk High was a surprise 33-1 winner of the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle 12 months ago and Easterby believes the Betfair Hurdle winner at Ascot earlier in the season is at the top of his game.

“He is in great form but we could do without rain. What can you do? He might win the Gold Cup if we get plenty, to be honest,” said the trainer, referring to the Festival’s blue riband race that follows 40 minutes later.

Easterby ran Trustan Times and Run Ructions Run in the Pertemps Network Final, yesterday, and the former was up with the pace for much of the three mile contest before being ridden along after the third last and falling away to finish 14th.

Run Ructions Run never got into any sort of stride but plugged away for tenth. The race was won by Call The Cops (9-1), giving trainer Nicky Henderson his first Festival winner of the week.

“He was thereabouts all the way and he just got into the bottom of a few hurdles when you need to ping them. He can do that,” said Easterby of Trustan Times.

“It was good ground and he goes to the Scottish National – that’s where he will run. We might put a pair of cheekpieces on him as well.

“Run Ructions Run never got into the race, never got into gear at all. She clipped heels at the top of the hill but she had a lot to do. I just think the track didn’t suit her."

While Easterby was keen to ward off the rain clouds, it was a case of the more the merrier for Malcolm Jefferson.

The Norton trainer runs Firth Of The Clyde in the AP McCoy Grand Annual Handicap (5.15pm) and would welcome a downpour for the ten-year-old.

“It will affect him in a good way so it doesn’t matter if it pours down until dinner time,” Jefferson said. “It wouldn’t bother him. Two miles round here might just be sharp enough but he is in good fettle and any rain we get would probably be in his favour.”

Jefferson is likely to step Attaglance up to three miles, meanwhile, after the Festival winner three years ago found the running a bit quick in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate.

The trainer said of the fourth favourite, who stayed on up the hill under Brian Hughes to finish 11th: “He’s run well and jumped brilliantly. We are thinking that three miles might suit him. Brian said they slowed the race up a bit and he was going really well and then when it quickened he just got out-paced.

“He’s staying on again up the hill and he did that when he won here but they went a lot quicker that day. I am very pleased with him. There are options for him.”

The race was won by 33-1 shot Darna.”