FERDY MURPHY believes Kalahari King could be as good as ever ahead of another run at glory in today’s Ryanair Chase (2.40pm).

The West Witton trainer’s 11-year-old, who has finished in the frame in four successive Cheltenham Festivals, looks to put a difficult campaign behind him in the two mile five furlong contest.

Only seen on the track twice this season, after finishing runner-up to Albertas Run in this race 12 months ago, Kalahari King cracked a splint bone when pulled up at Ascot last November and has been nursed back to health.

Murphy has conceded his preparations had hardly been ideal but claimed he worked “exceptionally” following a spin around Doncaster at the start of the month.

“He has been placed every year we’ve taken him and the lad who rides him at home says he feels as good as ever," said Murphy.

He faces stiff competition in what looks to be an exceptional renewal led by Albertas Run, who goes for a hat-trick in the race and a fourth Festival win.

Noble Prince bids to become the first Irish-trained horse to win the race, which was introduced in 2005, and trainer Alan King has been bullish about the chances of Medermit.

Somersby, trained by Henrietta Knight, opted for the Ryanair rather than yesterday’s Champion Chase following much soul searching, and has a major chance after beating Finian’s Rainbow at Ascot earlier in the campaign.

It’s a big day for Murphy, who also saddles Divers and Charingworth in the Byrne Group Plate (4pm) and The Hollinwell in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (4.40pm).

Divers was his best bet of the Festival last year when winning the Centenary Novices’ Handicap Chase but has had a mixed time since, although he has often saved his best form for Cheltenham and will appreciate the good ground.

Charingworth gives conditional Lucy Alexander a second ride at the Festival and could make the frame if he gets a clear round.

North Yorkshire hopes are also represented by Cape Tribulation, trained by Norton’s Malcolm Jefferson, who runs in the Pertemps Final at 2.05pm.

Elsewhere, Big Buck’s looks to set a sweet 16 in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

Paul Nicholls’ mighty horse hasn’t tasted defeat since November 2008 and bids for a 16th win on the spin and an unprecedented fourth successive victory in the three mile staying showpiece (3.20pm).

After Grands Crus and Sizing Europe went down yesterday, Big Buck’s is now the banker on which punters are relying to bolster their weakening wallets.

He could even be shorter than his current prohibitive 1-2 by the time the runners go to post.

As impressive as ever when seeing off Dynaste by seven lengths in the Cleeve Hurdle at the end of January, his rider Ruby Walsh has labelled the nine-year-old a “machine”.

He faces another pretender to his crown in Oscar Whisky, who was third in last year’s Champion Hurdle and represents the in-form pairing of trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Barry Geraghty.

Henderson was the first handler to train four Festival winners in one day, yesterday, with Bobs Worth’s victory in the RSA Chase and Finian’s Rainbow’s Queen Mother Champion Chase success the highlights.

Packed with speed, Oscar Whisky could pose a stern test to Big Buck’s, who would surely become the greatest stayer of all time with another win.

Thousand Stars, a County Hurdle winner at the Festival two years ago and representing Irish trainer Willie Mullins, also has claims after his French Champion Hurdle victory in June.

It’s D-day for North Yorkshire’s Niall Hannity when he rides Crunched in the St Patrick’s Derby charity race that closes today’s action (5.15pm).

Hannity, a former jockey with Middleham’s George Moore, is a familiar face on TV channel Racing UK and has lost more than three stone to ride Crunched, trained by ex-Norton trainer Tim Pitt.

The race is being staged in aid of Cancer Research UK and readers can still sponsor Hannity, who lives near Masham, by logging on to www.justgiving.com/festival