On a day when Shadow Catcher is napped to win the opening race, Long Run is fancied to catch the shadow of Kauto Star, who has haunted him all season in today’s featured Gold Cup.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, whose prolific production of winners this week has included notable successes by Finian’s Rainbow and Sprinter Sacre, Long Run is selected to take his revenge on Kauto Star for two defeats this season and win the £500,000 Betfred Gold Cup for the second successive year.

Beaten by Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase at Haydock and the King George VI Chase at Kempton’s Christmas meeting, Long Run resumed winning ways at Newbury a month ago with a workmanlike performance in a race he was perfectly entitled to win.

Last year he relished the three-and-quarter-mile trip of the Gold Cup and powered up the hill in splendid style under regular rider Sam Waley-Cohen, who takes the mount again. A repeat performance is on the cards.

Kauto Star, a legend in his lifetime and a dual Gold Cup winner, bids to win back the crown at the age of 12. It will be a gigantic achievement if he manages to pull it off. He has twice been beaten in this race since last winning it and was no match for Long Run 12 months ago when the chips were down from the final fence.

He has looked a better horse, for some unknown reason, this season than he was last term, but his recent setback following a schooling fall at home was hardly a help to his preparation and, despite his Gold Cup record, he has always looked an even better horse on a flat track over a straight three miles.

While Henderson fields a fascinating hope in Burton Port, runner-up to stablemate Long Run at Newbury on his first outing for more than a year, the best-value each-way proposition in the field promises to be Willie Mullins’ Quel Esprit, who has returned to form and who looks temptingly priced at 12-1.

Shadow Catcher carries the nap vote in the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Some will remember him last year as a North Yorkshire handicapper, trained on the Flat by Michael Dods. Nowadays, he’s based in Ireland with Gordon Elliott and looks a smart recruit to hurdling.

A good winner on his debut, he has since finished second in a Grade 1 event at Leopardstown, where he arrived on the scene on a tight rein far too soon and was eventually worried out of it by Hisaabaat.

Shadow Catcher is taken to turn the tables this time and also take care of John Quinn’s Countrywide Flame, third in the Leopardstown race, and again likely to finish in the money on a course which should suit him.

The fourth and final day of the Cheltenham Festival is further highlighted by the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and an appearance by Boston Bob from the Willie Mullins yard.

Owned by Graham and Andrea Wylie and formerly trained by Howard Johnson, Boston Bob is three from three over hurdles in Ireland this season and is held in the highest regard by Mullins and his regular jockey Ruby Walsh. He promises to take the world of beating, even though he is largely unproven on ground this quick.

The Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle looks a lottery, but my vote is cast in favour of Ubi Ace, the horse recently sold out of Tim Walford’s Sheriff Hutton yard to join Jonjo O’Neill.

Triple winner Open Hearted should go well in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, while Donald McCain’s Cloudy Lane, a one-time high-class performer, is well fancied by his trainer to go well in the Foxhunter Chase, the amateurs’ Gold Cup.

The meeting draws to a close with the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Chase. Brian Ellison’s Ultimate, a Doncaster winner last time, is not without a chance.

Racing selections

Cheltenham (today)

1.20 Shadow Catcher (NAP), 2.05 Ubi Ace, 2.40 Boston Bob, 3.20 Long Run, 4.00 Cloudy Lane, 4.40 Open Hearted, 5.15 Ultimate.

Lingfield (today)

1.55 Daniel Thomas, 2.30 Flying Pickets, 3.05 Lion Rock, 3.45 Danube River, 4.25 Isdaal, 5.05 Hikma, 5.40 Benbecula.

Today’s other meetings

Fakenham and Wolverhampton.

Tomorrow’s meetings

Ffos Las, Kempton, Newcastle, Wolverhampton and Uttoxeter.