Melissa, aka The Scout, is the current Racing Post National Press Challenge champion after she led the field of 11 tipsters to the finish in 2025. The stamina-sapping competition was based on more than 9,600 selections throughout the year. A good final furlong helped her cause, but Melissa has maintained her form – and set a new record by finishing top of the standings for a fourth month on the trot in February.

Gaelic Warrior (4.00) is fancied to be an able deputy for Galopin Des Champs in the £625,000 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. Trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend were disappointed when the two-time champion picked up an injury when building up to the meeting’s signature event.

Before the setback, he had finished third in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival, with Gaelic Warrior a place in front of him. My selection travelled with plenty of zest throughout for his handler’s son Patrick, only finding an in-form Fact To File too strong by five lengths at the line.

Early positioning is likely to influence how this race pans out for Gaelic Warrior, who could do with some cover to help him stay the full three miles, two-and-a-half furlongs.

But Townend has been tactically excellent this week and he got the best out of the stable’s championship heroes Lossiemouth and Il Etait Temps with two different rides.

Gaelic Warrior’s owner Rich Ricci kicks off the card with SELMA DE VARY (1.20) in the 20-runner JCB Triumph Hurdle.

Ahead of the feature, his recruit can continue the excellent record of horses that launched their careers in France, with seven of the last ten from the continent.

The most recent four editions, via Vauban, Lossiemouth, Majborough and Poniros, have gone to trainer Willie Mullins, who sent smartly bred Selma De Vary to the Dublin Racing Festival for her stable debut.

Reportedly in need of the outing, she made nice headway for second behind Narciso Has, the ante-post favourite who was subsequently ruled out – and that is solid form in a race in which there are plenty of unknowns.

Mullins and jockey Paul Townend continue their relentless pursuit of winners with KARBAU (2.00, nb) in the William Hill County Handicap Hurdle.

The six-year-old showed his class by twice making the first three in Grade Ones as a novice – and his chance is boosted by Townend opting to take his only ride in a handicap this week.

The Grade Two Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase appears deeper than ratings suggest, with Panic Attack, the first horse to complete the Paddy Power and Coral Gold Cup double since 2004, in the form of her life.

Dinoblue ruled the roost last year and is ultra-consistent, but Henry de Bromhead’s challenger JULY FLOWER (2.40) makes each-way appeal.

She skipped over her fences when winning in a good time on the Old Course at the November Meeting, in a trial for the Grade One Arkle.

Third against the geldings at the highest level subsequently, this is more her level and 2m 4f is no problem judged on a Leopardstown Grade Three strike on yard debut in December 2024.

The stamina-favouring New Course should bring out the best in DOCTOR STEINBERG (3.20), the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle market leader.

Covering 2m 6f on heavy terrain at the Dublin Racing Festival, the chestnut had eight lengths in hand after going keenly, which showed just how much he had left in the tank.

Another in need of a searching test is CON’S ROC (4.40, trb) – and that looks a formality in the highly-competitive Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase for amateur riders.

A length-and-a-quarter short of catching the idling It’s On The Line at Down Royal on Boxing Day, a thoroughbred narrowly defeated in the last three runnings, my selection was staying on strongly up the run-in.

Forecast rain for Gloucestershire and first-time cheekpieces are two other positives, as is jockey Darragh Allen getting a ton up in point-to-points earlier this year.

Sixth in the 2025 Fred Winter, WENDROCK (5.20, Nap) went in the notebook on his first stab at 2m 4½f in December and he is on a workable mark in an event Gordon Elliott targets.

• 1.20 Selma De Vary
• 2.00 Karbau (nb)
• 2.40 July Flower
• 3.20 Doctor Steinberg
• 4.00 Gaelic Warrior
• 4.40 Con’s Roc (trb)
• 5.20 Wendrock (Nap)