Of all the novice hurdle events that take place at the Cheltenham Festival, no race looks as competitive as the Neptune Investment Management Hurdle.

It was very much an up-and-down day for popular northern jockey Brian Harding at Kelso on Saturday, Nicky Richards' rider tasting glory on Grand National hope Skippers Brig before taking a tumble an hour later and sustaining a fractured low…

Ruby Walsh, stable jockey to champion trainer Paul Nicholls, looks all but certain to return to race riding at Newbury on Friday.