My Timeform: Four Cheltenham Festival eye-catchers

Now Is The Hour (Timeform rating 144)

Fell, 3¾m novice handicap chase, Cheltenham, Tuesday 11 March

Now Is The Hour would have finished a good second at worst had he not fallen at the second-last fence when only a couple of lengths behind the eventual winner, Haiti Couleurs, and he looks capable of landing a good-quality handicap chase. Now Is The Hour was making only his fifth start over fences, and his first in handicap company, and he took a step forward on his previous outings in this sphere, catching the eye with how well he travelled under a patient ride. He showed over hurdles, notably when running out a wide-margin winner of a three-mile Grade 2 on heavy ground at Haydock, that he is blessed with plenty of stamina, but this effort demonstrated that he's not just a slogger.

Final Demand (150p)

Third, 2m5f G1 novice hurdle, Cheltenham, Wednesday 12 March

The trio at the head of the betting for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle were all unbeaten over hurdles, making for a fascinating race, and the same three duly finished clear of the rest, all three of them remaining with bright futures. Best backed of the three was Final Demand, impressive on his previous start in a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival, but he was less experienced than his two main rivals and that may have been the main factor in his defeat. But he still shaped with plenty of promise, leading approaching the last but headed when not fluent there and finishing third behind The New Lion and The Yellow Clay, beaten five and a half lengths behind the winner. The most imposing of the three principals, Final Demand is very much a novice chaser to note next season but in the shorter term he’ll be a major player in whichever race he contests at Punchestown.

Feet Of A Dancer (137)

Fourth, 3m handicap hurdle, Cheltenham, Thursday 13 March

Feet Of A Dancer had shaped well when four and a half lengths third to Win Some Lose Some at Leopardstown last time and made plenty of appeal in the Pertemps Final. She finished fourth but under different circumstances would surely have gone close to emulating her stable's 2021 winner Mrs Milner. Feet Of A Dancer had got there too soon behind Win Some Lose Some in the Leopardstown qualifier but she was ridden much more patiently this time and still had loads to do out. She turned in with more than a dozen ahead of her but sustained her run well enough to take fourth after the last. Though not the most imposing physically, there's still a good handicap with her name on it, while it's worth noting how effective she seems when fresh (form figures off a break now 11134).

Ethical Diamond (143p)

Fourth, 2m handicap hurdle, Cheltenham, Friday 14 March

The County Hurdle was run at a steadier pace than usual and that counted against Ethical Diamond who had been held up in last place. Ethical Diamond couldn't have shaped much better from what proved an impossible position, passing ten from the time the pace lifted two out and quickening well from the home turn to take fourth. Much like the third home Absurde, who races in the same ownership, he’s one to watch out for in all of the big two-mile handicaps over the next couple of months.