Pizarro, widely available at 14-1, is napped to score a shock victory in tomorrow's totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Following the loss of leading fancies from the field this year's race could well be won by an outsider.

Best Mate, winner of the race for the last three years, is the major absentee, pulled out last week because of a burst blood vessel.

Kingscliff, runner-up in the King George VI Chase, was withdrawn after working poorly, Ollie Magern misses the race because of a cracked bone, and Farmer Jack dropped dead on the gallops of his trainer Philip Hobbs.

Pizarro seems to me to have a much better chance than his odds might indicate.

Winner of the Champion Bumper on this course, he also finished second in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle and he was running a mighty race in last year's Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Chase when he was brought down at the second-last fence.

Admittedly, his jumping, plus his form this season, has fallen short of the standard normally required to win a Gold Cup. But then this is no normal Gold Cup and Pizarro, trained by Edward O'Grady in Ireland, and the mount of Davy Russell, is my strong each-way fancy in a depleted field headed by Irish hope Beef Or Salmon.

County Durham trainer Howard Johnson and jockey Graham Lee have won the first race on each of the first two days of the meeting, No Refuge yesterday following on from Arcalis on Tuesday.

The formidable pair have excellent prospects of achieving more of the same tomorrow when Akilak runs in the opening JCB Triumph Hurdle. Two wins from two starts is his record and this highly-rated gelding is fancied for a hat-trick in a fiercely competitive event.

Johnson and Lee can also score with Bewleys Berry in the Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle. Two wins from three starts this season confirms this Irish recruit to be a more than useful peformer and he will relish tomorrow's three miles.

Fota Island should not be left out of the reckoning in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup, though also take a close look at Tysou. He represents trainer Nicky Henderson (two winners yesterday), eager to win the first running of this race to carry the name of his late father.

Friday's tips:

Cheltenham Festival

2.00 Akilak, 2.35 Bewleys Berry, 3.15 Pizarro (Nap), 4.00 Sleeping Night, 4.40 Fota Island, 5.20 Crossbow Creek.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Fakenham and Lingfield.

Updated: 09:25 Thursday, March 17, 2005