Cheltenham Festival 2015: Friday summary

There was to be no farewell Festival finale for jockey AP McCoy on Friday. He could only finish fourth on Ned Buntline (4/1jf) in his final ride in the AP McCoy Grand Annual Handicap Chase.

• Coneygree (7/1) set a pace that his rivals couldn't live with in the Betfred Gold Cup and he got into a rhythm that produced a solid round of jumping to see him home by 1 1/2 lengths from Djakadam (10/1) and Road To Riches (8/1)
• Peace And Co (2/1f) led home a Nicky Henderson 1-2-3 in the JCB Triumph Hurdle
• Wicklow Brave (25/1) sulked at Sandown last weekend when he didn't get his way in the race but turned it round to win the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle by eight lengths
• Willie Mullins ended the Festival 2015 with a record-breaking eight wins over the four days

Cheltenham Festival 2015 race preview: JCB Triumph Hurdle

Cheltenham Festival 2015: JCB Triumph Hurdle

Festival race preview: JCB Triumph Hurdle

This year’s protagonists will find it difficult to match Our Conor’s impressive performance in this race last year.

The betting is very open with only two horses at single figure odds with Ladbrokes: Calipto (5/1) and Le Rocher (6/1).

Calipto is unbeaten in two stats over hurdles for Paul Nicholls, both at Newbury. Le Rocher (Nick Williams) is also unbeaten, including a 10 length victory in the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham in January.

Royal Irish Hussar (14/1) also won a JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham in November 2013, when Guitar Pete (10/1) was second. But a month later Royal Irish Hussar was beaten 16 lengths in third at Doncaster, behind Fox Norton and Broughton (10/1).