The biggest day in the racing calendar and one of the best moments of the sporting year. All eyes are on stable mates Denman and Kauto Star as they square up for their third Cheltenham Gold Cup clash, with the score standing at 1-1. Can Kauto Star join the Cheltenham legends Golden Miller, Arkle and Best Mate and become a three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner or will Denman add victory in 2010 to his 2008 triumph?

Proven Cheltenham form has been crucial, with eight of the last 10 winners having won or been placed at a previous Festival.

The eagerly anticipated third Gold Cup clash between Paul Nicholls’ two brilliant chasers Kauto Star and Denman is the spine-tingling highlight of the Festival.

Both Nicholls runners are aged 10 and there has only one winner of that age in the past 16 runnings.

Having won this in 2007, Kauto Star had an interrupted preparation in 2008 and had to give best to the Hennessy Gold Cup winner Denman 12 months later.

Denman was a shadow of his former self for the majority of last season after a heart problem, but his fine second in the race proved he was on the way back as Kauto Star regained the Gold Cup.

Victory in this season’s Hennessy put Denman back in contention but ‘the Tank’ subsequently made sloppy jumping errors in the Aon Chase at Newbury and his confidence must come into question.

After a fourth King George VI Chase victory (by 36 lengths!), Kauto Star has now won 13 Grade 1 races and is odds-on to win a third Gold Cup.

Of the pretenders, Imperial Commander ran Kauto Star to a nose at Haydock at the start of the season but this extended 3m2f trip is a question-mark, so Cooldine, last year’s leading novice chaser, is the best hope to test the dynamic duo.

Verdict: Kauto Star is not on the wane

Thursday is Ladies day – the perfect excuse to dress up and have a great day out at the races. The World Hurdle takes center stage, with Big Buck’s a hot favorite to defend the crown he won so well in 2009.

Another feature race on Thursday is The Ryanair Chase with Poquelin, Tranquil Sea and Barbers Shop currently heading the betting.

THE feature race on the third day of the Festival is often a graveyard for favourites, with only three outright favourites winning in the last 14 years.

Yet the trend towards classier horses winning the race has been reflected in the starting prices: No winner has returned bigger than 8-1 in the past nine years.

This all revolves around last year’s winner Big Buck’s. The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old will be the banker of the meeting for many. Unbeaten in his six hurdle races in this country, he has already taken the scalp of main market rival Karabak, dismissing him with ease in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury in December. That victory also saw off the up-and-coming Diamond Harry, with connections consequently admitting defeat and turning their attentions to chasing.

Having his first start over hurdles since April 2007, the 2008 Arkle winner Tidal Bay found plenty to win the three-mile Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January. He was a high-class novice hurdler in his day, but few nine-year-olds have been successful in this race.

Sentry Duty, yet to prove himself over this three-mile trip, had plenty in reserve when beating Katchit over 2m4f on New Year’s Day and could also be in the shake-up.

Verdict: Big Buck’s is truly World class

ONLY once in the past 10 years has the winner not come from the first three in the betting. It is a race that is usually won by a horse that has a high official rating and has previously been placed at the Festival.

If these trends continue, Master Minded, Kalahari King and Twist Magic should be the ones to concentrate on.

Master Minded bids to become the first horse since Badsworth Boy to win the race three times. Having recovered from a cracked rib, he returned after a three-month lay-off to record a hugely impressive performance in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury and is odds-on to complete the hat-trick.

Nine of the last 11 Arkle winners finished first or second in this race the following year but 2009 Arkle winnerForpadydeplasterer is an injury doubt. Kalahari King was only just beaten in the Arkle and made a belated seasonal debut with an emphatic victory under top weight in a Doncaster handicap on February 6. If fully fit, he is expected to be a bigger danger to Master Minded than the champ’s stablemate Twist Magic, who prefers flat, right-handed tracks – his course form reads Fell-6th-Fell – or Big Zeb, who has flopped on his two starts in this country.

VERDICT: Kalahari King to be crowned

SOLWHIT already has one Champion Hurdle in the bag – the Irish version – giving him five Grade 1 victories this season, and he is justifiably favourite to follow up at Cheltenham.

Trained in Ireland by Charles Byrnes, the six-year-old has never finished outside of the first three in eight runs over hurdles.

If there is a chink in his armour, it is the preference for softer ground. His last defeat came in the slowly-run Fighting Fifth Hurdle on good ground at Newcastle, which developed into a three-furlong sprint.

Go Native, his conqueror that day, followed up in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, beating second-season novice Starluck. Though both quickened up well, the time was slow. How they handle a more truly-run affair remains to be seen, but both would welcome good ground or faster.

Campaigned over further than two miles this season, last year’s Triumph Hurdle hero Zaynar saw his unbeaten hurdling streak ended at five when he got bogged down in the mud at Kelso behind Quwetwo. He acts on the track and – very deep ground aside – he appears to handle any conditions. He holds a major chance.

Reigning champion Punjabi and last year’s runner-up Celestial Halo cannot be ruled out if the ground is similarly good to soft and the latter, in particular, could run a big race at a tasty price.

VERDICT: We’re sold on Solwhit

Coming up this week is Cheltenham, the jewel in Jump racing’s crown, plays host to the best jumping action in the world, and this year’s Festival promises to be one of the most eagerly-anticipated racing events of recent years. The Festival runs from 16th to 19th March and builds up to the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday, where all eyes will be on the annual clash of stable-mates Kauto Star and Denman.

Can Kauto Star re-write the history books and become a three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner?

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Fabio Capello today insisted he is still happy dealing with the most important challenge of his life, despite the latest scandal to hit the England team.It is understood the Football Association are reviewing security procedures after an apparent secret recording of conversations between players and coaches before the Egypt friendly came to light. The FA have yet to make a complaint to the police about the bugging, reportedly at The Grove hotel in Hertfordshire, because they are still waiting to have access to the recording. They have, however, taken legal steps to ensure the conversations remain under wraps.

Capello refused to answer direct questions on the subject today, labelling it a “private problem”, but, speaking at the Laureus Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi, the Italian said: “It’s a challenge always to be England manager, but the challenge for me is always important because, at my age, without a challenge I stay home and can go on holiday.

“I like the challenge and this will be the most important challenge of my life. To be England manager was one of my dreams and I am really happy to be England manager. I would not swap my position with (Italy coach) Marcello Lippi, I prefer to be England manager.”

Manchester United striker Michael Owen will not play again this season after pulling his hamstring in the 2-1 Carling Cup win over Aston Villa.

The 30-year-old, who scored United’s equaliser at Wembley, pulled up while chasing a pass in the first half.

The injury all but ends Owen’s hopes of playing for England at the World Cup.

“It is more serious than we thought. I think the heavy pitch at Wembley played some part, but it’s also bad luck,” said United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Owen, who will have one year remaining on his two-year contract at Old Trafford at the end of this season, was initially expected to be out for only a few weeks, but will now undergo surgery on Monday.

He said: “I have loved every minute of my first campaign with Manchester United and have already enjoyed some memorable moments.

“I am determined to come back at the start of next season in peak condition.”

Owen, who has scored 40 goals in 89 games for England, admitted in February that he was not expecting to be included in coach Fabio Capello’s 23-man World Cup squad for South Africa.

He last played for the national side in March 2008 in a 1-0 friendly defeat by France, but has not featured in a squad since.

“It’s been a long time since I was in the England squad. You never give up but it’s probably a long shot in racing terms,” Owen told BBC Sport last month.

And that call seems even less likely now, considering Capello said he would only recall Owen if he was playing regularly for United.

Owen, who has struggled with groin, ankle, thigh, hernia, metatarsal and knee ligament injuries in the past, had not missed a training session this season following his surprise move to Old Trafford on a reported pay-as-you-play deal in the summer.

But the 2001 European footballer of the year found starting chances limited, with 20 of his 31 appearances this season coming as substitute.

However, he has scored nine goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick in the Champions League win against Wolfsburg and an injury-time winner in September’s Manchester derby before Sunday’s equaliser in the Carling Cup final.

A virus has swept through the England ranks this week and Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll is determined to leave Twickenham after Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash without the sickening feeling of defeat.

Ireland’s 33-10 defeat to France not only ended the defending champions’ Grand Slam bid but it also halted an impressive 13-match unbeaten run put together by Declan Kidney’s side.

But the Irish still hold an Indian sign over England in recent years with five wins in their last six meetings and O’Driscoll, who will be facing Lions teammate Riki Flutey in the midfield, believes Saturday’s encounter will be balanced on a knife edge.

He said: “England are never a bad side. Any time I’ve played against them and beaten them it’s usually been by one score or less, whether it be one or two points or five on a couple of occasions.

“That just shows you really have to be on your game if you’re to beat them. They showed two years ago over there what they can do.

“Now they’re starting to build some confidence. They’ve got two wins from two now, so it’ll be a tough game

“There’s nothing ever in the game. The only time there was ever anything in the game was that one time when they did beat us two years ago.

“Looking back on all the games we’ve had and we’ve won, we realise that we’ve played pretty well in them and tried to cancel out any attacking options England may have had.”

Full-back Geordan Murphy returns to international action for Ireland in the absence of the injured Rob Kearney while Declan Kidney has selected Jonathan Sexton over the experienced Ronan O’Gara at fly-half.

In the pack, the suspended Jerry Flannery is replaced by Rory Best and lock Donncha O’Callaghan comes in for Leo Cullen, who drops to the bench.

While Ireland were disappointing in defeat against France, England seemed to attract more criticism for their 17-12 victory over Italy.

Statistics made grim reading for the England hierarchy with 35m gained with the ball in hand while only 126 passes were completed compared to Italy’s 138.

But Steve Borthwick, who captains an unchanged starting XV, says the only statistic that counts is in the win column with one more victory equalling England’s best run in the Six Nations in six years.

He said: “Our job is to win rugby matches and develop as a team

“Pressure and criticism comes on this team, but we are a tight group, we go out on the training field and we work very hard.

“Ireland have had success, they have a level of cohesion, they have traits we want but we, as an England team, are developing our own way.”

In a blow to its marketing strategy in the rapidly expanding Italian gaming market, Austria’s Bwin is to cease its sponsorship of AC Milan from next season after the Italian football giant signed a four-year deal to replace bwin with Dubai’s Emirates airline in a deal worth at least €60 million.

The AC Milan squad is full some of the best footballers in the world and the superstar players have paid a number of visits to the home of Emirates, Dubai, to escape the chill of European winter, to train and to enjoy the warmth of UAE and the airline’s in-flight and on the ground services.

“When Emirates became one of our sponsors, the relationship that linked the two companies grew and evolved, thanks to a common vision and common objectives. Today, we have reached the most important target – Emirates has become our shirt sponsor and positions its brand on the most successful club in the world. This choice shows that the global values of the AC Milan brand and the quality of our offering keeps on attracting the most dynamic and innovative international companies.”

- Executive Vice President and Managing Director of AC Milan, Adriano Galliani

Bwin were sponsoring AC Milan €15 million a season. But it would seem that the €60 million for 4 years was to

The biggest search for a singing superstar is back… and it’s just got a whole lot BIGGER!

The nation’s favourite talent show has at long last returned, but this year it’s not just The X Factorjudges the contestants will have to impress if they want to follow in the footsteps of Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke and JLS, because now the auditions are taking place in front of live audiences in packed arenas across the country.

The first act to try out the new nerve-wracking format were Lithuanian sisters, the Dreamgirls, who had moved from their homeland in east Europe just so they could audition for The X Factor.

A brave plan some might say, but one that crucially involved a glaring oversight: the Dreamgirls can’t actually sing. After murdering the Robbie Williams hit Angels, the part-time models were sent packing after Simon compared their singing to cats being squashed!

Not the best of starts, but the judges’ moods were lifted considerably when 19-year-old Stacey Solomon delivered a heartfelt rendition of What A Wonderful World.

“I didn’t expect you to be that good!” Cheryl told the Essex girl, and when these sentiments were echoed by the other three judges Stacey realised she was through to bootcamp.

Next up was the familiar figure of Emma Chawner, the teenager who had been rejected from the show on two previous occasions in 2007 and 2008… however this time the resilient young lass had a secret weapon that she hoped would make her progress to the next round a case of third time lucky – her big sister, Sam.

But when it transpired neither of them could sing, Emma found herself trudging back offstage with four resounding NOs ringing in her ears… she was however determined to come back next year and do it all again!

We were then treated to the honeyed tones of Joseph McElderry, who impressed the judges hugely with his fantastic take on Luther Vandross’ Dance With My Father.

“You’ve just made the competition very, very exciting!” Louis beamed after his excellent audition.

Cheryl agreed, telling the young man from South Shields: “I’m really proud you’re representing our city.”

Simon finished off the praise stating: “We may just have found ourselves a popstar.”

Who do you think will take the top spot this year? Who will win the coverted prize, and be crowned Winner of X factor 2009?

The betting to Win Only looks like this:

The panel of power has been reassembled and the fabulous four are ready and waiting to make and break the dreams of those brave enough to take them on… and this year they’ve enlisted some help from the great British public!

That’s right. Not only do this series’ hopefuls have to face Simon, Louis, Dannii and Cheryl but also the stage, the spotlight and thousands of screaming people, ready and waiting to voice their opinions.

Who will be the winning Manager? Who can help produce the one with the X Factor!: