Cheltenham Festival round-up: West Approach to snub Stayers' Hurdle and race in Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

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West Approach, half-brother to scratched Gold Cup favourite Thistlecrack, will run in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle rather than the Stayers' Hurdle.

The Colin Tizzard-trained seven-year-old, who by Heather and John Snook, was third to Unowhatimeanharry in Cleeve Hurdle.

But son and assistant Joe said: 'We purposely protected his novice status last year and however brave John and Heather are, throwing a novice in the deep end is tough.'

West Approach will be thrown into the deep end in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

Nicky Henderson believes Charli Parcs, whose heavy fall at Kempton on Saturday put jockey Barry Geraghty out of the Festival, will still make the Triumph Hurdle after a schooling session on Wednesday showed his confidence had not been dented.

Henderson, who will also run probably run Divin Bere in the Triumph, probably runs novice chaser Whisper in the RSA Chase alongside stablemate Might Bite, rather than the JLT Novices' Chase.

Charli Parcs remains confident in his jumping despite a heavy fall at Kempton on Saturday

Ben Pauling will pitch A Hare Breath in against red-hot favourite Altior in the Arkle Novices' Chase.

A Hare Breath will look to spring a surprise in the n the Arkle Novices' Chase against Altior

The Queen's Forth Bridge is heading to the Triumph Hurdle rather than the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle, according to trainer Charlie Longsdon. 

Stablemate Our Kaempfer is more likely to start in the RSA Chase rather than the Ultima Handicap Chase for which he was one of the ante-post favourites.

Our Kaempfer was favourite for the Ultima Handicap Chase the RSA Chase is now more likely