WHILE Long Run and Kauto Star have been making all the headlines ahead of the Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup, Stanton Fitzwarren jockey Felix De Giles believes it is not just a two-horse race.

Nicky Henderson’s Burton Port has caught De Giles’ eye and if the betting exchange is anything to go by, the trends would suggest Burton Port at least has place claims having been backed in to 7/1 from 33/1.

“Burton Port is going to run a massive race,” said the 20-year-old jockey who has celebrated a career best 42 winners so far this season.

“When he ran two years ago they ran him a lot and he thrived with his runs.

“Everyone is talking about the bounce factor of Burton Port but I reckon it will be the opposite and I think he will come on for the run. Look at how he came on at Newbury, he was only beaten by ½ a length in the end and that suggests he will storm up the hill.”

De Giles knows Burton Port well having been conditional jockey for Lambourn trainer Henderson from 2007-2009 but he isn’t afraid to admit that beating Long Run is no mean task.

“Yes, he has a task to beat Long Run,” added De Giles, who now rides for Chipping Norton’s Charlie Longsdon. “He had weight off Long Run at Newbury but he only has to improve a little bit. Burton Port is a sound jumper while Long Run is not always perfect.

“He is good value compared to Long Run where as elsewhere apart from Kauto Star there is only Midnight Chase and What A Friend. Burton Port can beat them all though, including Kauto.

“He was 33/1 and has quite rightly come in. He is a hardy horse, a tough horse who never knows when to lie down. It will be a fantastic race.”

De Giles also believes Long Run and Kauto Star will be at their best despite rumours from both camps about fitness worries.

“It’s probably mind games, equally things could have been going wrong but in a race of this scale there is always going to rumours.

“Things are always going to be said and things will get out of the yard which may be true or false. “So long as they run they will be fit.”

De Giles, who has a Festival winner to his name thanks to Andytown in the Martn Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle in 2009, won’t know most of his designated rides until the day before each race. However, De Giles is already booked to ride Abergavenny in the Coral Cup and Red Inca in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, both on Wednesday. And he warmed up nicely for the Festival by riding Hildisvini to victory in the Charles Stanley Handicap Hurdle at Sandown on Friday.

And having already tasted victory at the Festival, De Giles is desperate to do it again.

“This is the best season I have had,” said De Giles. “I had 39 winners last year so to pass the 40 mark is fantastic. I’m looking to pass 45 now and maybe knock on the door of 50.

“My best win definitely came at the Festival in 2009 with Andytown for Nicky Henderson and owner Richard Kelvin Hughes. It was really nice to get that first win at the Festival and to do it on my debut there was fantastic.

“One of the ambitions from a young age was to win at the Festival but now I’ve done it I just want another one. Maybe this is the year.

“I won’t know exactly what I’m riding until nearer the time but I expect to ride mostly in the handicap races like the Coral Cup, County Hurdles, Three Mile Hurdle and Juvenile. Most of my rides will be for Charlie Longsdon and Brian Ellison but nothing is set in stone yet.

“One I definitely have is Red Inca in the Fred Winter Juvenile. He won last time out at Ludlow and with a mark of 124 will get in the race and is being tipped up a little bit. I think he has a good chance, certainly good each-way value. It’s his fourth run so the penny is starting to drop with him.

“He was quite good at Ludlow and a stiff track will suit but if it rains he has form on soft ground too.”