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Cheltenham Festival 2017 – Unowhatimeanharry the star name as 21 are confirmed for the Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle

Harry Fry's nine-year-old is looking for his ninth win in a row and already has Festival experience under his belt having won the Albert Bartlett last year

UNOWHATIMEANHARRY is the star name among 21 horses confirmed for the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham on Thursday.

Harry Fry's nine-year-old has dominated the division in Britain this season, landing the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, the Long Walk at Ascot and the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January.

 Unowhatimeanharry is favourite for the Stayers' Hurdle
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Unowhatimeanharry is favourite for the Stayers' HurdleCredit: Getty Images

He is a red-hot favourite to extend his winning run to nine and claim his second Festival success following his triumph in the Albert Bartlett 12 months ago.

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The JP McManus silks could also be carried by Jessica Harrington's Jezki and Alan King's Yanworth, although the latter appears almost certain to run in the Champion Hurdle 48 hours earlier.

Jezki won the Champion Hurdle in 2014 and beat old foe Hurricane Fly on his only previous start over three miles at Punchestown two years ago.

Willie Mullins has left in Clondaw Warrior, Shaneshill, Nichols Canyon and the versatile mare Vroum Vroum Mag.

Other contenders include Warren Greatrex's Cole Harden, who won this prize in 2015, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Ballyoptic and Snow Falcon from Noel Meade's yard.

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