Cheltenham Racecourse have announced the six names that form the shortlist for its award recognising “the outstanding contribution made by a Lady to Jump Racing".

The six names are, Venetia Williams, Sally Alner and Jessica Harrington, representing the ranks of trainers, Belinda Cullen, an equine physiotherapist who has overcome almost 20 years of pain from a racing injury to continue her successful career, Joan Moore, a towering presence in Jump racing in Ireland for decades and Clare Balding, the award-winning broadcaster and journalist.

The winner is being decided by an all female panel of racing professionals and will be announced on Friday, March 12.

Previous winners include Heather Atkinson, who has been the senior nurse in the jockeys’ hospital at the racecourse for over 30 years, Lady Chicky Oaksey, from the Injured Jockeys Fund, Ann Saunders from the Professional Jockeys Association and Nina Carberry, leading female Jump Jockey.

Paul Nicholls Taranis will miss both the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup and the John Smith's Grand National.

The nine-year-old has met with a training setback.

Winner The 2007 Ryanair Chase, he made a winning return in the Argento Chase at Cheltenham in January, having been off for two years with a leg injury. It is believed the current setback is not believed to be leg related.

The weights for the Cheltenham Festival handicaps have been revealed at Cheltenham Racecourse.

The handicappers have admitted framing the weights for the novice contests has been particularly tricky due to the lack of form as a result of the bad weather and what form there is being on soft ground, where good ground is predicted for the Festival.

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Ticket sales for this years Festival are going well and Friday will be a sell-out with no tickets being available on the day. The Best Mate and Grandstand enclosures are sold out and there are only 2,500 Club Enclosure tickets remaining.

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Thirteen runners have come out of the John Smith’s Grand National at the latest forfeit stage, although all the main contenders stand their ground.

There is a second scratchings stage on March 23 ahead of the five-day confirmation deadline on April 5 and the final declaration stage on April 8.

National entries