Go ‘Native’ and clean up on the final day of this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

So says Mike Edwards, friend of The Local Answer who has become an even better friend of the punters who have been following him over the first couple of days of this year’s four-day spectacular.

Edwards tipped six of the winners over the first two days – a 42.8 per cent success rate – starting with Footpad, Co Star Sivola and Buveur D’Air on day one and following up with Samcro, Presenting Percy and Altior on the second day.

And Edwards is confident that the Colin Tizzard-trained Native River can add to his tally of winners tomorrow in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.

“Native River has been trained by the maestro Colin Tizzard with the Gold Cup in mind,” said Edwards. “Last year he ran four times before the big race and came third.

“This year he has been kept in cotton wool. He will be spot on for the race, a year older and stronger and with first-hand experience of the expected conditions.

“He also has the champion jockey Richard Johnson on board; he’s today’s Nap of the Day.”

And while a win for 40-year-old Johnson would make a great story – he last won the Gold Cup in 2000 on Looks Like Trouble, his only win in the blue riband race – he may have to share top billing around these parts with Fergal O’Brien and his team if the Guiting Power trainer can saddle Poetic Rhythm to victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (2.50pm).

The horse is owned by Chris Coley, well-known on the local cricket scene, and his ‘Yes-no-wait-sorries’ syndicate and Edwards said: “He won a good Grade 1 hurdle race at Sandown recently, showing top form on heavy ground.”

Poetic Rhythm will be ridden by Stow-on-the-Wold jockey Paddy Brennan.

Mike Edwards’ tips for day four:

1.30 – Apples Shakira

2.10 – Chesterfield

2.50 – Poetic Rhythm

3.30 – Native River

4.10 – Foxrock

4.50 – Dies des Bieffes

5.30 – Le Prezien