Fergal O’Brien heads for Cheltenham Racecourse on Friday in upbeat mood.

The Naunton trainer has two horses entered for the Hunter Chase Evening meeting which brings down the curtain on another outstanding season of racing at Cheltenham with the first race getting under way at 5.10pm.

O’Brien, former head lad for leading trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, is now a recognised name in his own right in the world of National Hunt racing and is hoping for more success at the meeting.

“I definitely hope so,” he said. “That’s always the aim.”

He confirmed that Pantxoa will run in the four-miler at 7.50pm – the Book Now For The McCoy Awards Open Hunters' Chase - while Are They Your Own is entered in the Brian Babbage Memorial Open Hunters' Chase, the first race of the evening.

Pantxoa is also entered in the GX Landrover Open Hunters’ Chase but O’Brien confirmed he will run over the longer distance with Lilly Pinchin on board.

It’s the first time that O’Brien has run horses at the evening meeting for a couple of years but he has enjoyed winners in the past at the meeting – which takes place this year on a Friday for the first time.

Are They Your Own will be ridden by Brodie Hampson, one of the amateur riders at the yard.

Regular rider Ally Stirling is currently sidelined after suffering a nasty fall on the horse two weeks ago at Fakenham.

She broke a bone just below the knee when the horse fell at the last and O’Brien said: “It wasn’t anybody’s fault. It was just very unlucky, the jockey did nothing wrong. The horse was 10 lengths clear and would have won comfortably.

“They cleared the last jump but the horse just couldn’t sort his feet out when he landed.”

The final race on the seven-race card goes off at 8.25pm but the entertainment at the racecourse doesn’t end there as Greg James will be performing a live DJ set in the Centaur, starting at 9.15pm.