Blair Walker:

What ride are you looking forward to the most at Cheltenham?

Richard Johnson: It's very hard to pinpoint one horse but Ballydub should have a very good chance in the Pertemps Final. He's a horse who is improving all the time and was unlucky to fall at Cheltenham a couple of runs ago. He ran very well the next time at Sandown and I'd be very keen on his chances. In the conditions race Planet Of Sound is improving in the Arkle and I'd be very disappointed if he didn't run well.

Adrian Brookes:

Which horse that you are not riding and that you have ridden against would you most like to be on at the Festival and why?

RJ: Probably Binocular. He looks to have it all, he travels very well and jumps very neatly. He's been very, very impressive and out of all the horses running there he's the one most people would like to have a go on!

Which horse is giving you the best vibes on the gallops right now?

RJ: I rode Mighty Man in a racecourse gallop at Bangor and he felt fantastic. He hasn't run for two years and I was surprised at how well he felt. He is 50/1 for the World Hurdle and that looks a huge price. He's such a genuine little horse, he is sure to give a good account. Henry (Daly) is playing it down slightly, saying it's a prep run for Aintree but I think he is going to be fit enough to do himself justice at Cheltenham. I can't see why he won't run very well at a big price.

Paul Wainwright:

Do you feel the Ryanair Chase can take an awful lot away from the Gold Cup and Champion Chase?

RJ: From a spectators' point of view it can take a small bit away from the Champion Chase - Voy Por Ustedes would be running there but for the Ryanair this year. However it is a very good race in its own right, there are a lot of horses for whom two-and-a-half miles is their ideal trip. The Gold Cup is a very stiff test and the Champion Chase a speed test. The Ryanair suits the likes of Voy Por Ustedes and I'm sure owners and trainers are delighted it is there.

David Massey:

Do you agree with the watering of tracks before meetings such as Cheltenham?

RJ: I agree things are usually best left alone but the drainage is so good at Cheltenham the moisture disappears very quickly. If there was no rain before the meeting and the ground came up very quick you'd run the danger of seeing a lot of horses returning with injuries. Nobody wants to see that. You woudn't get the runners on very quick ground either. They'd wait for Aintree and Punchestown so it is easy to see why they water. It's frustrating for some but a case of trying to keep everything as safe as possible.

Keith Plant:

Do you feel there is anything capable of beating Binocular in the Champion?

RJ: Hopefully Snap Tie! I definitely feel he deserves to take his chance, he has improved from last year and you can forget his last run as the soft ground at Haydock wasn't ideal. His run in the Supreme Novices' last year was good, he was only four lengths behind Binocular, and that gives him a chance of being bang there in the Champion. If Binocular runs below-par I'd hope we could be the ones to take advantage. He has a good each-way chance anyway and we'll be looking to pounce on AP late on. Chris Marshall says he thinks Snap Tie will be suited by better ground and an end-to-end gallop at Cheltenham and I agree on both points. They will be a big plus for him and the ground is the key. He'd love a true-run race too and if we can get a lead that would be great. He's really matured and that's another reason why he should be a better horse than last year.

Spencer Mist:

Are people foolish to write off Katchit ahead of the Champion Hurdle?

RJ: You should never dismiss a champion - especially only a year after their win in the race. He's only a young horse and there's no reason with spring in the air, why he can't come back to life. He loves Cheltenham and you could easily see him running into a place. It would be no surprise to see him bang there at the last.

Jamie Claydon:

As a punter I always get nervous when my horse approaches the second last fence at Cheltenham. It's very difficult - do you approach it differently to other fences?

RJ: Not differently but you are very aware it is tricky and horses can fall even when you jump it well. You try and give your horse as much help as you can but when you are at the end of the race and in full flight it is very hard to be too cautious. You are trying to win and get every advantage you can. The main thing is probably not to ask them too big a quiestion - you are coming down the hill and going quicker than at any other point of the race. That's why it's so tricky.

Wayne Butcher:

How do you rate Cockney Trucker's Festival chances?

RJ: The ground was too soft for him the last time at Newbury but since then he has been in very good order and we'd hope for a good run. He likes the track, running well in the Championship Bumper last season and over hurdles this, so I'd be very hopeful he'll run a big race but he needs to improve on his form so far.

Ian Ford:

You gave me my biggest ever winner at the Festival two years ago with Massini's Maguire - how do you rate his chances this time around?

RJ: We're still not sure what race he's going to go for. The ground will be the key to the decision. If it came up soft the two-mile five race would be the most likely as his stamina on soft ground would have to be taken on trust. The RSA is a race where you need to get every yard of the trip but with the weather the way it is it may be the race for him. Wait until closer the day though to see which way we go.

John Townsend:

What do you think of Keki Buku's chances at Cheltenham?

RJ: I'm not sure he's going to run at the Festival. He is a very nice horse though and one who has taken a bit of time to come to imself. He is improving and is a hrose to watch out for next season.

Alan Mattin:

What chance would Belcantista have in the County Hurdle and were you disappointed with his last run?

RJ: A very good one and yes are the two answers. Ascot was the first time I'd ridden the horse and he blatantly didn't get the two miles three. He travelled and jumped well but didn't stay so the County over two should be the perfect race for him.

Archie Mackinnon:

Oscatello impressed me with his jumping last time. What are your thoughts on him?

RJ: He isn't qualified for the handicap chase at Cheltenham so would have to revert back to hurdles at the Festival and I'm not sure he'll go there. He is a nice horse to follow though and we were very pleased last time and he didn't quite stay the trip at Taunton. Back over two five, two six I'd be hopeful he'll be winning.

Karen Chatfield:

If you had a choice between Kauto Star and Denman in the Gold Cup who would you choose and why?

RJ: Even last year I was a Kauto Star fan. He still ran very well to finish second but for me wasn't at his very best, he didn't seem to have quite the same buzz as the year before. He's been kept fresh this year which is msasiv plus and there have to be questions against Denman after his last run. Even if he was 100% on the day, Kauto Star would give him a run for his money.

Neil Mannion:

I know no horse has ever regained the Gold Cup crown but I'm a huge fan of War Of Attrition. Can he win it again?

RJ: He has a chance but needs to step up on his recent form. However he wants good ground and he hasn't had that all season so could improve at Cheltenham. He was impressive when winning the race and drying ground could put him bang in the mix again. It looks quite open outside Kauto Star.

Alan Firkins:

You are in a select band of jockeys to have won a Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup. Which is the more prized in the weighing room?

RJ: Anyone is happy to win either! I've been lucky to win both. For me the Gold Cup is the race people want to win when they buy National Hunt horses. That race is their ultimate goal. I'd put the Gold Cup before the Grand National as well but all the championship races are very special and difficult to win.

Simon Tudor:

Do you think at Cheltenham it is important to have a horse who can sit up with the pace or can you win with a hold-up horse?

RJ: You can win with either but I feel, when the ground is drying out, you need a horse with the ability to travel. If you are short of pace Cheltenham is quite a sharp track, you are on the turn a lot, and you can lose your position. You need to be able to take a gap when one appears and that's not possible if you are off the bridle.

Paul Goodrum:

Who do you feel is the most improved jockey at the moment?

RJ: A very hard one for me! There's an amazing batch of youngsters coming through right now and Philip Hobbs has two or three who are going places. Aidan Coleman has recently lost his claim but will continue to do well. He is improving with experience and has made the most of all his opportunities.

Douglas Campbell:

Do you have any strong views about Flat jockeys being allowed to ride in the bumper?

RJ: You should be able to ride in any race you are qualified for. If the owner and trainer want a jockey I've no problem with the Flat boys riding at Cheltenham. It is very different though. We'd find it hard switching to a race at Royal Ascot for example and the few lads who have ridden at Cheltenham have said the same. It was slightly different for Jamie Spencer as he'd ridden over jumps before but it's a different type of horse you're riding and the way the races are run is also different.