Ah, Festival previews. You either love them, or you hate them. Or you feel you ought to go to them, because it's your job.

When I got overtaken by a speeding black four-wheel-drive, I presumed it must be a drug dealer inside. I was in the Manchester/Liverpool wilderness, after all.

Instead by the time I made it to Haydock Park, it was being ushered through to a secret side entrance, while simultaneously I was effectively being given the middle finger as an angry-looking man in a yellow oilskin didn't so much point me towards the rear of the car park as urge me to go as far away as possible from the smart car containing Tony McCoy and Jonjo O'Neill, lest I attempt to share their air.

I hope that the autograph hunters (no I didn't know that there were any left in existence either) waiting outside the Park Suite enjoyed better luck.

For it was those two gentlemen, alongside Peter Scudamore and Angus Loughran, who were the stars on the panel at the Betfred Cheltenham Preview evening and I was a guest of the generous sponsors.

The ubiquitous Fred himself was there, looking genuinely interested throughout. In fact, I have to say that while I might (quietly, to myself) have been sceptical about whether the evening could turn into a 25-quid-a-head-food-fight, the substantial audience could not have been better behaved and there was a respectful hush throughout proceedings, unlike some of the posher black-tie events that I have attended in the past in the days before I stopped getting invited to them.

David Ashforth was there, so there'll probably be a much better-written account of events in the Racing Post at some stage. He really is a very nice man.

It's at this stage of the Festival build-up, as the entries start to come in and running plans become clearer, that punters such as myself seem to suffer from an almost unquenchable thirst for information.

Here follows the principal findings of the North-West jury (subject to some paraphrasing).

Peter Scudamore (earnest, professor-like, sometimes bespectacled, sometimes not, prone to picking at least three horses in each race) said that you can rule Denman out in the Gold Cup.

Tony McCoy (bright pink shirt, salmon pink tie, confident, relaxed) seconded that viewpoint, saying: "They went an unbelievably fast gallop in the Gold Cup from start to finish and I definitely think that race has left a mark on him. If you pin me down, it's between Kauto Star, Madison du Berlais and Exotic Dancer."

Jonjo O'Neill (smiling, not always paying full attention, delivers all of the best lines) thought that Exotic Dancer has "a great each-way chance".

If all of the other panellists assess each horse's Cheltenham chances on a scale between 1 and 10, Jonjo never registers above a 3. He just can't do it.

The evening is punctuated throughout by laughter from the audience at his inability to answer a question directly. It's a strange experience; not uncomfortable, but odd. It feels like he wants to help, but he doesn't know how to, or whether he should.

At one stage in the evening, Angus Loughran (opinionated and interesting views, you'll like him more than you think you will, keen on promoting the evening's sponsors, offers no flicker of response when one punter shouts out 'Statto') says "Jonjo's been open and honest with us" and McCoy immediately snorts and laughs.

Scu (can I abbreviate him to that?) reckons that Diamond Harry is "a big, lean horse who looks he has come to the end of his season".

McCoy offers no encouragement to those inclined to take on Binocular in the Champion Hurdle, but he has worries over whether Torphichen's jumping (whom he rode at Sandown) will hold up in the big field in the Supreme Novices'. Hmmm. Interesting.

McCoy (I seem to have written down more that he has said than anyone else, I wonder why) thinks that Master Minded "has no flaws" -"He's just must better than the opposition, he's bomb proof."

It will come as no surprise to you that Jonjo isn't entirely clear on the running plans for any of his entries, but it will also come as no surprise that the most likely targets are the ones for which all of his leading chances have been most heavily-backed in recent days (ie Wichita Lineman - William Hill Trophy, Can't Buy Time - National Hunt Chase, Don't Push It - Pertemps Hurdle).

Remember that scale? O'Neill is a '3' on Wichita Lineman. That's worth bearing in mind. He has "doubts over the Sandown form" of Can't Buy Time, he's "personally not convinced" that Don't Push It wants three miles. Wichita Lineman, on the other hand, "is in good old form and he'll run a good race". Steady on, old boy.

Back to the Supreme Novices'. "I think the boys have summed it up - I've nothing really to add" smiles Jonjo. That's more like it.

As I write this, it's just started to snow outside. In March. Yes, the Cheltenham Festival must be coming.