How is your team taking shape this year?

I'm very happy with the preparation and it's all gone as we'd wished. They're a bit behind in their coats compared to previous years but you only have to look at the daffodils to see they're behind too, so is the grass! The horses are working well though.

Your headline act this year is Tell Massini, how pleased have you been with him since we last saw him on a racecourse?

Absolutely thrilled and he's improving all the time. When he came to me at the start of the season his work was OK without being exceptional, now it's exceptional. He's showing all the right signs and we're just trying to keep him in one piece until the big day.

How important will his previous course experience be?

He's won on his only two visits to Cheltenham and loves the course although he is very straightforward and would go anywhere. He doesn't have to make the running either and I hope something else does go on at a good gallop and we can just sit in behind and take the lead.

There isn't much rain forecast at the moment - what ground do you want for Tell Massini?

My only worry is if it got fast, he wouldn't run anywhere on fast ground. He's a proper staying chaser in the making and we won't be taking any risks with him. It has to be proper good, good to soft ground with them getting their toe in which I'm sure it will be. If it gets softer than that I won't be worried.

How excited are you by Tell Massini?

I don't know if I ought to put some mark on him but you couldn't dream of anything more at this stage.

Olofi has a couple of engagements at the Festival. Are you any closer towards deciding where to go with him?

It's a difficult one but we are more than likely to go for the Triumph. He's a horse who is improving at a rate of knots too, his homework has improved and physically he's grown. He never ran on the Flat so he was at a big diasadvantage over the first-half of the season but now he'll be improving a great deal more than those who ran on the level. I think we'll probably go for the Triumph but I can't be any stronger at this stage.

Tartak is another with two entries - where is he heading?

We are more than likely to go for the Grand Annual. He was fifth in the Arkle here last year and has had a very unlucky season this term. He slipped when looking like winning the Peterborough Chase and then we ran him in the King George and he didn't get home. He went to Doncaster for the valuable handicap chase up there and we rode him wrong. He needs to be in the first two or three but was a bit keen early on and was right out of the back at Doncaster. We won't let that happen again, he needs to be in the firing line, and must have a great chance at Cheltenham.

What else are you looking forward to running next week?

I have some nice horses in the handicaps and am really looking forward to the week. Let's just hope something goes in for us.