Rich Ricci admits Faugheen has "something to prove" at Leopardstown - the leading owner gave an update of some of his star horses.
Faugheen - BHP Insurance Champion Hurdle (4/5)
"He is fine. At the moment it looks like all systems go for next weekend. He has got some questions to answer, that is for sure. I don't know what happened at Christmas. He just wasn't himself and Willie's horses were a bit in and out. We are just hoping it was down to a cold and off day.
"He seems to be back and well in himself, but he has got something to prove. Hopefully he comes out and runs really well next weekend and then it is all systems go to Cheltenham.
"At Christmas I expected him to run well and win. I take some comfort from the fact that Willie's horses were a bit in and out and some of mine ran horribly.
"You wouldn't have been wanting to hide under a rock in Willie's yard in the last three weeks as he has turned everything over to try to find out (if there) was there something more than a patch of illness.
"Nothing has come to light, which is good news. We have set such high expectations of Willie and his horses - he has not had a patch like that and maybe it was just his time."
"Even for a bald fella like me it, it's just a tingling mad experience."
Rich Ricci has been talking all things Cheltenham with Mike Vince and you can hear his full interview via this link.
Douvan - Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (7/2, NRNB)
"With Douvan it was just the oddest thing. We are still not quite sure what happened. He was intermittently lame is the best way I would describe it. We don't know if it was related to a former injury, but the vets told us he was out for the season.
"We sent him away and he turned a corner and he was back completely healthy. We started to do some bits with him, a lot of walking, now he is back in training.
"Everything has to go right and we've been here before with him. I'm hopeful he will make the Festival, but everything has to go right. At the moment, it is all systems go.
"He was in such good form before the Tingle Creek, we kept him busy walking, and he didn't lose too much fitness. We won't run him unless he is there to run a big race.
"I'd say it is 50-50 at the moment. It will be straight there or nothing.
"He will have two or three critical bits to do before the Festival, probably away at one of the racecourses in Ireland. It won't be a big racecourse gallop and of course there is always the Leopardstown jumping thing they do two weeks before (Cheltenham).
"It (Douvan) was gut wrenching last year (in the Champion Chase) as no one saw it coming. In retrospect he wasn't himself all year, but he was still good enough to do what he did on a racecourse. It was just disheartening. The way the week was going, it was just one thing after another.
"I had a similar feeling with Faugheen at Christmas time as the week was going so wrong. It's been a tough run and no one is going to feel sorry for us as we have had a lot of success. You have got take the rough with the smooth.
"We've had a very unsatisfactory season and hopefully we can turn it around, starting next weekend."