Gordon Elliott Cheltenham Festival Stable Tour: Runners & Leading Chances

Brighterdaysahead - Champion Hurdle contender

You'd look to be going there with probably her having a better preparation around Cheltenham. You're always thinking of something different. It's obvious that she's been to Cheltenham in the past and hasn't won, and last year it was very bad.

I think the first year, the mare didn't do anything wrong. I think Jack [Kennedy] and Paul [Townend] were looking at each other and that good mare called Golden Ace came and nabbed both of them. I think last year she wasn't right, after Punchestown we discovered something and we rectified it. I would put a line through last year, I think she was beaten after a hurdle looking at it myself. I think we do things different this year. We might stay a bit outside Cheltenham somewhere different and just try and do something different this year. If you don't try and tweak and change things, you shouldn't be training horses. That's my job. I have to try and do something different every day. So that's my task.

It is an open Champion Hurdle, there are two or three horses at the top of the betting that could win it. Look, she's in very good form. I couldn't be happier with her. But it's a good race, you know. The Skelton horse would be very good. Obviously Golden Ace keeps going underneath the radar. And I suppose all eyes will be on Constitution Hill to see see whether he goes back over hurdles; if he runs in the race it will make for an even better race.

I'd be shocked if she didn't go chasing [next season]. Michael [O'Leary] buys all them horses to go chasing and I imagine that's the road she'd go. To be honest, she wasn't even supposed to stay hurdling this year and she pulled the muscle. She was entered to run at Down Royal, and I actually ran Romeo Coolio instead, and then she pulled the muscle and we just missed time and we decided we'd keep her hurdling.

I think she's a very good mare, everyone can see that. I think she hasn't done very much wrong. She's an unassuming mare, she's not fancy at home but she keeps doing her work. We're looking forward to Cheltenham. It's a [Unibet] Champion Hurdle, it won't be easy.

Teahupoo - Stayers' Hurdle

I just thought, getting a bit older, more than any of us, he's holding his condition a little bit better. So I thought another run [as opposed to previous campaigns] when the ground was safe wasn't a bad idea. But he's in great form now. He doesn't do anything fancy at home, so you never really know where you are with him, but he's a warrior, and he's got form around Cheltenham, and we're really looking forward to it.

Nicky's horse [Impose Toi] was impressive in Ascot; he was the horse to take out of the race, he hit the line strong. And the other horse [Ma Shantou] that won the Cleeve the other day.......I suppose on ratings he still has a bit to find, it was a funny race, but you have to respect him, because Emma [Lavelle] and Barry [Fenton] obviously know how to prepare a horse for that race and he's going the right way.

Teahupoo probably sets the standard for me. Honesty Policy is the young going coming behind him but they're two nice horses but Teahupoo has the form in the book and I wouldn't swap him. I suppose if you go back through the years, the [Paddy Power] Stayers' Hurdle horses probably never really get the credit they deserve, but I wouldn't mind having a few more like them.

Ballyfad - Novice hurdle prospect

I haven't spoken to Michael and Eddie [O'Leary] about where he goes yet. My own feeling is, I think the further he goes, the better he's going to be. He's not a fancy workhorse at home and if you look at him in his races, he nearly looks turning in like he's going to be better, but he's very, very good, so he's picking up. Again, that could suit a [Sky Bet] Supreme as well, but he's both options [Turners Novices' Hurdle]. We're still a month out though and you know a lot could happen between now and then, so... if it was tomorrow, my feeling would be the middle distance race would be better, but I suppose we'll have to watch the ground and see what way, you know... if it keeps raining, God knows what the ground's going to be on the first day of Cheltenham. I know we keep saying it's a month away, but it has to stop raining, hasn't it? So we'll just wait and see.

El Cairos - Supreme Novices' Hurdle candidate

He's a very fast horse. He works very, very well. He looked like he was going to be very impressive in Leopardstown and I thought, well, he's going to Thurles on a track that wouldn't suit him, ground that was nearly unraceable. But I was very keen to get a run into him and we were running out of time. We kind of got to the races and the races were bad, but then you look at Punchestown and Navan and it was going to be equally as bad and he's not a big, robust horse. He's not the biggest horse in the world. So I didn't want to be running him sort of three, four weeks out from Cheltenham. I wanted to get a run into him. I think he's a very quick horse. I think the race [Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle] will suit him. So yeah, we're looking forward to it.

Favori De Champdou - Cross Country Chase

He'll go cross-country and then English National. He'd lost his way a little bit but he came back and obviously won the Paddy Power and then won the [Glenfarclas] cross-country race. I thought he really took to it [the cross-country course] the first day when he fell at the water; he actually overjumped it. But he was schooling very well at home. I was really impressed with his performance the last day. I think the fact we've got a Stumptown in it is a bonus for us because it's going to probably keep us 7 lb or 8 lb off the top, you know what I mean? So it's only a bonus if he runs. I'm sure he does. He's the one we're looking forward to.

Honesty Policy - Stayers' Hurdle contender

I think the track will suit him. He's a classy horse. He improved all through last year in a short time. You'd have to be impressed with him. I was very impressed with what he did in Ascot. I was keen to run him in Navan at the weekend, but the ground was just so heavy, I didn't want to pull the legs out he's because he's not the biggest, most robust horse. Every week you get a week closer so we'll get a racecourse gallop into him but he'll go straight to Cheltenham.

Mange Tout - Triumph Hurdle contender

She hasn't done much wrong. She raced pretty keenly in Leopardstown the last day, but I was very impressed at Willie's horse [Narciso Has]. I don't know what's going to beat him now, you know. Look, we have the Fred Winter and we have the Mares' Novices' Hurdle and we have Fairyhouse as well so there's no plan in concrete yet with her, we'll just wait and see what happens.

Oldschool Outlaw - Mares' Novices' Hurdle contender

I was impressed with her the last time. She's a good attitude so she has. I love the way she's picked up from the last to the line. She's one I'm really looking forward to for the [Ryanair] Mares' Novices' Hurdle. She's obviously beaten Bambino [Fever]. Obviously, Willie's will have come on but our one would have come on as well. I think she's improving at home the whole time.

Romeo Coolio - Arkle or Brown Advisory decision

We're going to keep everything up in the air at the moment. You know, obviously, we have the Arkle and we've got the Brown Advisory. I don't think three miles would be a problem at all, it's just whether it's the right thing to do at this stage of his career or not; I'm not sure. The owners are from the UK and they'd be very keen to have runners in Cheltenham. If the middle distance race was there we wouldn't be having this conversation, it may be good for racing that it's not there, but it will make either race better, but I suppose for Romeo, it's not ideal.

I'm a big believer in your first call is kind of always nearly the best. I think he's won two Grade 1s over two miles up because there's guts in his heart. He's been going as quick as he can, three or four out in every race, but he just showed how good of a horse he is. But listen, the Arkle is going to be a hot race. If Kopek [Des Bordes] comes back... and you know obviously Nicky's horse [Lulamba] was good the other day and everything else runs in the race; a lot of good horses will go back in the Arkle and end up being very good going forward and it wouldn't shock me if that was him but he's in good form he's going there in good form and I suppose the one thing is, if he was within firing distance swinging off the home turn you know he's going to come home strong, it's just whether he gets out of his comfort zone coming down the hill or not would be my concern.

Skylight Hustle - Likely Turners candidate

He'll go to the two and a half [Turners]. He obviously was a fortunate winner at Christmas. I think Talk The Talk probably was going to beat him. Jack wasn't sure, but for me looking at it, I thought he was gone and going to get that two lengths, but our horse did hit the line very well. I think two and a half would really suit him. You could drop in, ride a race, and he's had the class to travel in a two-mile race. I think he'd travel very well in a two-mile race.

Western Fold - Brown Advisory dark horse

I was thrilled [with his run at the DRF]. To be honest, he's only back with us three and a half, four weeks before he ran in the Grade 1. I think he'd like a bit better ground. I think he could be a dark horse in the Brown Advisory. He's so much experience and he stays so well. He's had 11 runs over fences, it's mad for a novice. I think he's really crying out for the longer trip and the longer he'd go, the better, you know. He's good form but even if you go to Down Royal and look at his run in open company, that was a serious run; behind Envoi Allen, Affordale Fury, you know, it was a very good run.

Wodhooh - Mares' Hurdle contender

She's in great form. She rode out there this morning. She'll go straight to the [Close Brothers] Mares' Hurdle. She's not fancy at home, she wouldn't knock you down with her work but she keeps winning. She's only got beat once by Lossiemouth but she's a good mare. She keeps winning, but she doesn't get the credit she probably deserves. We don't know how good she is, but she's only been beaten once by Lossiemouth at Aintree on her first run in open company. We wouldn't be confident [of overturning the form], we would be hopeful and confident. Lossiemouth is a superstar and I'd say obviously the longer trip would really suit Lossiemouth but our mare is going there in good form and we're looking forward to it.

Gold Cup contenders

Stellar Story will run if the ground is in the softer side. If it's not, he won't. Firefox had a great race in the Irish Gold Cup; he finished fourth at a massive price. He could be a horse that could run into a place. It is 50-50, if I were to run Three Card Brag; he could maybe go for the Bobbyjo and then onto the English National. Probably leaning more towards the Bobbyjo at the moment.

I'd say it's going to be a big field. It could suit a horse dropping in a bit because there's going to be an awful lot of pace with the Rebecca Curtis horse [Haiti Couleurs] and that going to run. It'll be a great race, won't it? We have a few outsiders, but we'd be hoping for a good run more than confident.

Martin Pipe candidates and The Wallpark

I don't know if I'm as strong as I normally am [for the Martin Pipe]. It's getting harder and harder to qualify these horses for us. You know what I mean? You need five runs. It's not easy for us to do it. We have a couple at the back of our head, but we'll just watch this space.

The Wallpark could maybe run in the National Hunt chase, which is the best race I would say. To be honest, we're not even sure he's going to go, we'll see what happens.

More from Sporting Life

• Free bets
• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.