No Gaelic Warrior in the Champion Chase – is it becoming a penalty kick for Jonbon?

Matt Brocklebank: It’s looking that way! There seems to have been plenty of people keen to take Jonbon on ahead of his return to the Festival, but all winter I’ve been struggling to find a legitimate candidate to actually take him on with. Il Est Francais has been left in the race but he’s presumed to be on course for the Ryanair, so the dangers are Solness and Marine Nationale. I can see the latter reversing that Leopardstown form but they’re some way short of the favourite so it’s unlikely I’ll be having a bet.

John Ingles: Some ‘penalty kicks’ have been missed a few times in this race in the past – El Fabiolo just last year, for example – and I’m not sure Gaelic Warrior was looking Jonbon’s biggest threat in any case. Solness and Marine Nationale are still in there, and as the latter was my each-way Festival pick for the panel early in the year, there’s no reason to abandon him now after his good run behind Solness in the Dublin Chase.

Ben Linfoot: Maybe, yes. I must admit, I wouldn’t have fancied Gaelic Warrior on what looks likely to be good to soft ground anyway and with conditions going the way they are things don’t look to be in favour of Jonbon’s opposition. I wonder if Gaelic Warrior’s absence might lead to Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm giving stronger consideration to this race for Il Est Francais? It looks an easier race than the Ryanair in many respects and the Champion Chase would be seriously enhanced by his presence. At the moment, though, it looks Jonbon’s to lose.

Is there anything putting you off The New Lion – Ballyburn double in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase?

Matt Brocklebank: Ballyburn is becoming very hard to oppose in what looks a pretty miserable Brown Advisory – certainly from a British perspective anyway! But I wonder if we could get The New Lion and Final Demand beaten with a relative outsider in the Turners. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Potters Charm reminded everyone why connections were raving about him at the start of the year, while Willie Mullins could be sitting on a real dark horse in Kappa Jy Pyke, who is very well bred and jumped nicely when winning his maiden at Punchestown in January. I think I need to come back to this one after the final decs…

John Ingles: Ballyburn looks hard to beat in his race but the poor record of Challow winners at the Festival would put me off The New Lion keeping his side of the bargain. He might be one of the Challow’s better winners, but the form behind him at Newbury was nothing special, with one of the outsiders chasing him home and the other one still in front jumping the last. The Yellow Clay has strong claims and The New Lion’s task will certainly be tougher if Final Demand takes his chance too.

Ben Linfoot: The final declarations will be key in the Turners and again, considering the conditions, you do have to wonder if Final Demand will skip the race and go for the Albert Bartlett over three miles? Either way, The New Lion can have two many gears for whoever the opposition is. He looks the real deal. Plenty of punters will feel that way about Ballyburn, as well, but I don’t think he’s been as impressive over fences this season as he was over hurdles last year and I wonder if he needs proper soft ground to be at his best? With that in mind I won’t be having the double and I’ll probably take Ballyburn on.

Gordon Elliott dominated the Cross Country when it was changed to a conditions race – does the race being switched back to a handicap change things?

Matt Brocklebank The alteration to the conditions should change the race a great deal. However, when you see the thriving eight-year-old Stumptown at the top of the weights it’s fairly obvious that proven class could come to the fore all over again. Elliott’s Galvin, runner-up to Delta Work in this event two seasons ago and fourth in last year’s Grand National, isn’t badly handicapped at all running off a mark of 154, but I could see the French horse Iceo Madrik going well here despite being 8lb out of the weights. He’s the youngest runner in the field and has plenty of back-class, while the fact he didn’t get very far here earlier in the campaign means he’s flying a little under the radar.

John Ingles: He’s got a leading contender again in Galvin who was a fine second in it two years ago and is potentially well treated back in a handicap on a mark off 154, a pound lower than for last year’s Grand National. That means he’s getting weight from likely favourite Stumptown but after an absence since his run in the States in the autumn, this might be more of a prep run for Aintree again. Gavin Cromwell clearly has a leading chance with Stumptown but he’s been hit hard for his course-and-distance win in December and stablemate Vanillier looks more interesting further down the weights after his recent win at Punchestown.

Ben Linfoot: Well he’s got seven of the 24 entries so possibly not! The conditions of the Cross Country 2016-2024 clearly suited Elliott’s Grand National hopefuls and they outclassed their opposition off level weights, so yes, in theory, the handicap system should give the others a chance. That’s not to say Elliott won’t win the race for a sixth time with Galvin looking his most obvious contender this year. Gavin Cromwell looks his biggest rival with Stumptown and Vanillier giving him a very strong hand, as well, while Mister Coffey will bid to break his chasing duck at the 16th attempt.

Can we have a horse on the radar for the other Wednesday handicaps please?

Matt Brocklebank I have a rapidly-swelling ‘shortlist’ in the Coral Cup which now also includes Harry Fry’s Beat The Bat who might just sprout wings (apologies…) over this two miles and five-furlong trip. The one I’d be most keen on is Touch Me Not in the Grand Annual but he was left in the Arkle too so we wait until Sunday to see if he’s declared for the G1 on day one. There is still some 10/1 (NRNB) Touch Me Not for the Grand Annual, though, and he’ll surely be single figures on the day, especially if Majborough and/or L’Eau Du Sud have franked his form in the Arkle which looks highly likely.

John Ingles: Elliott’s novice Touch Me Not would be interesting in the Grand Annual if connections don’t fancy taking on Majborough again in the Arkle the day before. They met in the Irish Arkle last time, and while Touch Me Not was no match for the winner, he ran his best race yet in defeat having been runner-up to another leading Arkle contender L’Eau du Sud at Sandown on his previous start. A really sound jumper despite his lack of experience, and who likes to go from the front, he has the right sort of qualities to run a big race switched to handicap company.

Ben Linfoot: Sticking with Elliott for a moment his Kala Conti will be of interest in the Coral Cup if that’s where she ends up. She’s won her only handicap, has good graded form to her name and is massively unexposed at intermediate trips. Problem is, she’s entered in everything so we’ll see where she goes. In the same race, Ballyadam. I can’t remember the last Cheltenham Festival I didn’t back him! He won’t mind the likely conditions and with no Langer Dan in his way, perhaps this could finally be his year. He’s 10 now, but he has Festival form coming out of his ears and if the price is right I can see myself being lured in once again.

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