CHELTENHAM COUNTDOWN: Robbie Power gives his Prestbury Park views

Power also says:

The Cheltenham Festival is the be all and end all

Galopin Des Champs can be beaten in the Gold Cup

Gerri Colombe is the Irish banker of the Festival in the Brown Advisory

Nicky Henderson will be the most successful English trainer but Ireland will still dominate

Robbie also tackles the big issues in racing, including why he is “sick” of new whip rules, the new dress code at Cheltenham, what makes the Festival so special for jockeys, trainers and owners and also gives his picks for the big races next week.

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There is a good number of horses coming over from Meath trainers Gordon Elliott, Gavin Cromwell, John McConnell and Noel Meade - who could impress for your home county?

There’s a group of really good trainers in Meath who are all about 20 minutes from my front door. Tony Martin, who lives across the road from me, has got a few going over in the handicaps and he will be one to keep an eye on.

Gordon Elliott will have a massive team, I think Gavin Cromwell will have a select team going over of about seven or eight and all of his have decent chances.

John McConnell has a great team going over. Mahler Mission of his has a great chance at Cheltenham.

Constitution Hill needs to win the Champion Hurdle to be mentioned in the same breath as Istabraq

I think Constitution Hill will win but I don’t think it will be as convincing as everyone thinks it will be. I think State Man will give him a race but Constitution Hill just looks that bit special. He has been so impressive on his two starts this season, really good in the Supreme Novices last year but he has got to go and do it on the big stage.

He hasn’t won a Champion Hurdle yet, Istabraq was the best that I have seen so far. Constitution Hill is going in that direction but he has got to go and prove it, then we can maybe start mentioning him in the same sentence as Istabraq.

I would love to ride Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle because I think even after being off the track for 11 months, I’d still be fit enough to win on him.

Cheltenham really is the be all and end all of festivals

It’s everything. It’s a combination of the track, which is a great test of a horse with loads of undulations and hills, pace and stamina too.

The hype and build-up starts in October time where if you ride a winner at the meeting at the course then, you’ll get a quote for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or whatever race. It's a bit ridiculous but every owner wants a runner and winner at Cheltenham, every jockey wants a winner at Cheltenham and every trainer wants to train a winner at Cheltenham.

It’s the be all and end all. The hype that goes with it brings racing to the front pages of the newspapers.

I am pretty sick of the new whip rules - we need to focus on the Festival

I don’t think we will see a disqualification of a winner but we could see a placed horse get disqualified.

The whip rules have been dragging on for a long time now. I am pretty sick of it, I’ve made my point pretty clear that I think it is the wrong time to bring it in.

We really now should be focusing on the Festival and the brilliant horses, trainers and jockeys that are riding it.

The Gold Cup is a cracking race this year and there could be a shock

When you think about a horse who won a Gold Cup by 15 lengths as A Plus Tard did last season, he’s had one bad run since and there were reasons for it, you might be taking a bit of a guess. But it’ll be a good race. If he comes back to that form, it’ll be a cracking renewal.

I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if there is a shock in the Gold Cup this year. The likes of Noble Yeats or Protektorat could spring shocks.

Cheltenham was a pretty straightforward in routine

It was pretty straightforward actually because you are always so busy for the two or three weeks leading up to Cheltenham with riding work, sitting on the horses, so your mind never really had a lot of time to think.

You’d usually race in Ireland on the Sunday at Naas and then go straight to the airport, fly to Cheltenham, settle into your house and then you’d be up early riding out on the Monday morning.

Sometimes I would find those Monday’s would drag on a bit because you’d finish riding out at 11am and it was a long time till bedtime so you needed something to do to focus your mind.

But once Monday was done, you would go to the course on Tuesday morning to exercise the horses then come back, have a quick shower and then you were back at the racetrack.

You were always on your toes, no time to doddle around. One that first race jumped off on Tuesday, it was great to get going.

You could wear a clown suit and the Cheltenham festival will still sell itself

I think that’s the way that life is going in general. There always used to be a time where you wouldn’t dare turn up to Cheltenham if you weren’t wearing a suit or some sort of tweed outfit.

But, I think Cheltenham sells itself anyway, you could put everybody in a clown suit and they would still turn up to Cheltenham. It’s a brilliant four days, it catapults our sport into the front pages. It doesn’t matter what they do dress wise, it’ll sell itself.

The Irish dominance in the Prestbury Cup is reliant on the form of the Willie Mullins yard

I think the Irish will have plenty of winners but how many they get depends on the form of Willie Mullins’ yard because he has a lot of the favourites in a lot of the races. If his horse for some reason isn't in top form then it could be interesting.

Nicky Henderson looks set to be the top English trainer at the Festival this year

I think Nicky Henderson has a great team with Jonbon, Constitution Hill, Shishkin and Luccia in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle. He’s got a really strong team this year, as well as lots of backups in other races so I think he could be the leading English trainer this year.

Rachael Blackmore was champion jockey last year - can she bring up the double this year?

It’s going to be tough. I think over the last couple of years, everything has fallen into place for Rachael. She’s going to have a good book of rides for Henry and outside rides as well.

Paul Townend will be very hard to beat for champion jockey, would I be betting against him for that? Probably not. We’ve all seen it at Cheltenham before, it’s a unique festival and you never know what can happen.

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Robbie Power runs through the big races at the Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Gold Cup

Galopin Des Champs can most definitely be beaten. It’s a good renewal this year. If A Plus Tard comes back to the form he showed last year then he will be very tough to beat, Bravemansgame has question marks if he is good around Cheltenham but I think he is, he ran well in the Novice Hurdle two years ago, but we’ll find out about him.

I think Minella Indo, who has won and finished second in the last two Gold Cups, is way overpriced. I cant see him finishing outside of the first three, Noble Yeats will finish as strong as anything.

Galopin Des Champs was very impressive at the Dublin Racing Festival. Three and a quarter miles up that hill in Cheltenham, could stamina catch him out? I don’t know, but it looks like he will stay well. It isn't straightforward, there are plenty of dangers in there, A Plus Tard being one.

Ryanair Chase

Shishkin is obviously the one to beat in the Ryanair, if the Ascot Shishkin arrives here then he will take some beating. I was really impressed, I know some doubters were not but it was a very good performance and going up in trip has brought about some big improvement.

If I was involved with Shishkin then I’d have been very keen to go for the Gold Cup with him. His pedigree is all about stamina and I’d have been keen to have a crack there with him.

I wouldn't rule out Envoi Allen and each way money in the race for French Dynamite too, who has good course form.

The Supreme

Facile Vega is probably the one to beat but would I go and back him? Probably not. Paul Townened got a lot of criticism last time for going too fast and battling with High Definition in the race, he cut out too quickly for my liking and I’d liked to have seen him finish the race better than he did and I wouldn’t be backing him.

Diverge each way looks a promising horse for Willie Mullins. He was very impressive winning his maiden. Willie is running four or five in this race so that tells you he isn’t too convinced in Facile Vega either, so Diverge could be a nice spare ride for somebody.

The Arkle

Barring any accidents then it looks like it is going to be between the top two - El Fabiolo and Jonbon. It’ll be strongly run with Dysart Dynamo in there and if the ground goes softer then he will come into play, but I can’t see that happening.

I would have a preference for El Fabiolo over Jonbon. I don’t think Jonbon ran well at the Festival last year and there’s not a lot between them over hurdles. I just think El Fabiolo is a horse who is improving and he was impressive at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The Mares’ Hurdle

Honeysuckle has been an unbelievable mare for her owners, she doesn’t owe anybody anything. They want to give her one last swansong and this is the ideal race to do it in. She has won it before and she has a good chance to win it again.

Echoes In Rain could be a big danger to her. Maries Rock, if she goes here as well, will be a danger too.

Based on Honeysuckle’s form, if State Man comes out and shakes up Constitution Hill half an hour earlier, then her price will drop dramatically.

Brown Advisory

I think Gerri Colombe is one of the Irish bankers of the week. I think stepping up to three miles will bring more improvement, the ground should be ideal for him so I’m very sweet on Gerri Colombe.

I think the big danger could be from Sir Gerhard. Stepping up in trip to three miles could improve his jumping, he is a very classy horse. I just think Gerri Colombe could be a horse en route to a Gold Cup in 12 months time.

The Champion Chase

We learned a lot in January at Cheltenham with Editeur Du Gite beating Edwardstone and Energumene and it’ll be between those three again. Every time I look at the race, I change my mind on the winner.

I think the ground will have a bearing, if it goes soft then it will play into the hands of Energumene, who won on very soft ground in the Champion Chase last year. If the ground is quicker then it will help Edwardstone and Editeur Du Gite more, so the ground will be crucial.

At the moment, I have a slight preference for Edwardstone but that’ll probably change tomorrow.

The Turners

I don’t think he is banker material, though I am a big fan of Mighty Potter. He’s been very good this season, he is a different horse jumping fences than he was at jumping hurdles and he wasn’t bad at jumping hurdles either.

He’s got two massive dangers in Banbridge and Appreciate It, who is stepping up in trip. That'll really suit him, he is a nine-year-old but Willie Mullins won this race with a 12-year-old before. Appreciate It is a big danger.

Stayers’ Hurdle

It is a very, very good renewal of the Stayers this year. I just think Blazing Khal, he could be unexposed and the form of who he has beaten, I think it falls way below the likes of Flooring Porter, Teahupoo, Klassical Dream and Home By The Lee - their form is much stronger.

We are backing Blazing Khal on hope more than anything else on how good we think he is and he will have to be that good to beat his rivals. I think stepping up to three miles for Teahupoo will be good for him. His run at Gowran Park he couldn’t have won any easier. He isn’t ground dependent so he is definitely going to get a strong test of stamina in this.

Triumph Hurdle

I don’t think Lossiemouth has anything to prove. She was unlucky at the Dublin Racing Festival where she hit traffic problems, shuffled back in the field and had to come around. The best horse in the race on the day finished second.

I have done a couple of Cheltenham preview nights and the vibes coming from Willie Mullins’ yard is that Blood Destiny will take all the beating. He was very impressive when winning his maiden, he looks like a very nice horse.

It’ll be tough to see where [jockey] Paul Townend goes because he has some really tough decisions to make. Do you get off the Grade 1 winner in Lossiemouth to ride Blood Destiny or do you go with the Grade 1 form? Personally, I think he might step off Lossiemouth and ride Blood Destiny with what is coming out of Closutton.