Robbie Power, Sean Bowen and Love Island's Chris Hughes join the panel

Where do you stand on Apple’s Jade and her Cheltenham target?

Sean Bowen, jockey I think she’d have a great chance if she was allowed to run in the Champion Hurdle, but if she didn’t turn up in that she’d definitely win the Mares’ race.

Ciaran Gethings, jockey I was hoping that Apple’s Jade would go for the Champion Hurdle after her impressive performance on Saturday. She might as well take her chance. She’s an exceptionally good mare and if anything is going to beat Buveur D’Air it may be her.

Charles Hitchings, Sporting Index trader I understand the temptation to go for the race you have the most chance in, as a Cheltenham winner is what every owner wants. There’s always a point, however, when the bigger prize is worth going for as your chance of winning it increases, and after Saturday it would seem remiss not to go for the Champion Hurdle.

Chris Hughes, Coral ambassador In professional sport you should want to be the best you can be, and beat the best you can beat, so Apple’s Jade has to run in the Champion Hurdle. If she wins the Mares’ Hurdle all the focus would simply be on whether she’d have won the Champion and she wouldn’t get the credit she deserves, so it’s got to be the Champion Hurdle.

Robbie Power, jockey I think she should go for the Mares’ Hurdle. There is no point in having a Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham if you cannot encourage the best mares around to take each other on. I think Apple’s Jade v Laurina would be something to really look forward to in the Mares’ this year.

Is Buveur D'Air still firmly the one to beat in the Champion Hurdle?

Buveur D'Air: the dual champion is still the one to beat next monthCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Sean Bowen Yes, definitely. He is obviously the one to beat as he looks just as good as ever this season. Laurina will probably be the main danger.

Ciaran Gethings He’s a two-time Champion Hurdle winner and I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves. He fluffed his lines at Kempton but that was just one of those things and he was beaten by a good horse. He still deserves to be favourite and is the one to beat.

Charles Hitchings He is the one to beat. He has been there and done it twice and will have been trained to peak in March. On Saturday he got the job done and couldn’t have been expected to have done any more on ground that was hard work. However, it could be a stronger race than last year based on Gordon Elliott’s comments.

Chris Hughes I think Buveur D'Air will start favourite for the Champion Hurdle even if Apple’s Jade lines up, and as a dual Champion Hurdle winner, is clearly the horse to beat. Let’s hope Apple’s Jade runs and it will be a race to savour. I wouldn’t be able to pick between them.

Robbie Power Yes. He is a dual champion and until he loses his crown he is still the one to beat – especially since Apple’s Jade and Laurina will be taking each other on in the Mares’ race.

Would Min be better off in the Champion Chase or Ryanair Chase?

Sean Bowen I don’t think Min can beat Altior so Min’s best chance at the festival looks to be in the Ryanair.

Ciaran Gethings You go to Cheltenham to get winners. Altior looks pretty much unbeatable, and if Min is going to win a race at the festival it will be the Ryanair.

Charles Hitchings Strictly you would say he has the best chance of winning the Ryanair yet the Ryanair field could have more strength in depth than the Champion Chase and the trip could be a slight doubt if it is soft, so he would be more likely to run his race in the Champion. You should never be afraid of one horse, and I’d lean towards the two-mile race.

Min (left): might have a better chance in the Ryanair rather than take on Altior again in the Champion ChaseCredit: Patrick McCann

Chris Hughes I think if I owned Min I’d go for the Ryanair rather than the Champion Chase. This is different to the Apple’s Jade debate as Min has tried and failed to beat Altior on two occasions at the festival and he would have a great chance in the Ryanair.

Robbie Power Realistically he is better off in the Ryanair as Altior looks bulletproof in the Champion Chase.

Is Le Richebourg now your idea of the Racing Post Arkle winner?

Sean Bowen He looked impressive on Saturday and for me it’ll be between him and Lalor in the Arkle, but there’s nothing that stands out massively this season for the race.

Ciaran Gethings He was impressive in the way he travelled through the race on Saturday. The British have a strong hand with Lalor, Kalashnikov and Dynamite Dollars, but he’s the best of the Irish.

Le Richebourg: is now a serious Arkle contenderCredit: Caroline Norris

Charles Hitchings He has shown enough to suggest he is one of the most likely winners. Whether his current price offers any value is open to debate. He has still to prove that Cheltenham will suit. The Arkle is a competitive race and will certainly be great to watch. At the current prices, I quite like the look of Cilaos Emery.

Chris Hughes The Arkle looks a wide-open race and Le Richebourg is a leading contender, but the horse I really like is Willie Mullins’ Cilaos Emery, who looked the real deal winning on his chase debut at Gowran Park last month. He was a high-class novice hurdler but may be an even better chaser.

Robbie Power His form is very good but my main concern would be if the ground turned up soft in the Arkle. If that were the case, he would be vulnerable. Right now he ticks a lot of boxes.

What did you make of the Scilly Isles Chase won by Defi Du Seuil?

Sean Bowen Defi Du Seuil quickened up nicely, but it would be no surprise if the result was turned round at Cheltenham as Lostintranslation will stay on strongly up the hill.

Ciaran Gethings It was great to see Defi Du Seuil back to his best and it was also a good run from the second. I’d imagine they’ll both go for the JLT Novices’ Chase and I’d say one of the two would be the likely winner.

Charles Hitchings He has done enough to be favourite for the JLT. I’m sure it will be another close battle between him and Lostintranslation next month. The way La Bague Au Roi jumped and then battled hard yesterday must bring her into the picture for that race, if connections do decide to go to Cheltenham. Although it seems they might wait for Aintree.

Defi Du Seuil (left) got his revenge on Lostintranslation at Sandown on SaturdayCredit: Mark Cranham

Chris Hughes It was a very classy performance by Defi Du Seuil; he was given a very cool ride by Barry [Geraghty] and the race panned out perfectly for him. The various form lines linking him, Lostintranslation and La Bague Au Roi look out of the top drawer and all three are serious horses to follow for the future.

Robbie Power It was a good performance by Defi Du Seuil, but I was very impressed by my own horse, Lostintranslation. I thought he ran a very well on ground he wouldn’t like. Back at Cheltenham, it will be another good battle between him and Defi in the JLT and I would be hopeful my lad will come out on top.

Easy one to finish with – who wins the Betfair Hurdle on Saturday?

Sean Bowen Getaway Trump obviously looks to have a great chance and will have been trained for this race so he’s the one I’d want to be on, but it’s always wide open.

Ciaran Gethings Al Dancer went up 12lb for winning last time, but he looks a proper Graded horse and looks a likely winner. Dan Skelton’s Ch’tibello would have a right chance at a nice price as well.

Charles Hitchings Al Dancer has everything going for him having fulfilled the promise of his Aintree bumper run in the hurdling sphere. However, he seems to be priced accordingly. At bigger odds I would take a chance on Mont Des Avaloirs. He was heavily backed last time but was perhaps too keen. A return to hold-up tactics and what is sure to be a decent pace could be the key.

Getaway Trump (left): looks a fascinating contender for the Betfair HurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker

Chris Hughes No doubt in my mind, I really fancy Getaway Trump. I’ve been following his progress closely this season, and he just looks like a bit of a machine. I think he’ll win.

Robbie Power Didtheyleaveuoutto. He’s a nice novice and still unexposed. JP McManus has a good record in the race and won it with a similar type in My Tent Or Yours, so he would be the one for me. I like what I saw from him at Ascot earlier in the season when he beat Thomas Darby.

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