'Coming into this season she was almost our most exciting horse - if I can get her right for the day she’ll be a lively outsider'

Here is a selection of the best quotes from our Cheltenham stable tour series. Racing Post+ Ultimate subscribers can access the full series, plus our range of news and tipping in the build-up to the festival.

Not a Racing Post+ Ultimate subscriber? Use offer code ULTIMATE306M to get 40 per cent off for your first six months. 

Subscribe to Racing Post+ Ultimate and get 40% off your first six months!

Available to new subscribers purchasing Racing Post+ Ultimate using code ULTIMATE306M through the Racing Post website. First six payments will be charged at £30, subscription renews at full monthly price thereafter. To cancel please contact us at least seven days before subscription is due to renew.

Nicky Henderson

Lucky Place
Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle, 8-1

A horse you have to love. He's very straightforward and has done nothing but improve. He was earmarked to go novice chasing, but through lack of opportunities I couldn't find anywhere to launch him – among our big team of novice chasers queuing up for places at the start of the season – so we switched him back to hurdles and he won two races.

At Ascot over just shy of two and a half miles he was very good, and when we moved him up a little bit in trip for the Relkeel he was good again and very tough. He was looking like a stayer, but we resisted the temptation to find out because we'd have had to give him a hard race on Trials day, and luckily the horse he beat in the Relkeel [Gowel Road] went and won the Cleeve.

Lucky Place: heading for the Stayers' HurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker

So we know pretty much where we are in the British pecking order, and although we're unproven over three miles, we have to take that on trust, and maybe take the view he could even improve for the extra distance.

He's in great form, and is one of those who could go away for a racecourse gallop at Kempton on the Tuesday a fortnight before the festival, which would do him the world of good. Yes, you'll have the likes of Teahupoo and Home By The Lee against you at Cheltenham, but we'll go there in a positive frame of mind.

Gordon Elliott

American Mike
Grand Annual Handicap Chase, 16-1

I have a feeling the Grand Annual will be right up his street. He has been running on quite well over two miles on his last two runs at Fairyhouse and the pace they go in the Grand Annual will mean stamina has to come into play at the business end. We've purposely kept him fresh for the festival and he ran well in the bumper there a few years ago. 

Ben Pauling

Diva Luna
Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, 33-1

Coming into this season she was almost our most exciting horse having not really been extended to win Listed and Grade 2 mares’ bumpers. It hasn’t really worked this season, however. We had a nasty bug early in the season and then she got touched off at Lingfield. She won as I hoped she would at Cheltenham and the form is working out okay, although it wasn’t the deepest race in the world. She got bogged down in terrible ground at Sandown, so it’s not been plain-sailing. She seems in very good form now and I think it’s the first time she’s starting to look like the horse she was last season. She could very easily be overlooked in the market as she’s beaten a lot of the British horses in bumpers. She’s not a brilliant jumper or professional in every way, but if I can get her right for the day she’ll be a lively outsider.

Barry Connell

William Munny
Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, 14-1

He'll be on the boat over after his win at Punchestown. He'd been doing everything wrong given he's been too keen and making mistakes. But he's still been running to figures that suggest he'll be there or thereabouts in a Supreme. He has so much natural ability, and Punchestown was his last bit of work before the Supreme.

Nigel Twiston-Davies

Quote from Willy Twiston-Davies

Broadway Boy
Ultima Handicap Chase, 12-1

It's all systems go for the Ultima, and he worked brilliantly last Tuesday. He's had a quiet time since his disappointing run on New Year's Day and he's had his knees medicated since. He could be a forgotten horse in that race.

Broadway Boy: could be the forgotten horse in the Ultima Handicap ChaseCredit: John Grossick

Olly Murphy

Pierrot Jaguen
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, 50-1

His Lingfield win is working out okay with the third having won since, and he’ll have another run in a novice hurdle first. He’ll be kept in the Albert Bartlett and if he was to run well under a penalty we'd definitely consider it as he stays well.

Fergal O’Brien

Sixmilebridge
Turners Novices’ Hurdle, 16-1

You'd hope he's got a big chance in the Turners after a good performance on Trials day. I'd be lying if we thought we could beat Potters Charm last time, but he did it very well.

Sixmilebridge: to contest the Turners following his Trials day winCredit: john grossick

John McConnell

Moon D'Orange
Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase, 14-1
TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase, 16-1

He's in good shape since his win at Cheltenham last month and the plan is to go for the novice handicap chase. He showed a good attitude to win despite the mistake at the last and we've found the way to ride him, which is a big thing. We're hopeful he can run a big race.

Paul Nolan

Feet Of A Dancer
Pertemps Final, 14-1

She's a smart mare. She was just too fresh and keen at Leopardstown but hopefully we can get rid of that fizziness for Cheltenham. If she settles better, I've no doubt she'll stay. She has some decent form in the book. 

Read more Cheltenham stable tours:

Nicky Henderson: ‘I haven’t had a bet at Cheltenham in 30 years - but one is 7-4, the other 16-1, and they aren’t that far apart’ 

Henry de Bromhead: 'He looked different gravy last time and the form has worked out well' 

'She's Triumph material and I think she's top-class' - Willie Mullins' horse-by-horse guide to his Cheltenham Festival team 

Dan Skelton: 'He's the most exciting horse we've had at this stage of his career - and he's in great shape' 

Paul Nicholls: 'She deserves to be prominent in the betting - this has been her number one target' 

'He's got a similar profile and ability to The Jukebox Man and could easily outrun his 66-1 odds' 

British round-up: 'We've deliberately kept him over hurdles this season because I think he's on a very good mark for this handicap chase' 

Irish round-up: 'He's the best Irish challenger in the race - and he's in great nick at home' 

Gordon Elliott: 'I think the race is made for him - I've been thinking that all season and all he wants is something to aim at' 

Subscribe to Racing Post+ Ultimate and get 40% off your first six months!

Available to new subscribers purchasing Racing Post+ Ultimate using code ULTIMATE306M through the Racing Post website. First six payments will be charged at £30, subscription renews at full monthly price thereafter. To cancel please contact us at least seven days before subscription is due to renew.