Djakadam in top order for Gold Cup mission

Bapaume has been very consistent all season and has come to the Festival in good form and with a good chance of being there or thereabouts at the finish.

Dandy Mag won an ordinary maiden very easily at Gowran Park on his hurdling debut. We're taking a bit of a punt by running him as today's race will be a huge step up but we thought it was worth letting him take his chance to see how he measures up.

He's a horse with plenty of class but he faces a huge task off top weight having been off the track since finishing second to Faugheen in last year's Irish Champion Hurdle. But he has good form at the festival having been second in this race in 2014 and second in the Champion Hurdle a year later.

Renneti goes in the same race and a lot is going to depend on how he behaves at the start. He is a bit of an enigma and has a tendency to be slowly away. If he jumps off without giving away a lot of ground he has the ability to run a big race and he's got each-way possibilities, if you're prepared to take that chance.

Ruby rides her in the and I think she has the best chance of the four we run in the race. She was upsides Death Duty, the favourite for today's race, when she fell at the last in a Grade 1 at Naas in January. It's hard to know what would have happened but if she jumps better I think she'll have a great chance, with her mares allowance obviously a help.

Penhill is a horse with a touch of class and one whom we think will appreciate the three mile trip. The step up in distance should help him get into a nice jumping rhythm and the watering and/or rain will help.

C'est Jersey has plenty of ability but has been let down by his jumping although he did jump a bit better when winning a 2m4f maiden at Navan on his most recent start. I think that going left-handed will suit him and I certainly wouldn't be ruling him out of calculations.

Turcagua, who completes our quartet, was disappointing at Clonmel last time when he was pulled up over today's trip. He's a lot better than he ran that day and while he will obviously need to improve on that recent effort, we're hoping he will, with a hood on for the first time.

It would be fantastic if this could prove to be Djakadam's year and he does seem in really good form. We decided to give the Irish Gold Cup a miss and today's race will be his first since he ran a close third in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting.

He has had a far better preparation for today's race compared with last year and while some rain wouldn't go amiss, I don't see the ground being a big issue as the watering they've done should help.

Both of them are running in their first handicap and I think they have genuine chances of finishing in the money. They ran in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper last year when Battleford was beaten only a nose and Castello Sforza finished fourth. Although Castello Sforza is a maiden over hurdles, I think he could be on the premises and the same applies to Battleford who we think is improving all the time.