Tuesday rides: Lifeboat Mona has solid chance

It's a competitive and very good race, and Ballyandy will need to be firmly on his A-game to win. All the signs are encouraging, though, that he will be at his very best. He will deal with the ground, possesses valuable big-field experience around Cheltenham, having landed the Weatherbys Champion Bumper last year, and he gave me a totally different feel when winning the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month than he had when narrowly beaten by Messire Des Obeaux at Sandown on his previous start. A strongly run race will suit him and I'm really looking forward to kicking off the week on him.

He has shown he deals with the big occasion and has impressed with his jumping since switching to fences this season. As a novice, the six-year-old potentially has more improvement in the locker than some of his more exposed rivals and is only 7lb higher in the weights than when winning at the meeting last March. It's a fiercely competitive handicap with race regulars such as Un Temps Pour Tout and Holywell in opposition, but Ibis Du Rheu is going the right way and ought to give a good account.

He brings solid form into the race and I think the key to his chance of getting plenty of prize-money is his jumping. If he can jump fluently off the strong pace I'm confident he'll hit the line running at the end of the two miles. There may be other horses in the race with a bit more tactical speed than him at this stage of his career, but you know The New One is 100 per cent certain to give his all. He's a legend. I respect the claims of Yanworth, who beat him in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton over Christmas. Both horses will be better suited by Cheltenham, and I would also expect Buveur D'Air to go close. His Supreme form from last March is strong.

She's a very tough mare and one of the best in Britain. However, Ireland appears to have a particularly strong hand in this event again with Apple's Jade, Limini and Vroum Vroum Mag. That trio all boast Grade 1 form, whereas Lifeboat Mona has principally been tackling Listed events.