Colin Tizzard runs the rule over his Cheltenham Festival team

Cyrus Darius
Randox Health County Hurdle

He's been disappointing since he joined us, but he's had ulcers, so there are excuses. He's entered this weekend and if the ground's safe enough he'll have a run to see where we are. He's got very good form and is a very good horse. We'll have a go at the spring festivals just in case we get him right again.

Elixir De Nutz

Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle

He's won his last three and we took him to Wincanton last week, when he was absolutely brilliant. We could have another away day, but may just trust ourselves as he looked hard fit. His form stands up to anyone else's in the race and he goes well from the front. We took him, Native River, Kilbricken Storm and Master Debonair to Wincanton for a gallop and it was a job to hold on to Elixir De Nutz, he went five lengths clear and is a strong front-runner. We're not going to stop him; we'll go straight from the front. I don't know if we've got a jockey yet. Harry Cobden has ridden him but I'm sure he'll be riding for Paul Nicholls.

Fox Norton
Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase/Ryanair Chase

He's slipping under the radar a bit and I thought he ran a lovely race at Ascot the other day. He jumped a bit flat, but sometimes he has a bit of back trouble, which we've treated. He'll likely go for the Ryanair, but we'll leave him in the Champion Chase as it all hinges on Altior. We've got options, and he very nearly won the Champion Chase two years ago so we'll keep the door open. He wasn't beaten far by Waiting Patiently last time and that form is good. I think he's more of a two-and-a-half miler, but the Champion Chase will be equivalent and you'll need stamina. Ground-wise, I think he's better on softer.

Kilbricken Storm
Sun Racing Stayers' Hurdle

He’s a bit of a forgotten horse but was very good against Elixir De Nutz, Master Debonair and Native River in a gallop at Wincanton. For a three-miler he was right up besides them and was brilliant. He was the one you'd take out of it as he nearly beat them over two miles. He was good afterwards, he came out of that as fresh as a button and he’s in lovely form. We went novice chasing and he was all right first time but then ran no sort of race at Newbury. Since we've had him back he's been straightforward. We couldn’t get a festival prep into him, but he's had two runs this season and a racecourse gallop. If they're not fit now, coming into March, having been in since July, then we're in trouble. I thought he won the Albert Bartlett quite easily last year, and it was not just a one off, he did back it up at Punchestown. If Harry Cobden is available he can ride him.

Lostintranslation: could be a Gold Cup contender next seasonCredit: Mark Cranham

Lostintranslation
JLT Novices' Chase

He's one of the favourites and I keep looking at him thinking I should have had him in the RSA, but he's been so good over two and a half miles. He was second to Defi Du Seuil in the Scilly Isles last time, which is lovely form. He's got form around Cheltenham and I'm sure they'll go a pace and he can jump off handy. He's a big strong horse and whatever he does this season hopefully we can have him as a Gold Cup horse next year – I think that's what he is. He's more stamina than speed, which is what Defi Du Seuil had on us. That won't happen at Cheltenham because there'll be other horses in the race and the pace will be stronger, so hopefully our stamina will kick in.

Master Debonair
Weatherbys Champion Bumper

He's been second and won a bumper at Cheltenham this season and we've purposely held him back for a spring campaign. His dam Swincombe Flame was third to Quevega in the Mares' Hurdle one year, so he's well bred, and was very good in our gallop at Wincanton. It's early to know what ground he wants, but he's won on autumn ground and is quite fast. He's got the form in the bag and hopefully next year we'll aim for the Supreme – that's what we think of him. He's good.

Mister Malarkey
National Hunt Chase/RSA Novices' Chase

He's been a revelation over fences and is up to 148, so he's good enough to run in the RSA. Robbie Power thought he was flat out in the Reynoldstown at Ascot, but the times were fast and I thought it was good ground there; hopefully it will be softer at Cheltenham. He's jumped very well and is a thorough stayer. The owners would be leaning towards the RSA as at the festival all the big Irish amateur jockeys will almost certainly be riding for Ireland, and they're like professional amateurs, while in England the amateurs are amateurs. We thought Native River was slow so we had a go in the four-miler, but he won a Gold Cup, so I don't think it's an easier race than the RSA; some horses who run in the National Hunt Chase will be damn good three-milers the following season.

Molineaux
Ultima Handicap Chase/Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase

I couldn't believe he was beaten on Friday and he probably won't get in at Cheltenham, so he's in at Newbury on Saturday and it won't hurt him to have another race – he's that type. The idea is to win at Newbury and get a penalty for Cheltenham. It's our Olympics and if he's fit and well there's no point leaving him in his stable.

Russian Hawk
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

He was beaten at Ascot the other day, but I think he's a fantastic horse for chasing next season. He's done nothing wrong and I'd run him in the Albert Bartlett, but the owners are quite keen on the EBF Final at Sandown the weekend before. Ground conditions will determine what we do as he wants a stamina test. If it's testing he can go to Sandown, but he might have a better chance of a place on better ground in the Albert Bartlett. I think he's an out-and-out stayer, and he's improving. We ran Native River in the Albert Bartlett and I told Brendan Powell, who was riding, not to pull him up, to keep going. He finished ninth of the ten finishers and it didn't do him any harm. We won the race last year so would like to try again.

Slate House
Racing Post Arkle/Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase

He's a bit big and might end up an Aintree horse. He had most of the summer stood in his stable after a knee injury and is getting going now, but it hangs on them and takes forever to get back to where they were. Horses start coming out [like Le Richebourg] and things can appeal, but I think he'll run at Newbury on Saturday and we'll see where we are.

The Russian Doyen
Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase

He's probably not quite up to open class, but he's won two chases this season and is a beautiful horse. He's as big and strong as I've ever seen him. He's growing and on the improve.

Ultragold
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase

We've had a brainwave and might run him in the Cross Country; it seemed quite a good Grand National prep for Tiger Roll last year. We've run him at Cheltenham the last few years and it's been a good prep for Aintree, so we thought we'd run again, and we'll school him over the Cross Country fences before. I think he has a better chance of winning that than the Ultima and then we'll go for the National. I think it's a good prep, although I shouldn't really call Cheltenham a prep!

Vision Des Flos
Unibet Champion Hurdle/Coral Cup

He's been a lovely horse and if he hadn't unseated Tom Scudamore in his first novice chase at Ffos Las I'm sure he'd be chasing now, but he was only five then, so we decided to run him in all the big hurdles and see where we are. In the National Spirit at Fontwell on Sunday he found his easiest race and travelled supremely well. I'm sure the Champion will be run at a frantic pace and we wouldn't be afraid of running him, but there are four or five at least higher rated and he's 12-1 for the Coral Cup. It's something we don't need to decide today, but we've always aimed at the clouds.

West Approach (right): finished second to Paisley Park twice this seasonCredit: Mark Cranham

West Approach
Sun Racing Stayers' Hurdle

He's decent and has been second to Paisley Park the last twice. He frightened himself over fences – he'd jump too high and lose ground. There was a thought he doesn't like a crowd, but I don't really agree with that. We'll aim to sit on Paisley Park's tail at Cheltenham and when he goes, we'll go. We've been in front of him and he's come and done us, so if we get the chance it would be lovely to sit and come later. He's got plenty of pace for a three-miler and if we could cover him up for a bit we'd have a chance.

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