'He's working well - it was always the plan to go straight to the Gold Cup'

After achieving things at last year's meeting that no trainer had done before, the bar has been set ridiculously high for Henry de Bromhead as he goes in pursuit of further Cheltenham Festival riches next month.

On a week when it felt as though nearly everything went right for the masterful trainer, the highlight of a sensational six festival winners last year was clearly his unprecedented Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup hat-trick.

Having also plundered the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, Triumph Hurdle and Mares' Novices' Hurdle, it would surely be unrealistic to expect such a phenomenal return to the meeting this time around.