Trainer form: who is hot and who is not at Cheltenham so far?

Racing Post betting editor Keith Melrose puts the first two days of Cheltenham under the microscope to spot those having a quietly good week, and those whose dinner on Wednesday may not taste of much . . .

Good week

Venetia Williams

Starting with the most obvious, Venetia Williams has carried her excellent season-long form into the festival. L'Homme Presse galloped through the slop to win the Brown Advisory and Funambule Sivola excelled himself to finish second in the Champion Chase.

Williams has not had a disappointment yet this week, unless you count Brave Seasca's early fall in the Arkle. Her other two runners have been Frero Banbou, who did well to get involved from off the pace when third in the Grand Annual, and Christopher Wood, who finished sixth at 40-1 in the Coral Cup.

L'Homme Presse is Williams' Gold Cup horse for tomorrow, but today's is Royale Pagaille and no other horse will draw more attention now that the rain has fallen. He is already single figures in a place for Friday's race and may shorten further.

Williams has five others declared through the week, all of them outsiders. But you would not be surprised to see the likes of Fanion D'Estruval or Green Book outrun their odds.

Tom Lacey

Does Tom Lacey have the best 2m hurdler in Britain? Is a question I did not expect to be asked at the start of the week. But David Carr, my interrogator, has always had a knack for these things. Glory And Fortune was fifth in the Champion Hurdle and ran as well as Epatante on the figures, so it is not a completely spurious question.

Lacey's only other runner, Tea Clipper, finished a more-than-creditable fourth in the Ultima. If he could have chosen the time of the rain to come, he would surely have gone for Wednesday as he has one more runner to come this week, purported mudlark Adrimel in the Plate on Thursday.

Adrimel: can't have it soft enough for in-form trainer Tom LaceyCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Colin Tizzard

This is just a quiet thumbs-up, but plenty of Tizzard's runners have at least threatened this week. There have been a few at monster prices that have never got involved, but War Lord hit the frame in the Arkle, Oscar Elite was third in the Ultima and Amarillo Sky got most each-way punters a return in the Grand Annual. Elixir De Nutz in the same race also shaped better than his pulled-up effort suggests.

Tizzard's main hope for the rest of the week appears to be Eldorado Allen in the Ryanair, but do not totally disregard Elegant Escape in the Kim Muir with conditions as they are now.

Bad week

Paul Nicholls

Perhaps unfair, as Nicholls felt moved to pull out some of his main hopes after the rain arrived on Wednesday. But a worrying number of those who have faced the starter have struggled to see their race out. Frodon, Stage Star, Threeunderthrufive and Il Ridoto all went to very little once pressure was applied.

The only exception has been fast-finishing Fred Winter third Bell Ex One, and Nicholls will be hoping his fortunes for the rest of the week follow hers. Simply The Betts and Saint Calvados have already been pulled out on Thursday on account of the ground, so Nicholls may be relying on Bob And Co in the Hunters' Chase for a Cheltenham win this year.

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