Ferdy Murphy: Form and experience will be vital so go with Mullins’s charge

I’ve been with Sir Des Champs all the way and I’m sticking with him, though I do have slight doubts that the ground will be a bit lively for him if the rain does not come to soften things up a bit.

He might just struggle to go the pace early on and that could unsettle him.

That said, Willie has had a brilliant week – his horses have been on fire. It is a shame Davy Russell, my former stable jockey who rode a brilliant race to take the RSA on Lord Windermere on Wednesday, will miss the race through injury.

Form and experience is vital at Cheltenham and Sir Des Champs has both. He’s won at the last two Festivals and his jumping was foot perfect in the Jewson last year, though there is a big difference between that and a Gold Cup. He’s only been beaten twice in his life and you can excuse both defeats.

I think the one to beat is Long Run. Hurricane Fly regained the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday for Willie – and there’s no reason why Nicky Henderson’s horses can’t do the same.

I think the cheekpieces will help Sam Waley-Cohen who is having a great week – he’s become a father and Rajdhani Express won the finale on Tuesday. He will not be short of confidence while I hope Cape Tribulation runs into a place for Yorkshire.

Our Conor should take the JCB Triumph Hurdle for Dessie Hughes and Bryan Cooper, who is a future champion jockey.

A very good horse, he beat Flaxen Flare by 25 lengths at Leopardstown last time out – and this horse was good enough to take the Fred Winter on Wednesday.

I’d back Cotton Mill in the Vincent O’Brien.

He had an entry in the Champion Hurdle, but John Ferguson wants a Festival winner and they think this race offers them a much better chance. I think they are right.

AP McCoy and JP McManus are desperate for a winner and At Fishers Cross should deliver in the Albert Bartlett.

My worry is the ground, but they’ll go a strong gallop and he’ll stay the trip. The form is solid; he beat The New One in January who won the Neptune the other day.

I saddle Galant Nuit in the Foxhunters and he has an each-way chance.

He’s come back to form point-to-pointing and he’s won at Cheltenham before.

Salsify will be hard to beat. If the rain comes, Chapoturgeon is the one.

David Pipe has kept Gevrey Chambertin back for the race named after his father Martin – and I wouldn’t rule out any of the Nicky Henderson winners in the finale which is named after his father.

This race matters as much to him as the Gold Cup.

Ferdy’s horses to follow...

1.30 Our Conor

2.05 Cotton Mill

2.40 At Fishers Cross

3.20 Sir Des Champs

4.00 Galant Nuit (each-way)

4.40 Gevrey Chambertin

5.15 Any Nicky Henderson-trained runner