Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices Hurdle The way it's looking, it doesn't seem to be the hottest of races and I'm going to go with the favourite Amaretto Rose. It's going to be hard to beat her. I thought if Catch Me ran he would have a good chance while Wins Now has done nothing wrong nd is an each-way bet.

Irish Independent Arkle Chase I think if My Way De Solzen runs, the race is going to be set up for him. Lennon and Fair Along are going to play into his hands by going a good gallop and I'll take a chance on him.

Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle I'm going to have to side with my fellow Hardy Eustace although I honestly think there's nothing but a mistake or a bad jump between himself, Brave Inca and Detroit City. Hardy Eustace is in fantastic form and I haven't ridden him better this year than any other.

Seasons Holidays Champion Chase I think Alan King is going to have a great week. His horses are flying at the moment and Voy Po r Ustedes has to have a great chance, having won the Arkle Chase last year.

Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle It looks to be a weak renewal of the race and for me it has to be Aran Concerto. I can't find a hole in him and couldn't pass him here.

Royal & SunAlliance Novices Chase Denman is the banker of the meeting for many people because he's a complete superstar but it is a very weak race. Cailin Alainn has done nothing wrong but I don't think she has a chance.

Ladbroke World Hurdle JCB Triumph Hurdle Totesport Gold Cup I can't have Black Jack Ketchum on that ground. I'm going to go with Blazing Bailey because he's won around Cheltenham, has beaten Inglis Drever there and is tough.

It's hard to look further than Lounaos. She's done nothing wrong and her run in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle was great. She's going to get the 7lb mares allowance and, with the experience she gained in the AIG at that speed, I don't think she's going to be beaten.

It was a bit of a kick in the teeth when War Of Attrition was ruled out of the race because I was looking forward to getting into a battle with Kauto Star going down to the third last. I don't think there's anything good enough to do that and, for me, he's the best horse in it.

EOIN GRIFFIN Eoin Griffin, who trains at Slieverue in Co Waterford, has care of the ante-post favourite for the JCB Triumph Hurdle in his wife Martina's "lly Lounaos and he is hoping that she can break his duck at the Festival.

I think the Irish horses have just been beating each other all along and I fancy the chances of Amaretto Rose. I think the 7lb mares allowance she will have will be a big help to her.

Don't Push It is the one I like.

I know he jumped big the last day but as the race went on he jumped better and he'll do for me.

It all depends on the ground.

I would love to see Hardy Eustace winning it again but with the way the ground is going I'd be leaning towards Brave Inca.

Well Chief would nearly be my nap of the meeting. He was impressive on his reappearance and I just don't think the ground will suit Newmill; it will just take the edge off him.

I'll go for Aran Concerto. He's impressed me an awful lot and I think he's a serious horse. He's probably the Irish banker of the meeting but the only thing is that he hasn't had to come off the bridle yet and we'll just have to see what happens if he gets into a battle.

I don't know what there is to beat Denman but I'll go with Cailin Alainn, even though I would have liked to see her stand up the last day.

It's very hard to fancy Black Jack Ketchum the way he ran last time and I'll go with Blazing Bailey who has valuable experience around Cheltenham.

I'll have to go with my own mare Lounaos, but her biggest danger is Katchit, closely followed by Duty who has come out of the pack in recent weeks. They'd be the horses I'd fear most.

I think the race is wide open this year but I'll go with L'Ami to win. He represents good each-way value.

PHILIP FENTON Trainer Philip Fenton, a former champion amateur in both England and Ireland, won the 1996 NH Chase on Loving Around. He is now training a few miles outside Carrick-On-Suir and Vic Venturi, Shirley Casper and Woodbine Willie will be his first runners at the Festival.

We have great talent in this country at the moment and a very good record in this race.

Michael O'Brien is a trainer who pulls no punches and De Valira looks the obvious one.

He's been good all year, apart from the blip on his copy book the last day, and should handle the ground.

Fair Along likes a bit of nice ground but has won on soft and is a very good jumper.

He jumps for fun, will probably make the running and looks pretty decent.

It should be some race and I expect it to be dominated by Irish horses. Brave Inca and Hardy Eustace should battle it out up the hill and Detroit City will be thereabouts as well. I'll stick with Brave Inca because he has a great man on board.

With the ground likely to be riding soft to heavy, I won't look beyond Nickname. He's done nothing wrong this season and has been a credit to his trainer Martin Brassil.

I had hoped to have a runner in this race with Arrive Sir Clive, but unfortunately he pulled a muscle behind when working on the Curragh on Wednesday.

Aran Concerto, who won the Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown, looks the one here.

Denman has been good all the way through, while Cailin Alainn is another one who should give a good account of herself, but I think it's going to be a Snowy Morning for Willie Mullins.

I fancy the chances of Blazing Bailey. There were no flaws in him the last day.

He likes Cheltenham, has valuable experience around there and is a good horse in that sense.

This race is a lottery but Eoin Giffin has a good mare in Lounaos and she has the obvious form. Kevin O'Brien's horse Duty has an each-way chance and he jumps well.

There has been so much talk about Kauto Star but he's the one they all have to beat. He's jumped around all those good tracks like Sandown, Haydock and Newbury and I see no reason why he should fall at Cheltenham.

EOIN RYAN Eoin Ryan is Betfair's Irish Communications Manager. He regularly attends race meetings both in Ireland and the UK and reports on the activity on Betfair. Betfair is the world's largest betting exchange and works by allowing customers to bet directly against each other.

I don't like the favourite, Amaretto Rose, and Granit Jack is my idea of the winner.

This horse had stomach ulcers last year and now that he's over that he is rapidly improving. Ruby Walsh is likely to ride him and he's attractively priced at around 12-1.

Fair Along is a really lovely sort, jumps like a cat and races enthusiastically. He's pretty small and wouldn't want the ground to get too soft but as long as it's not a bog I think he'll win. David Pipe's Buena Vista appeals as a lively type at a bigger price of 12-1.

I think this race could mark the start of a new era in the hurdling ranks. Both Brave Inca and Hardy Eustace will struggle to contain Detroit City. All the form experts and clock watchers rate him as the best in the race by some way. I'd look to Sublimity at 94 for a bigger price.

A wonderful race. Well Chief, back to his brilliant best on his first start for almost two years, is my idea of the winner. He's 7-4 but I think he's a class apart from the rest, including our own Newmill, who won the race last year. Justi"ed, at 33-1, appeals as a longshot.

Noel Meade has made no secret of how highly he regards Aran Concerto and apart from a blip on his hurdling debut, he has looked really impressive in all his starts over obstacles.

He's a big horse and is bred to get a trip, so the 2M 5F here should be ideal.

The race revolves around Denman and although he'll be a short price -5-4 - I think he'll win. Cailin Alainn is our main hope but I don't think she's good enough, and she took a nasty fall at Cheltenham in January. Dom D'orgeval looks likely to run well at a nice price of 10-1.

A fascinating betting heat. I simply cannot have Black Jack Ketchum after his run in The Cleeve Hurdle and rate him as the 'lay' of the meeting. Blazing Bailey, who beat Black Jack last time out, looks like the value at around 8-1. At bigger prices, Kasbah Bliss appeals.

Lounaos should be backed to keep up the remarkable form of her trainer Eoin Grif"n. On her good run in the AIG Champion Hurdle, and getting the weight allowances in this race, she's potentially well clear of her nearest rivals.

Kauto Star comes into the race with the best form. But with doubts over his jumping and the fact that he's never run over this trip before, there are better value alternatives. State of Play is a horse that has gone under the radar but make no mistake, he's very talented.