ONE minute Gaelic Warrior is favourite for the Gold Cup, then it’s Jango Baie and it will probably be The Jukebox Man in a couple of hours. It’s that kind of race.

I was planning to tip Galopin Des Champs before he was ruled out of the race on Friday night. I had felt he was in better form than he had been on either of his two starts in Leopardstown this season.

Watching the King George at Christmas, Gaelic Warrior was the one I took out of the race for the Gold Cup. I think a stiffer test of stamina would have suited him.

It’s going to be a cracking contest. There’s a couple of guaranteed stayers, like Haiti Couleurs, who you’d image will be wanting to test the stamina of The Jukebox Man, Jango Baie, Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior. And as for Inothewayurthinkin, I know all the vibes are very positive but, using your own eyes, it’s really hard to make a case for him. He was brilliant here last year, but on his three starts this year you couldn’t really fancy him.

I think it’ll be a brilliant race to watch and, at the moment, I’d be siding with Gaelic Warrior if he runs here but I’d want a bigger price.

Ryanair “no brainer”

I’ve said this a couple of times at this stage but it’s a no-brainer to back both Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior for the Ryanair Chase with the ‘non-runner, no bet’ concession. One or the other is going to run here and by the time the market is reformed whichever one is running will be odds-on.

Lossiemouth options

I’m hoping Lossiemouth goes for the Mares’ Hurdle rather than the Champion Hurdle. They go one mile an hour slower in the longer race – which sounds like nothing to most people – but in horse racing that can make a huge difference.

Lossiemouth travels much better when she’s only asked to go 30mph. I see that Paul Nicholls has supplemented Tutti Quanti for the Champion Hurdle. He’s probably going to set a strong pace and you have to go with him. To me, Lossiemouth has struggled when asked to keep up with a strong pace being set over two miles by the likes of Burdett Road at Kempton or Brighterdaysahead at Leopardstown.

There’s talk of putting cheekpieces on Lossiemouth to help her travel more sweetly but, in my opinion, cheekpieces are for horses who are lacking concentration and maybe not giving you everything they have. She has never struck me as that type of animal.

What wins the Champion Hurdle? The one I keep coming back to is The New Lion. Yes, he can take the odd chance but ultimately I’d say he’s the best horse in the race. He’s an improver. Golden Ace is a good mare but I think The New Lion might just be too good for her. The ground could be drying out a bit too much for Brighterdaysahead.

Kopek my banker

If I had to pick one bet for the week it would be Kopek Des Bordes in the Arkle.

It should be a cracking contest as Irish Panther could take on Kargese in front and add a lot of pace to the race.

But I’m a huge Kopek fan. You could say I have been converted because, watching him jump hurdles last season, I wasn’t sure that fences would be for him.

I thought he was fine when he won at Navan and then he picked up an injury. He schooled much better at Punchestown recently and then he was very good in another schooling session at Fairyhouse last week.

Obviously you’d love if he had more experience but he has a huge engine. And when I look at the opposition, I don’t think any of the others would win the Champion Hurdle, whereas I think he actually could.

I think both Lulamba and Romeo Coolio are very good horses but I think both will ultimately be better over further distances next season. At this trip I think Kopek Des Bordes will just have too much pace and be too good for them.

Novice fancies

I had fancied Mighty Park to beat No Drama This End in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle but Mighty Park was taken out of this race this week. With his inexperience - he’s only run in one point-to-point and one maiden hurdle – I thought the Turners was the easier option for him.

He’s always shown plenty but he is at a disadvantage with horses who have five or six runs. I’d say inexperienced horses have a better record in the Turners than they do in the Supreme.

No Drama This End is a gorgeous horse with a big future. He has been impressive all season, winning the Challow Hurdle in a canter. And Jack Kennedy is convinced Skylight Hustle would have beaten Talk The Talk when that one fell at the last hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.

I also think King Rasko Grey can get himself in the mix here.

I’d be sticking my hand up for Kaid d’Authie in the Brown Advisory. The penny is starting to drop with him.

He blew out here completely in the Turners last year – he jumped terrible – but I think he’s improved with every run over fences.

From finishing second to Kitzbuhel to winning at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day, to winning at the DRF, he has kept improving and I really like him.

Final Demand was brilliant at Navan but I didn’t think he was spectacular at Christmas.

When you saw the two horses coming down the hill behind him, I kind of thought they shouldn’t really be in the picture, but they were.

Then he blew out at the DRF behind Kaid d’Authie.

I think this is probably a deeper Brown Advisory than we’ve had for a while. The Big Westerner is a good mare. Cheltenham will suit Wendigo – Kempton was too sharp for him.

Western Fold had a lovely comeback run at the DRF, Koktail Divin likes to gallop and jump, and Oscars Brother stays all day.

This race was a Mullins-Elliott fest last year but this year there’s a bit more opposition in there against them.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: It’s setting up to be a very competitive race. I don’t have a strong opinion on it other than it’s not a race to get stuck into the favourite because there’s lots of horses you can make a case for.

Champion Chase: It’s disappointing that we won’t have Marine Nationale. Now it looks a bit like it’s Majborough’s to lose but favourites have a funny record in this race of late. Cheekpieces turned Majborough inside out at Leopardstown and he got into a wonderful rhythm. If he does that again he will be impossible to beat.

Festival Bumper: I don’t have a massively strong opinion. I’d probably pick Love Sign d’Aunou but Keep Him Company is the best value bet. He was very good at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Mares Novices’ Hurdle: I think Bambino Fever will win but her price is too short. Oldschool Outlaw improved a hell of a lot from her first run to her second and she is the best value.

Stayers’ HurdleOn drying ground I’d be with Honesty Policy. He ran a cracker on his seasonal debut in the Long Walk Hurdle and he is still open to a huge amount of improvement.

Teahupoo looked better than ever at Leopardstown over Christmas but he was vulnerable on better ground at Cheltenham last year when Bob Olinger beat him and that could happen again.

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle: A tricky contest. I’m a bit iffy on Doctor Steinberg because I’m not sure how deep the race he won at Leopardstown was. Espresso Milan will love the trip, as will Doctor Du Mesnil who seems to be in better form now than when he was beaten last time out. One I like at a huge price here is Road Exile. He impressed me at Christmas and he wasn’t suited at all by having to make the running in a three-runner Moscow Flyer Hurdle.

He never looked like he was concentrating. If he was to step in here I wouldn’t mind a piece of 33/1.

Ruby Walsh was speaking at a media event hosted by Racing TV, the only channel broadcasting all 28 races live from the Cheltenham Festival, with coverage starting at 10am daily. Head to racingtv.com/join to enjoy unrivalled coverage.