Q: Are you looking at the strongest team you’ve ever taken to Cheltenham?

JO’B: I don’t think so. I think we have some nice horses to go to war with for the spring festivals but I think we’ve taken stronger teams, and certainly bigger teams, before.

There’s a bit of time to go between now and Cheltenham and we’re really excited to go there with some nice prospects and we’re looking forward to the week.

Q: Are you where you want to be with them all?

JO’B: Absolutely, the horses have run well all season. We’re very pleased with where we are at this stage of the year. The spring festivals are very important and that’s what it’s all about so hopefully we can have a good second part of the season as well.

Q: Top of the list - Home By The Lee?

JO’B: Home By The Lee has a big chance in the Stayers’ Hurdle. Obviously, it’s a very competitive race now with a couple of horses springing into the market that were potentially going elsewhere up until recent weeks. He’s done nothing wrong all season.

Stamina is really his forte and he’s shown that this season. He ran quite well in the race last year (finishing sixth), he wasn’t beaten far, and obviously looks an improved horse this year.

Q: Was that always the hope that he would improve, or has it been a pleasant surprise?

JO’B: You always hope for more, but I suppose when he won at Navan that was a surprise and it looks as though he’s taken a step forward and kind of proved that when he came back at Christmas time.

When we won at Navan we didn’t expect to beat Bob Olinger over two-and-a-half and that probably showed he was a better horse than the year before.

He proved that here at Christmas time and we think he’s a horse that likes to be fresh so the plan was to go straight to Cheltenham.

Q: What do you put that improvement down to?

JO’B: I think he’s just a year older and he won chasing and was a decent novice chaser but lost his way. He came back over hurdles and we were in no man’s land a little bit and kind of feeling our way. He’s taken his form to the next level this season.

I think he has a good chance as any but there have been some impressive horses in that division in the last few weeks, or last month. It’s certainly looking a hot race but he’s in there with a good a chance as any at the moment.

Q: We won’t be seeing Banbridge over two miles again?

JO’B: It looks as though he’ll go up in trip. He ran very well over two miles at Leopardstown (in the Goffs Irish Arkle). He finished strongly and really looked as though he was crying out for a bit further. He’s a course winner over hurdles and fences and we know he can perform there which is a big help.

Q: Any other contenders?

JO’B: We have a couple of juveniles. Comfort Zone is in there for the Triumph, he’ll have a couple of entries, but he looks a smart horse as well.

High Definition unseated his rider at Leopardstown last time out but he has come out of the race well and we’re potentially looking at going straight to the Supreme with him from here.

Q: Do you enjoy Cheltenham?

JO’B: Brendan (Powell) is a big part of the team as everyone knows and I suppose we’ve been doing this for a few years now and it’s exciting to go to Cheltenham with a big team, with Brendan part of the team.

We have a great team of people at home as well and obviously with any big yard it’s all about the people there behind you and with you and I’m very lucky to have a team of people who, in my opinion, stand up there with everyone in the world.

This article is taken from The Irish Field Cheltenham Magazine 2023, produced in partnership with Goffs.

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