Paul Ryan likes Zarito. Says there has been money for Cousin Vinny. Apparently, Noel Meade prefers his runner Corski Royals? in this to Harchibald’s chances. Mick rides Gold Award (done nothing wrong – arrgh). Mick thinks English challenge is weak. Tom Segal thinks the Irish will win and has a word for Ed O’Grady’s Cockleshay Bay? Kingy likes Apt Approach and says it’ll be an Irish 1,2,3. Also says Nina Carberry likes Cottage Oak.

Alan King says Group Captain doesn’t set the gallops alight but has improved a lot. He will like the big field and he is very happy with this progressive horse. Wants good ground. Mick Fitz has riden work on Aigle D’Or and said ‘Wow’ afterwards. Thinks he’ll stay and that he is a very good horse. He says he feels like he’s had a ‘kick in the balls’ when he heard AP was back :-). Paul Ryan likes Forpadydeplasterer although is a bit cautious about all Irish novices. Mentions Venalmar and says some money for it today. Thinks form about Trafford Lad is a bit sketchy. Tom Segal has tipped Forpadydeplasterer and is sticking with it. Thinks this is a much better race. Mike Catt likes Breedsbreeze.

Mick says he’ll be riding Kybher Kym and seems confident but says he needs to ride the horse he was on at Newbury and not Doncaster. Home work of KK has been good. Paul Ryan doesn’t think the Irish Challenge is as good as usual. Recent money at Paddy Power has been for KK. He thinks Captain Cee Bee has a good chance. Also mentions Muirhead. Ryan thinks an English horse will win. Tom Segal gives a good word to the top 5 in the betting! and finally comes down in favour of Fiveforthree. King thinks 543 will run in Ballymore. Kingy likes Blue Bajan and notes that stable is back in form but comes down on Kybher Kym.

On the panel tonight we have Mike Cattermole in the chair with Alan King, Mick Fitz, Tom Segal (Pricewise) and Paul Ryan from Paddy Power. The Catt is very casual with tatty jeans. Tom Segal is also wearing jeans – don’t they know this is Regency Cheltenham? 🙂 Kingy needs to go shopping in Beechwood Acade. Paul Ryan is suited and booted. Mick Fitz likewise.

Ed has taken the stage and is booming into the microphone. Old course is and cross-country is good, good to firm in place with the new course good, good to soft in place. His forecasters are telling him to expect up to an inch! of rain with serious rain. He says ‘scarily windy’. He doesn’t
think weather will dramatically effect the going.

Welcome to tonight’s Official Preview live from The Centaur, Cheltenham racecourse. On the panel tonight we have Mike Cattermole in the chair with Alan King, Mick Fitz, Tom Segal (Pricewise) and Paul Ryan from Paddy Power.

The panel are all having trouble getting taxis so the preview will be starting at 7.45pm at the earliest. Back to the bar….

I’m all hooked up in The Centaur, Cheltenham racecourse, ready to bring you live coverage of tonight’s Official Preview, sponsored by Paddy Power. The fun starts at 7.30pm. Before that, a quick weather update -a mainly sunny day with a heavy shower mid-afternoon. I hope to get accurate and up to date going news from the horses mouth, the Clerk of the Course later. There is some horrendous weather forecast for Sunday and Monday so let’s hope it doesn’t materialise. Back online in an hour…unless anything dramatic happens before then. In the meantime I’m off to the bar.

Great news this morning! Tony McCoy, 13 times Champion jockey, has been passed fit to ride so will be able to take his place on board my selection Exotic Dancer in the Gold Cup on Friday and possibly Captain Cee Bee in the opening race of the meeting on Tuesday.

A reminder that this time tomorrow the Paddy Power Official Festival Preview will be kicking off at Cheltenham Racecourse. Full details can be found on the Cheltenham and Three Counties website. If you can’t make it to The Centaur then you can read a live report of the event here. So visit this time tomorrow for all the tips, news and gossip as it happens.