2015 Cheltenham Festival | The Ladbrokes Life Lowdown | Bet now at Ladbrokes.com The Ladbrokes Life Lowdown

Ted Veale ran in a Grade 1 on Boxing Day, finishing a dead-heat second with Vautour (favourite for the better-quality JLT) and second to the 156-rated Clarcam. A hurdle run last time preserved a lenient handicap mark of 140 and Ted Veale can end the Festival filling my pockets to bursting.

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Is there a better concluding story to Cheltenham than Tony McCoy winning his final Gold Cup before retirement? McCoy has tied his colours to the mast of Carlingford Lough, who he has won on four times before and it feels like fate to me.

Willie Mullins loves novice hurdles. He's won the Supreme four times and the Neptune three times. Yet, the Albert Bartlett still eludes him. Black Hercules has already won over 3m and is Mullins' best hope. I believe, do you?

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We had a good holiday to Amsterdam after I backed Carsonstown Boy in the Foxhunters last year at 40/1 and he finished second. I'm back in for a second bite and he looks a better horse now too. A week in Vegas is on the cards this time.

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Leighton Aspell has never ridden a winner at the Cheltenham Festival and only a single winner at the course across the last five seasons from 36 total rides.

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Noel Fehily and trainer Paul Nicholls have a success rate better than one in three together across the last five National Hunt seasons.

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Kalkir has been highly touted as the leading Triumph contender ferrying across the Irish Sea and the vibe is he missed a key bit of work before finishing second last time. My gut agrees that he is better than we have seen so far.

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Bryan Cooper is no stranger to riding winners on the final day of the Festival, steering Our Conor and Ted Veale to victory on the Friday in 2013.

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In his 19 previous Gold Cups, AP McCoy has finished in the first three on six occasions, the same number of times that he has failed to finish.

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Recently, March has been Richie McLernon's most successive month for riding winners. In two of the last three years he's picked the start of spring to start producing.

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Thomas Crapper has run to a far higher mark than 134 twice this season when getting to within a length of Vibrato Valtat (now rated 162) off level weights and when chasing home Irish Saint (now rated 153) at Ascot. He looks thrown in here.

Polly Peachum's the second highest-rated mare in the field behind Annie Power and she'd be a shorter price if not pulling up on unsuitable soft ground last time. Got to be optimistic for better ground at Cheltenham, which should bring a return to her top level.

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Sure Un De Sceaux fell at Thurles on his chase debut, but the way he blasted away from Clarcam last time is the evidence that he is easily the best horse in the Arkle. My gut knows he won't fall again and that's the only way he'll lose.

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Novice hurdles haven't been kind to Nicky Henderson in recent times. He has only trained one winner of either the Supreme or Neptune in the past 20 years. I believe Nicky had a rare twinkle in his eye after he hosed up at Sandown.

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Faugheen is bidding to become just the second horse since 1993 to win the Champion Hurdle without having another run previously in the same calendar year.

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Let's hope the field for the Champion Hurdle doesn't drop below eight. I want three places paid each-way! Arctic Fire hasn't been far behind Hurricane Fly twice in Ireland and will improve for the expected quicker ground at Cheltenham.

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Nigel Twiston-Davies’ only Cheltenham Festival winner since 2010 came when The New One triumphed in the 2013 Neptune Novices’ Hurdle.

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The last four horses to win the Champion Hurdle having been beaten in the previous edition all returned after finishing third. The New One chased home Jezki and My Tent Or Yours 12 months ago.

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Willie Mullins is currently enjoying his most productive season for winners in British jump races for 10 years, with almost one quarter of his horses securing victory.

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Two horses (Royal Relief in 1972 and 1974 and Moscow Flyer in 2003 and 2005) have previously managed to regain the Champion Chase. Sprinter Sacre is bidding to become the third.

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The Champion Chase is full of ifs and buts around the main protagonists, but how many of these could have beaten Sizing Europe by 19 lengths? He's from a different planet and he's bound to come on a ton for his Clarence House Chase second.

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Champagne Fever is bidding to emulate the achievement of Finian's Rainbow in 2012, who finished second in the Arkle at one Festival before going one better in the Champion Chase at the next.

Of the last 12 Champion Chase winners attempting to defend their title in the following season, 10 were sent off in the top two in the betting, yet 11 were beaten.

French-trained runners haven't won at the Festival since 2005 and the fact Toutancarmont hasn't run in Great Britain or Ireland before is a concern. I'm looking on the bright side that he'll take to the tight Cheltenham course and extend his record to 11 wins in 15 starts at the discipline.

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Southfield Theatre wasn't a novice hurdler last season like all of the RSA Chase winners this decade, but he has impressed over the bigger obstacles and I believe only flopped when odds-on at Newbury in November because of the soft ground. He is more likely to run than many RSA fancies too.

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10 of the last 14 Champion Chase winners ran in the Tingle Creek in the same season. Dodging Bullets beat Somersby in the latest renewal.

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Two bumpers run, two bumpers won and a total winning distance of 20 lengths. Bought by David pipe from a small Irish yard, Moon Racer has surged clear of well-regarded Willie Mullins horse Turcagua, can set his own gallop and may be something really special.

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He has looked a Fred Winter prospect since finishing third to Triumph Hurdle favourite Peace And Co earlier in the season and runs here off the same mark as when dominating a Wincanton novice hurdle last time. Zarib will certainly pay for a few rounds.

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Balder Succes has been to Cheltenham three times, falling twice and unseating his rider on the other occasion. If he stands up this time, the Ryanair Chase is a real possibility. I'm taking the chance that he gets round.

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I've done well backing Colin Tizzard's handicappers in the past - Oiseau De Nuit and Golden Chieftain have both paid for nice meals out with the family. Masters Hill has been solid this season and looks open to a little more improvement. I'm on.

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Pretty much every year there are doubts about a strong fancy seeing out the 3m in the World Hurdle. I've avoided the likes of Oscar Whisky, Thousand Stars and Peddlers Cross in the past, something tells me Zarkandar is different.

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The Irish have largely dominated this race in recent years and have taken over the betting this time. They are responsible for six of the top eight in the market. Ptit Zig is almost a British lone ranger, but I believe he is up for the fight.

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Is this the time Ericht finally produces the goods? He was sent off at 8/1 for the big handicap at Cheltenham in January and was going as well as anything entering the straight before fading. He's down another 2lb and worth one last try.

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Zarkandar has finished out of the places on three of his seven visits to Cheltenham, which ironically have been at the last three Festivals.

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No trainer can better the four victories of Paul Nicholls since the World Hurdle was first run in 1972. Nicholls is dual-handed with Saphir De Rheu and Zarkandar this time.

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Harry Fry has sent 10 hurdlers to Cheltenham across the last five seasons and has had three winners. This 30% strike rate is better than Paul Nicholls (16%), Willie Mullins (16%), Nicky Henderson (14%) and David Pipe (11%) in the same period.

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Half of the last 14 victors of the World Hurdle either won or finished second in the Cleeve Hurdle in the same season. Saphir De Rheu beat Reve De Sivola in the most recent.

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