Fondmort's experience can prove decisive

 Preview Rest of today's cardHorses for courses is a theory that can pay off around Cheltenham and on that basis the only horse to be on in today's Ryanair Chase must be Fondmort.

The likes of Our Vic, Lacdoudal, My Will and Noel Meade's Sir Oj may be course and distance winners but when it comes to Cheltenham experience nothing can compare to Fondmort. Nicky Henderson's star has run 14 times around here and although he has yielded just three victories he has rarely if ever run badly.

In this race last year it was only in the final few strides that Fondmort eventually gave best to Thisthatandtoher in an epic finish. His jockey Mick Fitzgerald is convinced Fondmort is lengths better at Cheltenham than anywhere else and it's the reliability factor that's as appealing as anything else in today's context.

Both Impek and Our Vic run in this race instead of the Gold Cup and while on their best form they look to have obvious chances, neither horse looks the most straight-forward proposition.

Our Vic's career in particular has alternated between brilliance and disappointment while Impek's new found pace-forcing style will leave him vulnerable to attack. He could also be slighter better on a flatter course.

In terms of distance this race could have been drawn up for Hi Cloy but, although Michael Hourigan's horse is having his best ever season, there must be a concern about his jumping around here.

Sir Oj is the other Irish hope and his defeat of Nickname last time was a fine effort. He won the Robin Cook Memorial here in December so clearly likes the place. But when it comes to Cheltenham, Fondmort is hard to argue with.

On the surface the final three races look a seriously intimidating prospect but scratch a little deeper and there may just be some real prospects for Irish horses to add to the festival tally.

Ross River hasn't won since landing a poor race at Hereford for Philip Hobbs over a year ago but on his sixth start for the in-form Tony Martin he could regain that winning feeling in the Racing Post Plate.

Martin's only other starter of the week, Dun Doire, won on Tuesday and there is plenty to like about Ross River's chance, particularly on the back of an eye-catching piece of work at Leopardstown 11 days ago. He is at the right end of the weights and the drop back from three miles on desperate winter ground should suit him.

It's four years since Bannow Bay looked a very unlucky loser to Baracouda in the Stayers Hurdle but his full brother Far From Trouble could be one to reclaim some family honour in the four mile National Hunt Chase.

The distance should not be a problem for such a stoutly-bred horse and Far From Trouble has already proven he is no one-paced plodder either. In November he gave the decent novice Homer Wells a comprehensive beating at Thurles and the Christy Roche team were not at peak form when Far From Trouble was beaten subsequently. He hasn't run since but has run well fresh in the past and given luck in running, which is always a factor in this, Far From Trouble should not be far away at the finish.

The Pertemps presents an intriguing scenario whereby the horse who finished last in the Leopardstown qualifier, According To Billy, could emerge best of all when it counts most.

Edward O'Grady informed the stewards in January that his horse had missed work on the run up to that race and sure enough According To Billy trained home last of the 20 finishers. But that's not a fair reflection of his ability.

That came earlier when he was 16-1 at Thurles and still overhauled the talented Mossy Green. His last start at Gowran saw him carry a huge weight but that's not an issue this time.

Last year's winner Oulart is back and Charlie Swan's Oodachee looks a decent each way prospect too. But According To Billy at a general 16-1 looks a decent bet. In contrast the opening Jewson Handicap is very trappy but Reveillez was only beaten three lengths in last year's Sun Alliance Hurdle and got off the mark over fences at Folkestone last month.

2.00 - Reveillez

2.35 - Fondmort

4.00 - Ross River (nap)

4.40 - Far From Trouble

5.20- According To Billy (double)