AINTREE'S Grand National may be the most famous steeplechase in the world, but the Cheltenham Festival meeting provides jockeys with three days of top class national hunt racing. To ride a winner there is to guarantee a rider valuable publicity and certainly the offer of better mounts in the future.
The point is not lost on Conor O'Dwyer, who experienced the high point of his career at Leopardstown last month when the Fergie Sutherland trained Imperial Call blitzed his rivals in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.
O'Dwyer, who is having one of his best seasons with over 60 winners, is delighted that the trainer and owners (Lisselan Farms Ltd) have kept faith in him as he bids for Gold Cup glory on Thursday.
"I have never ridden in the Gold Cup and to actually have a ride on the second favourite is absolutely fantastic.
"I suppose there is a certain amount of public pressure in the sense that we haven't won the race since 1986, but certainly I have had no pressure from the trainer who is a very laid back individual and is a great character. Some of the top riders had expressed a wish to ride the horse but thankfully Mr Sutherland and the owners kept faith with me," said O'Dywer, whose first stop en route to racing's Mecca is a game of golf at The Belfry (scene of some many Ryder Cup epics) on Monday.
O'Dwyer describes the eve of Cheltenham golf challenge as a nice relaxing start to the week" but it could prove as competitive as the racing itself with Christy O'Connor's Albatross Racing Club (headed by Mouse Morris) taking on the 30 strong Sam Torrance and Laura Davies Racing Club (headed by Charlie Brooks).
The Albatross Racing Club have five runners at the Festival, including Mulligan, who will be O'Dwyer's first ride of the meeting in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on Tuesday.
The jockey, who has yet to open his Cheltenham account after riding there for seven years, also partners Strong Platinum in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday.
And there are many shrewd observers who feel that Paddy Burke's Strong Gale gelding will be favoured by the expected good ground and can upset the favourite, Viking Flagship, and the Edward O'Grady trained Sound Man.
Irish trained chasers have failed to mount a serious challenge for this event in recent years, the last winner being the ill fated Buck House, but O'Dwyer is very hopeful.
"Strong Platinum is in great order. I think it best to forget that Naas race (second to Opera Hat) as he doesn't race on soft ground. The conditions at Cheltenham are perfect for him at the moment and things couldn't be better."
O'Dwyer has seven booked rides over the three days and is very hopeful of being involved at the business end of a few races. "I think that New Co (Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle) and King Wah Glory (Guinness Arkle Novice Chase) have excellent each way chances. Like Strong Platinum, the ground will suit King Wah Glory.
"To me Cheltenham is the Olympics of racing. It's every jockey's dream to ride a winner there and with a bit of luck I may have a winner this year, be it the Gold Cup or the Champion Chase. Either would be brilliant."
O'Dwyer's best placing at the meeting was a third on Redundant Pal in the Arkle Chase.
Frank Woods will never forget his first win at Cheltenham on the Arthur Moore trained Klairon Davis. In a pulsating finish to last year's Arkle Chase, Woods and Charlie Swan displayed their talents to bursting point with Klairon Davis just getting the better of the Swan partnered Sound Man.
Klairon Davis has been trained for this year's Champion Chase but his preparations have been marred by some erratic jumping displays. However, Woods is hoping that things will improve and the horse will regain his best form.
"Klairon Davis has been a bit unlucky this season. Hopefully he will jump better going a much faster pace. They haven't gone fast enough for him in his races here."
Like O'Dwyer, Woods has seven booked rides and is confident of a good show from most of them.
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