Hughes 'couldn't be happier' with Our Conor

Dessie Hughes saddled Hardy Eustace to win successive Champion Hurdles in 2004 and 2005 and this year relies on last season's Triumph Hurdle hero Our Conor in the Stan James-sponsored showpiece.

The five-year-old has run creditably in defeat behind Hurricane Fly the last twice, most recently pushing the great horse all the way in the Irish Champion Hurdle. He also has age statistics to overcome, with 2008 hero Katchit the only five-year-old in almost 30 years to take Champion Hurdle glory.

Hughes said: "I couldn't be happier with him, everything has gone well. He was never in a battle last year. The first day he ran he needed it and the second day he showed he had guts but probably showed he needed another run. It looks like Captain Cee Bee might set the pace, if he does it will be a truly-run race, just what we want."

Our Conor has been bought by Barry Connell since his Festival victory and the leading owner is thrilled to be represented in one of the meeting's championship events.

He told At The Races: "It would be enormous to win the either the Gold Cup or Champion Hurdle and those races are fiercely competitive. To even have a runner is an honour in itself and I'm looking forward to having a horse be competitive there.

"We saw what he did last year when he destroyed a top-class Triumph field and his campaign has been laid out by a master trainer whose prowess of peaking horses for the big day is nearly second to none, he did it twice with Hardy Eustace and I know he's very confident, very sweet on the horse.

"He put Hurricane Fly under pressure the last day but we were lucky to have a horse at all (after running on the Flat at Naas, October Handicap). When Dessie mentioned to Richard Hughes he was going to run him on the Flat, Richard rolled his eyes and said it was a rough race so we won't be doing that again as a prep run.

"He was stood in his box for three weeks after, which was a setback, but everything since then has gone great. He's stepped up each time and has a length and a half to find. Hurricane would be the better horse on the Flat so you'd expect a speed track like Leopardstown to suit him.

"What Our Conor wants is a decent test, he's not slow, but we know Cheltenham brings out the best in him. It's probably the race of the meeting, the race all enthusiasts are looking forward to."

Connell's retained rider Danny Mullins has not yet ridden a Festival winner, but is hopeful Our Conor can make his presence felt in the feature event on the opening day.

The jockey said: "He maybe beat lesser opposition than we're taking on now, but I'm happy the way he's come through his trials and we'll know a lot more now. It was a very tactical affair last time, no-one wanted to bottom their horses out before Cheltenham. He's been very good and showed a lot of speed at Leopardstown the last day, so we're hopeful.

"Having been there and won as well as he did last year is great, but he's going to have to get up that hill faster this time. There's four or five with serious chances, and this is going to sort them out."

Melodic Rendezvous is an intriguing outsider for trainer Jeremy Scott and jockey Nick Scholfield, having secured his sixth win from eight starts over jumps in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton last month.

Scholfield said: "It's a great race to be part of. It's a matter of opinion, but it could be argued it's the race of the Festival. We're very happy with our horse. He schooled well the other day and definitely has an outside chance. We would have preferred the ground to be softer, but, at the same time, he deserves to be there and is ready to take his chance."

Ptit Zig was last seen finishing second behind Melodic Rendezvous in Haydock's Champion Hurdle trial, but trainer Paul Nicholls believes his charge is better than he showed on Merseyside.

He said: "He's had a great season. He won a Grade One (in Auteuil), came back and was second here in The Ladbroke at Christmas giving a lot of weight away. He didn't run too bad the last day, giving four pounds to Melodic Rendezvous and finishing second to him. I didn't think he was quite at his best. I think he might run better than people think."

Alan King saddles outsider Grumeti, and the Barbury Castle handler told his website, www.alankingracing.co.uk: "We know what we are up against, but we have not got too many options with him at the minute and he is in good order so we will let him run."