Mann keen on Air Force One´s chance

Charlie Mann believes Air Force One has "every chance" in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The six-year-old finished a close second to Albertas Run in the Reynoldstown Novices´ Chase last weekend and now shares 6-1 favouritism with that one in Paddy Power´s ante-post market.

Mann said: "Noel (Fehily) said he got close to the last fence down the back, the 14th, and checked a bit of momentum. But for that he may have won, but he ran a good, pleasing race.

"He has come out of the race jumping, better than he has ever come out of another race, and I am very pleased with him and glad we ran as we learned a lot.

"I think it was the best novice chase run this season, he has done as well as expected and I hope he might improve a bit before he goes to Cheltenham.

"There is no need to gallop him and he was due an easy week, but he is very fresh and will have a canter on Wednesday. He is spot-on and we´ll keep him ticking along."

While Mann is anticipating a bold show at Prestbury Park on March 12, he knows how hard it is to win any race at the Festival.

"He´s favourite so he has every chance, but I am under no illusions as to how difficult it is to have a winner there as I have been trying long enough!

"But he is the best chance that we´ve got."

Air Force One and Albertas Run head the list of 46 horses still engaged in the SunAlliance following the forfeit stage.

Despite a total of 32 defecting, the front-runners in the ante-post market have all stood their ground.

As expected, Money Trix and Nevada Royale have both been taken out, while Sky´s The Limit and former Champion Bumper winner Hairy Molly will be other notable absentees.

Noland and Lead On are no longer engaged but remain in the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy, while Howard Johnson´s Tidal Bay is still in both races.

The sidelined Glencove Marina has been left in the two novice championship events, but Willie Mullins has confirmed that was due to a clerical error and he is not in the mix for a Festival appearance.