Power looking forward to Festival

Jockey Robbie Power is ticking down the days before next week's Cheltenham Festival.

After a record-breaking year last season, the Irish challenge once again looks strong, with Power on board some of the leading fancies from the Emerald Isle.

The Grand National-winning rider partners Steps To Freedom in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Oscars Well in the Champion Hurdle, and Big Zeb in the Queen Mother.

He is also chasing a massive bonus on Citizenship in the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle.

"I've got a great team going there this year. Steps To Freedom in the first race, Oscars Well in the Champion and obviously Big Zeb in the Champion Chase," said Power.

"I've a few good rides in the handicaps, too, with Citizenship and a few others.

"Steps To Freedom looks to have a favourite's chance. He's got course-and-distance form, which around Cheltenham is a major help.

"We know he handles the track and he's working very well at home.

"I think for every race at Cheltenham you need a little bit of good luck.

"He's a tough horse off the Flat and he coped with the hustle and bustle at Aintree last year."

Oscars Well would have gone very close in the Neptune last year, but for a bad blunder at the last, and drops in trip for a crack at the Champion Hurdle next Tuesday.

"The one thing about Oscars Well is that he has a fantastic cruising speed - he almost travelled too well in the Neptune last year and after it we were thinking we should have gone for the Supreme," Power told www.hri.ie.

"He's just a horse that as the season went on he got quicker and quicker.

"Obviously it's going to be very hard to beat Hurricane Fly but if he underperforms on the day hopefully we can pick up the pieces.

"There's a couple of known front-runners in Overturn and Celestial Halo - it will be a strongly-run Champion Hurdle with no hiding place.

"If they go a good gallop, he's got a great cruising speed and if he got a place we'd be over the moon."