O'Neill Bringing Out Heavy Artillery

Jonjo O'Neill is planning a major onslaught on Cheltenham's key Festival trials on Saturday with Wichita Lineman, Exotic Dancer and hurdling debutant Mountain set to face the starter along with Black Jack Ketchum.

Exotic Dancer is being primed for the Letheby And Christopher Chase, although the King George runner-up is not a definite starter as connections are also eyeing the shorter Ladbrokes Trophy Chase, should conditions be testing.

The trainer said: 'He doesn't mind soft ground and he will run on Saturday, probably in the old Pillar (now Letheby And Christopher).

'If he runs in that race we will know about the Festival and whether he will go for the Gold Cup or the Ryanair Chase.

'I'd like to run in the old Pillar to see if he gets up the hill, and I think he will. If he runs in the shorter race he would be more likely to run in the Ryanair in March.

'I think he will get the longer trip (three miles one furlong) all right.

'He is a horse who has taken time to mature, but we haven't abused him and he is starting to come right.'

Also in action on a top-quality card will be recent Challow Hurdle winner Wichita Lineman, who will take his chance in the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle.

A smart bumper performer, the half-brother to Rhinestone Cowboy has won two of his three starts this winter and was beaten only half a length into second on the other occasion.

'Hopefully he will be OK on the heavy ground and he has done all you could expect of him,' said O'Neill.

'I was disappointed when he got beat at Cheltenham, and he was beaten at the top of the hill.

'He didn't travel as well as he can. I am not saying there was anything wrong, but he wasn't firing and it was very pleasing to see him win at Newbury.

'I wouldn't swap him for anything and it will be nice to get a run into him before the Festival.'

Mountain, who took eighth place in the Vodafone Derby for Aidan O'Brien last summer, is set to make his debut over timber in the Wragge & Co Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.

The four-year-old now runs in the colours of Gay Smith and Ladbrokes already have him short in the Festival betting, quoting him at 14-1 for the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

O'Neill added: 'He hasn't been out since we got him as he has been gelded and had some time off to get over that.

'He has been schooling well though, and I have been happy with him.

'You never know how the Flat horses will take to jumping, but he seems to be enjoying it.

'We will see how he gets on at the weekend and the Festival is the main aim, but he might also run at Huntingdon in between.'

(C) PA Sport