'Nicky Henderson told me' - Gold Cup-winning jockey makes fascinating Cheltenham admission ahead of day two

While Gavin Cromwell's eight-year-old Stumptown is the hot favourite at the top of the market after winning over course and distance in December, Mister Coffey was a close second that day.

And punters, who can get decent value for the horse to go one better this afternoon, will only be encouraged by Johnson's admission.

He told Betway ): "Nicky Henderson has told me he has never had Mister Coffey so well. He thinks he’s got a massive chance in the Cross Country race. Your one negative is that he is an 11-year-old maiden chaser. Nicky feels that for whatever reason he’s just really come into himself.

"Being a handicap this year, the Cross Country is going to be a much wider wide-open affair. I know Gordon Elliott hasn’t agreed with it becoming a handicap because he used to use it as a prep run for the Grand National. Now some of his horses are having to give lumps away to other horses in the race."

And Johnson, who rode 23 Festival wins including an unforgettable 2018 Gold Cup on Native River, believes we could also see a British winner in the Coral Cup.

"Be Aware for Dan Skelton in the Coral Cup (is my selection for that race). It’s been running over two miles and it definitely looks to me like he wants two and a half miles. But they probably kept him until this to actually step him up in trip. He’s been running really well. He’s definitely a horse that I’m sure we haven’t seen the best of.

"Skelton is definitely good at pinpointing one or two horses for these valuable handicaps. He looks for horses that he feels that these races will suit."