Neither deserves to start at such a skinny price.Hill Society (2.35) is no certainty, but he does at least have a liking for Cheltenham. He was touched off in the final stride of the Arkle Trophy last year, and ran well at the meeting in 1997 too. Like another Irish horse, Klairon Davis, who won the Arkle and Champion Chase in successive years, he may save his best form for Cheltenham in the spring. At around 8-1, it is a chance worth taking.The favourites for the Champion Chase are easy to oppose, but it is much harder to find a reason to doubt Nick Dundee (3.55).

The drying ground is a slight worry, but Eddie O’Grady, his trainer, feels that “he will get away with good ground”, and in every other respect, he looks a champion in the making.“He’s the best novice chaser I’ve ever had,” O’Grady says. “He arrived at my yard with an extraordinary reputation considering he had only won a bumper and a point-to-point. He was like a crossword puzzle with a lot of blanks, but gradually we’re filling in the odd one here and there. He’s getting cleverer at his fences, and he has a wonderful cruising speed.

That’s his strength, he can cruise and jump.”It should be more than enough to get Nick Dundee home, but life will be more difficult for the other Irish banker, Alexander Banquet. At least three of his British rivals, Barton, Behrajan and Rash Remark, could be good enough to beat him, and while Barton has run up an impressive sequence in the north, the value bet must be BEHRAJAN (nap 2.00), whose only defeat in four outings this season came at the hands of Hors La Loi III, who trotted away with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle yesterday.Polar Prospect (next best 3.15) has had plenty of racing this season, but he seems to thrive on hard work, and put up one of his best performances of the season when second in a handicap at Ascot last month. He is a very live outsider at around 25-1 for the Coral Cup, while Sounds Like Fun (5.05) will surely go close in the Mildmay of Flete.The only other race worth considering from a punting point of view is the Bumper, which will be one of the most popular contests of the entire meeting with the Irish backers. As ever, the visiting challenge will be strong, and includes Alexander Prize, who will attempt to give Willie Mullins his fourth successive win in the race. Biliverdin too will take some stopping, but for one the race may stay at home. Martin Pipe believes that Golden Alpha (5.40) is best bumper horse he has trained, and he is a very hard man to argue with.RICHARD EDMONDSONNap: Easter Ross(Cheltenham 3.15)NB: Dr Bones(Cheltenham 5.05).

Born: 11 June, 1946, one of seven children in a Leicestershire farming family. Early career: Left school at 15 to work as stable girl for Chris Taylor. Married Richard Pitman and bought a yard at Hinton Parva to train hunter chasers and point-to-pointers. Re-married (to David Stait) in 1997.
First trainers’ licence: 1975.First winner under rules: Bonidon at Southwell on 25 August, 1975.Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase winners: Burrough Hill Lad (1984), Garrison Savannah (1991).King George VI Chase winner: Burrough Hill Lad (1984).Grand National Handicap Chase winners: Corbiere (1983), Royal Athlete (1995).Scottish National Handicap Chase winner: Willsford (1995).Welsh National Handicap Chase winners: Corbiere (1982), Burrough Hill Lad (1983), Stearsby (1986).Irish Grand National Handicap Chase winner: Mudahim (1997).Midlands National Handicap Chase winners: Watafella (1977), Willsford (1990).Other big winners: Bueche Giorod (Massey Ferguson Gold Cup 1980), Gainsay (Ritz Club Chase 1987), Indefence (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 1996), Master Tribe (Ladbroke 1997), Mighty Mogul (Persian War Novices’ Hurdle 1992), Mudahim (Racing Post Chase 1997), Nahthen Lad (Sun Alliance Chase 1996), Princeful (Stayers’ Hurdle & Long Walk Hurdle 1998).1998: Awarded OBE for services to racing in the New Year’s Honours list.. THEY CALL her the First Lady of Aintree, but it was at Cheltenham yesterday that Jenny Pitman, perhaps the most famous racehorse trainer in the country, chose to announce her retirement.