JOCKEY Aidan Coleman believes Herefordshire trainer Venetia Williams could have a fighting chance of success at the Cheltenham Festival today.

Coleman will be riding Tango De Juilley in the Brown Advisory & Merribelle Stable Plate at 4pm.

The French horse is trained by Williams at her Kings Caple stables.

“He could be an interesting one jumps well,” said Coleman.

“He is inexperienced but capable of running a big race,” said Coleman.

“It is probably the best one for Venetia.”

The horse, a 16/1 shot, has won two out 10 races, including at Huntingdon last month when he pipped Mountain King.

Another of Williams’ horses that will also be in the race is Astigos, also priced at 16/1. Her stable is also represented in tomorrow’s Gold Cup – the showpiece of the four-day festival.

Coleman will once again be the rider when he goes aboard Houblon des Obeaux. He ran a great race in the Hennessey Gold Cup behind winner Many Clouds, but if the ground comes up soft or worse, the eight-year-old could run into a place. However, Coleman admits it will be a hard race.

“If the Gold Cup was at Newbury, he could have a really good try, but he doesn’t really like Cheltenham.”

Coleman was at the Castle House in Hereford on Sunday evening to provide his expert opinion on the runners and riders at the festival. The Irish jockey was joined by Herefordshire trainer Michael Scudamore and the Daily Mail’s Sam Turner, also known as Robin Goodfellow, and Marcus Townend.

The panel was chaired by eight-time champion jockey Peter Scudamore.

The majority verdict on the night was that Holywell could come up trumps in the Gold Cup, much to the delight of Herefordshire auctioneers Brightwells.

“We have had 44 horses from our sales at the festival and last year we had five that won,” said Brightwells director Terry Court.

“We sold the winner of the Gold Cup last year so fingers crossed we can have the same success.

“I think Holywell has got a good chance.

“Herefordshire has a big tradition in hunt racing, which is fantastic.”

Michael Scudamore’s horse Next Sensation, owned by county businessman Mark Blandford, will be in action tomorrow in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase – the last race of the meeting.

The horse, which Richard Johnson rode to fourth place in the race last year, is recovering from a breathing operation and has not been seen since competing at Newbury in November.

“Hopefully better ground we will see him back to somewhere he should be,” said Scudamore.

Scudamore’s other horse, Monbeg Dude, finished 14th in the Handicap Chase on Tuesday.