Davy Russell: "this horse could pick up the pieces at a huge price"

I think it's all Old Park Star - it’s grand beating a 136 horse, but he beat him by 18 lengths and he's a very talented horse. He obviously started off his career pretty slow with Paul Nicholls, but ever since joining Nikki Henderson, he really hasn't put a foot wrong.

To me, Talk The Talk is the best of the Irish going over, but I'd just prefer to see him in the other, longer races. That's the only worry I have with him. I just think Old Park Star will win and Nicky Henderson will get the show off to an English start.

Kopek Des Bordes is a handful at the best of times and maybe just with the break, since it's been so long since he's ran, I'm just afraid that all the pieces of the puzzle just might tip him over the, over the edge a little bit. He's not as straightforward as well.

Lulamba is so simple and he’s very similar to Shishkin and Altior, and just goes a little bit flat, but always a huge effort at the end of the race. The only worry I have with Lulamba is I don't think it's his speed, it's his jumping is the issue. He just hangs in the air a little bit early and that kind of thing puts him on the back foot. If he can prevent that from happening, I think he's going to be very hard to beat.

I think there's going to be a collapse between the rest of them because I don't think they're going to finish first, second, third and fourth in the betting. There's something going to [run well] that's going to be ridden a little bit cold and I just have a slight feeling it could be Steel Ally, who does relax well in his races and could be just dropped in. He might be a horse that could pick up the pieces at a big price.

It would be fantastic if the Gold Cup comes back to Cork with Jimmy Mangan. I spent my childhood out in Jimmy's, and there's no more capable man and team to do it, so I wish him the best of luck.

I was very impressed by the way his Spillane’s Tower came back - he started slowly into the season, but I suppose the only thing with him is he does tend to like to have a bit of rain around, and there's nothing to say there won't be by Friday - we just don't know. But I'd say rain is definitely a plus for him.