Nigel Twiston-Davies plumps for Supreme bid with Ballyandy

Ballyandy has been given the green light to contest the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.Although holding entries in the Neptune, County Hurdle and Coral Cup, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has stated the six-year-old will head for the two-mile Grade One contest that opens the meeting on March 14.After meeting with defeat on his first three starts over hurdles this season, last year's Champion Bumper hero finally came good in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month.Twiston-Davies said: "We think we have just about totally decided to go for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. He cantered to the last in the Betfair and quickened away nicely."We always thought a lot of him and we can't understand why he didn't do better in his first three races, but he managed to handicap himself last time so let's go on to better things now."We checked his wind and everything after those first three runs and nothing was amiss, maybe just in time he has got better and better."He has got plenty of speed. He won there this time last year, although it was over two miles with no hurdles. We are really looking forward to it and hopefully we will be able to take our revenge on Moon Racer."The Naunton-handler feels Wholestone deserves to be near the head of the betting in the Albert Bartlett based on his performances this season.After making a winning return at Warwick in September, the six-year-old has won three out of his last four starts at Prestbury Park, including a brace of Grade Two contests.Twiston-Davies said: "He has done nothing wrong this season. He is not flashy by any means, but he has done what he has had to do. He has won three times around there and been second once."Three miles really suits and ground is not a problem. He keeps pulling out that little bit extra and deserves to be one of the favourites."You don't know what the Irish will bring over, but the (Colin) Tizzard horse (West Approach), who is one of the favourites, he has beaten twice. I understand he has been unlucky, but the form says that we have beaten him twice."Although Ballyoptic failed to feature on his last start in the Cleeve Hurdle, the Gold Cup-winning trainer is confident the six-year-old will out-run his odds in the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle, for which he is a general 16-1 chance.He said: "Ballyoptic was a little bit disappointing here last time, but we are hoping for a huge run this time coming."He was bang there at Ascot, he just didn't run a very good race last time. The two falls he had, he has just slipped on landing. It wasn't his fault at Wetherby and he just lost his back end at Ascot"Anyway, he has had a nice break and he will be 100 per cent this time. He has come back really well and let's hope he can do the business."For all the high-profile runners he will have, including The New One in the Champion Hurdle and Bristol De Mai in the Gold Cup, Twiston-Davies believes Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase contender Foxtail Hill is his best chance of gaining a winner at the big meeting, where he has 17 career successes.The eight-year-old has won his last two starts, the most recent coming in a Grade Three Cheltenham handicap in January.Twiston-Davies said: "I think Foxtail Hill is probably our best chance. It is just the way the race turns out, as there is only three or four pounds between the lot of them. He is nearly a JLT horse, but why go for that when you have got a lower-class race."He was very impressive there last time and he managed to stay inside the rating band of 0-140."He was good last time and I'm very hopeful. I don't think he needs to be ridden as aggressively as he was last time. He is quite keen, but you can ride him any way you want."