MARTIN PIPE reckons that the bookmakers have got it wrong with Cyborgo and Challenger Du Luc in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup next week.

"The bookmakers give my two horses no chance but I can assure you I fancy them both to run big races," said Pipe, who has always considered Cyborgo his best-ever chance of winning the Festival showpiece.

"I've always said that, because he's only seven and whatever happens this year we've got a few more cracks at the race with him to come," the champion trainer added of the gelding who landed last year's Stayers' Hurdle.

Charlie Swan has the ride on Cyborgo, who is unbeaten in three novice chases this year, while Chris Maude will partner Challenger Du Luc.

"Challenger is very well in himself and must have a good chance," added Pipe. "If you took out his fall behind Coome Hill in the Hennessy and his poor run at Cheltenham afterwards he's done nothing wrong, winning the Murphy's and a little race at Wincanton."

Victory in the Gold Cup would mean the master of Pond House stables has won practically every race at the Festival, a meeting at which the yard once again will have a heavy work-load with up to 30 horses out to stake their claim.

Pipe landed the Smurfit Champion Hurdle with Granville Again in 1993 and will be represented by both Make A Stand and Pridwell in this year's renewal. Tony McCoy and Chris Maude are the respective riders.

"Make A Stand is well but I don't know if he's going to handle the ground at Cheltenham as they are watering and he would prefer it on the fast side," the trainer warned.

"But he's earned his place in the line-up, especially after impressively winning the Tote Gold Trophy."

Pridwell managed third spot behind Collier Bay in the race last year and Pipe reckons the enigmatic character is very much on song and could "sneak a place again this time".

As long as Pridwell comes out of the Champion Hurdle in good shape he will turn out again in the Bonus Print Stayers' Hurdle two days later.

Pipe's first-ever Cheltenham Festival winner was Baron Blakeney in the 1981 Triumph Hurdle, a race he reckons he could win again this year with White Sea.

Swan will again be on board the four-year-old despite a controversial effort at Newbury last time when he appeared to be caught napping and White Sea finished second to Kerawi.

Pipe reckons the filly could prove one of his best bets at the Festival.

"You can't have bankers at Cheltenham as it is much too difficult but White Sea is very good and has to be one of my best chances of winning over the three days," explained the trainer.

"I also run Pomme Secret who is owned by the race sponsors Elite Racing and they should get a good run out of this one who will hopefully be ridden by Chris Maude.

Never one to pass up a tilt at bookmakers' prize money, Pipe is aiming Doctoor at Saturday's Sunderland's Imperial Cup at Sandown before going for a £50,000 bonus if the horse can also land the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle at Cheltenham four days later.

"I hope he gets a penalty in the County Hurdle as that means he will have won the Imperial Hurdle!" joked Pipe, who netted the sponsors' money in 1993 when Olympian triumphed at Sandown before going on to Festival glory in the Coral Cup.

"But seriously the Imperial Cup is his main aim and if he's OK after that he could go for the County Hurdle," Pipe added. "It's just a question of his legs standing up but he's in very good form at present.

"I'm hoping Tony McCoy can ride him at Sandown but at the moment we don't know exactly where he will be this weekend."

Hamilton Silk, third in the Tote Gold Trophy behind Make a Stand, will also be in the County Hurdle line-up with Jamie Osborne taking the ride aboard the Elite Racing Club's gelding.

Pipe is likely to be represented by French import Or Royal in the Guinness Arkle Trophy Novices' Chase and Tony McCoy has been booked to take the ride.

"He will be my only runner out of three or four entries in the race and he's very, very well but he's got it all to do as he's got Mulligan to beat," Pipe said.

"That's a tall order as that one is likely to be most people's banker of the week on what he's done so far.

In customary style, Pipe has yet to finalise plans for the two novice hurdles from a plethora of entries. "I think Kailash, Nordic Breeze and maybe Daraydan will go for the Citroen Supreme while Deano's Beeno and possibly Daraydan could go for the Sun Alliance but it's too early for definite plans for those races at the moment," he explained.

Pipe is keen on the chances of Indian Tracker in the Royal SunAlliance Novices' Chase despite the gelding's defeat by Tennessee Twist at Chepstow last month.

"It was only his second start over fences and we were giving the winner weight. Maybe we didn't go fast enough early on but I think he's a very nice horse who could run a big race for us," he reported.

Pipe has five or six hopefuls in the Coral Cup, including Allegation, Sohrab and Tragic Hero but he is quite sweet on the chances of Cadougold, despite a disappointing effort at Chepstow on his latest outing.

He also gives a decent chance to Elzoba, a French import who won impressively at Hereford recently and will have the assistance of Tony McCoy in the Grand Annual Chase. Pipe also runs Norse Raider in the race.

Tom Taaffe's appeal against the decision of the acting stewards at Fairyhouse on February 23rd to fine him £500 for "using the race-course as a training ground" following the running of Private Sector in the Tolka River Maiden Hurdle, will be heard by the Appeals and Referrals Committee of the Turf Club on March 20th.