NOTHING quite gets the adrenaline flowing like the Cheltenham Festival, four days of stunning jumps action, starting on Tuesday with the first of 24 breathtaking races worth a whopping £2.87m in total.

Granted a crowd capacity of 70,000, Prestbury Park can really pack them in and despite advance ticket sales being slightly down, Friday's Gold Cup has long been sold out.

In amongst the maelstrom of expectant spectators, trainers fret as owners risk their pride and joy, while jockeys prepare to leap obstacles at speeds bound to test even those with the steeliest of nerve.

Make no mistake, it's a dangerous, winner-take-all sport - definitely not for the faint-hearted, but when all's said and done the participants know the pitfalls and rarely shirk the issue.

"Better to be a lion for a day, rather than a sheep all your life", just about sums it up, though you can't help admire horses and riders for putting their bodies on the line in the name of entertainment.

Plenty of folk who wouldn't normally bet get involved, so from a tipping perspective it was a mighty relief when 12 months ago the column selected Arcalis, 20-1 winner of the Festival curtain-raiser.

Arcalis is scheduled to line up in the third race and we'll return to him shortly because another raider from our region, CROW WOOD, might get us off to a flyer.

An ear-splitting roar at 2pm will accompany the start of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, a blood-and-guts affair run at a breakneck pace for which Crow Wood currently stands around a 14-1 shot.

Malton trainer John Quinn, who placed the seven-year-old to plunder £70,300 on the Flat last summer, opted for a switch to jumps during the winter and it's been a case of so far, so good.

Good enough to win a valuable mile-and-half-handicap on Derby Day in 2005, plus fill second spot in York's John Smith's Cup, Crow Wood's future over the sticks always looked rosy.

Sure enough he kicked off with a facile Uttoxeter success, only to throw away his next Haydock race with a clumsy blunder two flights from the finish, prior to lifting the Scottish County Hurdle, form which is impossible to knock.

"He's come out of his prep race grand and it's off to Cheltenham we go," said Quinn.

"He's also entered in Friday's County Hurdle, and if he did win well on Tuesday, you never know."

Crucially, Crow Wood wouldn't want too much rain, a remark equally applicable to Crook-based Howard Johnson's ARCALIS, seeking back-to-back Festival victories.

Twelve months ago it was the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and now the Champion Hurdle beckons for the Graham and Andrea Wylie-owned grey.

It's a massive ask for Arcalis to topple Ireland's dual reigning champion, Hardy Eustace, though there's stacks of confidence behind Howard's horse, given the flood of ante-post cash for the 6-1 shot.

"Arcalis was impressive when I won on him last year but needs to improve to win a Champion Hurdle, although I'd like to think he's capable of doing so," revealed North-East lad made good, Ingleby Barwick's Graham Lee.

If Arcalis fails, then the Johnson/Lee/Wylie team has several other live contenders, including BEWLEYS BERRY and NO REFUGE.

Bewleys Berry has been the subject of "smart money" for Wednesday's Royal & Sunalliance Chase, while No Refuge is trading at odds of 8-1 for the World Hurdle on the following afternoon.

Considering it was Lee who famously steered Inglis Drever home in the three-mile staying hurdle championship last year, he understands precisely what it takes to broach the winning line.

Neither is No Refuge a stranger to Festival glory, having landed the 2005 SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle. "I thought he was going to win at Sandown last time before emptying on me. He stays well and is very tough, I would be hoping for a big run," said Lee.

Just over 30 minutes later, Johnson's near neighbour, Brancepeth's Richard Guest, has an opportunity to get back in the coveted winners' enclosure with his stable-star, OUR ARMAGEDDON.

In 2004 Our Armageddon gave Richard his first and only taste of success as a trainer at the Festival in the Cathcart Chase, now the Racing Post Plate Handicap Chase, and Guest's intended target.

Our Armageddon has since had problems, however he recently returned to his best with a fluent Uttoxeter victory, prompting the serious possibility of a repeat track-and-trip triumph.

"I can see why he's nearly favourite and we'll probably go for the Topham Trophy at Aintree afterwards, all being well," said Guest.

Wednesday witnesses Keith Reveley trying to succeed where his mother, Mary, failed, that is to break the families' desperate hoodoo at the meeting.

Keith sends UNGARO to contest the Coral Cup, a hideously hard handicap to solve, although having previously snapped up a similarly impossible prize at Sandown, Ungaro is in with a major shout.

"He'll need a little luck in running," said the Lingdale handler, who might additionally be represented by HIGH COTTON, carrying the Desert Orchid colours and no forlorn hope in the National Hunt Chase.

After the Coral Cup is completed, Middleham's Chris Fairhurst attempts a David versus Goliath re-enactment with BURNT OAK in the Champion Bumper.

Chris only has around a dozen inmates, nevertheless Burnt Oak possesses admirable credentials to take on the combined might of southern and Irish stables.

"He did his final bit of work on the High Moor this week and pleased us. It's a rough race, but at least he's won there at the course before," said Fairhurst.

Five miles along the road from Fairhurst, West Witton's Ferdy Murphy has faith in both TRIBAL VENTURE and GRANIT D'ESTRUVAL for Tuesday's Sporting Index Chase.

"They schooled super the other day and have come right bang on cue," he said.

"NEW ALCO is in Thursday's Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase and didn't get any credit for his second to Martin Pipe's Don't Be Shy, I think he's a very decent horse."

Murphy has entered five in the Kim Muir Chase, with UNDERWRITER the most likely to run.

"Underwriter ran a cracker when third in Sandown's Agfa Diamond, he needs good ground and goes well fresh, he's a progressive sort," he said.

With CARLYS QUEST engaged in the World Hurdle and Pertemps Final, NINE DE SIVOLA (Pertemps Final and Brit Insurance Hurdle) and JOES EDGE in Friday's Gold Cup, Murphy should get a result somewhere along the line.

Finally, as far as betting tactics are concerned, finding even one winner at the Festival is a devil of a job, so the safety-first each-way route on all selections is strongly advised.