It's impossible not be impressed by a roll of honour at Jackdaws Castle detailing Jonjo O'Neill's 17 winners as trainer at the Festival.

Starting with Danny Connors' victory in the 1991, it culminates in Albertas Run's second Festival success in last year's Ryanair Chase.

Space has been left at the bottom for more names to be added and, if past performances are anything to go by, the engraver should be poised and ready for work.

Albertas Run, Get Me Out Of Here and Mister Hyde spearhead the team next week, but the death of the exciting Backspin through a heart attack was a major blow.

O'Neill said: "The Cheltenham Festival is something you work for all year.

"Trying to get a runner there is the main thing, then trying to get one there with a chance.

"Everything revolves around Cheltenham.

"Get a winner at Cheltenham and you feel like you've completed the season and the pressure's off, I suppose.

"You have no right to have a winner there and everyone's going with the same thing in mind – that's what makes it fantastic.

"The best horses, the best jockeys, all the different countries.

"To go there with one with a chance is brilliant.

"Unfortunately our chances have been weakened dramatically this time with what happened to Backspin, who was definitely our main hope for the meeting.

"That was a massive blow, a real sickener."

Albertas Run has secured his place in racing history with wins in the 2008 RSA Chase and the Ryanair Chase last year.

He could defend his title in the Ryanair on Thursday, but a crack at Friday's totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hasn't been ruled out.

The ten-year-old hasn't been at his best so far this season, but he seems to come alive at Cheltenham.

O'Neill said: "He's been a brilliant horse for us.

"He's had his problems and he's getting a little bit older.

"He had a bad experience at Kempton and he came back very sore.

"He had a bad fall at Ascot the time before and I think that definitely left a bit in his mind.

"But he seems to be grand at home and we're all happy with him.

"We'll get him checked out before whichever race he goes for – hopefully we'll choose the right one.

"He really loves the good ground – he's a different horse on good ground.

"He goes on soft ground – he's won a bumper on soft ground – and you can get away with a lot of things when you've got a good horse in lesser company, but when you're talking about the top races and Cheltenham you need everything in your favour.

"He's a lovely horse and he's a good horse when everything's right with him.

"But he does have his problems and you have to work around them and hope everything's right on the day."

Get Me Out Of Here's career hasn't gone to plan since he finished a close second in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at last year's Festival.

Defeats at Ascot, Cheltenham and Newbury this season mean he could head to Cheltenham looking to restore his reputation.

He has had an operation to help him breath better since his last run at Newbury and will probably run in the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle if he recovers in time.

O'Neill said: "His season has been a disaster so far, but it's not his fault.

"He's never made any noise and nobody knew he had a breathing problem.

"We found he had a bit of restriction in his front legs early on after he ran at Ascot.

"We went to Cheltenham thinking we were flying – he was working fantastically at home – and he ran very disappointingly.

"He was still working great and we went to Newbury thinking everything was 100 per cent right there for him and full of confidence, but again it didn't happen.

"He's had the operation and hopefully it will work, but we won't know until he runs.

"There's no place like a racecourse to tell you the truth.

"He's got a lot of class and we schooled him early on to go chasing – it wasn't the plan to stay hurdling.

"Let's hope we can get to the bottom of everything now and maybe we'll start him off over fences next season.

"Maybe that (breathing problems) was why he didn't jump fences because he can be very excitable.

"We all had him down as a very honest horse and maybe he got very excited when he went over fences and his wind was catching him, so that's why he didn't jump fences.

"So we have options and he's still a relatively young horse with not a lot of miles on the clock.

"It'll be nice see him come back to himself."

O'Neill is hoping the improving Mister Hyde can put the frighteners on his rivals at the Festival.

The six-year-old is set to run in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Final after winning two of his past four races.

"Our best chance if he got in would be Mister Hyde, I'd say, because he's probably had the best 'prep' and he's not had a hard season." said O'Neill.

"He wouldn't want the ground to be too fast, but he'll go on anything else.

"We couldn't put our finger on why he didn't run well at Sandown last time out but he seems in very good form at the moment.

"The form of his run behind Grands Crus at Cheltenham (finished sixth) has worked out way better than we expected.

"He's improved, like Get Me Out Of Here did last year.

"He kept on improving and every test you put to him he got better and better.

"This horse has seemed to improve in his work all season and stepped up gear, which is everything you want."

Sunnyhillboy produced one of the best performances of his career when finishing second at last year's Festival.

"He's had joint problems and it's been hard to keep him right," said O'Neill.

"We think we've got him right at the moment, so we hope he's going to Cheltenham with every chance.

"We'd probably favour the Stewart Family Spinal Research Handicap Chase with a bit less weight because he's not the biggest of horses and his jumping was a problem to him."

Welsh National hero Synchronised could line up in the Gold Cup if conditions are soft enough.

Otherwise he will be aimed at the Midlands National at Uttoxeter, which he won last year.

O'Neill has won the four-mile National Hunt Chase five times and his runners this year may include Aberdale and Alfie Sherrin.

"For that race you need a good accurate jumper that will stay well and we've just happened to be lucky," he said.

"It could be the race for Aberdale, if the ground is good.

"I think it would suit Alfie Sherrin – obviously we don't know if he'd get the trip or not – but he's had knee problems and he'd only go if the ground was soft."

Grand National hero Don't Push It could be taken for a racecourse gallop in preparation for Aintree if he is not high enough in the handicap to run in the Pertemps.