While connections are mindful this assignment comes on his second run back from injury, they have been thrilled with him in the build-up to the acid test.

“Everything has gone great with his preparation and he is 110%,” said Johnson.

“I’ve spoken to Timmy Murphy and he says the ground is just about good to soft, which will be ideal for us. I don’t know if that will be the case for Nickname.

“I’m not really nervous. I haven’t backed him and of course there is the ’bounce factor’ and we have seen with the first day that a lot of favourites have been turned over.

“But David (Pipe) has been flying recently and he’s such a good horse. What with his performances against Moscow Flyer and coming back from his time off, he’s almost a champion in waiting really.

“He’s also got the form around Cheltenham when he gave nearly two stone to Thisthatandtother in the Victor Chandler.

“He deserves to win the race, but of course you don’t always get what you deserve.”

Among his main rivals is last year’s hero Newmill, who provided Andrew McNamara with a wonderful day last March.

He also partnered the John Joseph Murphy-trained runner when Newmill was successful last time and feels his mount holds major claims of becoming the 10th horse to land back-to-back renewals.

“Newmill was a good winner last year and showed it again at Punchestown,” the young Irishman said.

“Every Cheltenham preview I’ve been to and everything I’ve read has said that Well Chief can’t be beaten, but I beg to differ.

“I’m not saying he is, but there’s every chance that Newmill might be the better horse.

“Of his other rivals, Nickname wins so easily that it’s hard to know how good he is, while Voy Por Ustedes won here last year and has been a good horse all season.”

Voy Por Ustedes ran out an impressive winner of the Arkle in 2006 and has thrilled connections in his preparation for the big one, despite unseating Robert Thornton on his latest start.

“We made a plan at the start of the season and it was straightforward,” said Barry Simpson, racing manager to owner Sir Robert Ogden.

“We were going to go for the Tingle Creek, the Desert Orchid Chase, the Game Spirit and then the Queen Mother and everything’s gone well.

“We obviously had a slight hiccup last time, but you have to take those things on the chin and we are delighted with the horse.”

While Simpson has plenty of respect for Well Chief, he is in a confident mood ahead of the big test.

“I’m not saying we’d have beaten Well Chief giving him 10lb, but Voy Por has mixed it with the best and we have an outstanding chance,” he added.

“This horse will improve an awful lot next season as he’s lightly raced, but we could not be happier with the horse and I think he’s got an excellent chance.

“For me he will certainly finish in the first three. He never runs a bad race.”

Nickname, a five-time winner in Ireland this season, looks set to take his chance for Martin Brassil, although drying ground is a worry for the confirmed mudlark.

“Ruby (Walsh) walked the track on Friday and was happy with the ground so we decided to travel,” the trainer said.

“The big test will be seeing how the horses come out of the races today and what the jockeys say about the ground after riding on it.

“I am very happy with the horse. He has travelled over great and I hope he is looking forward to it as much as me.

“I am not worried about what he has beaten so far as he has coasted round in every race and every time he has won has been by 12 to 15 lengths, so I don’t know what he has to do to prove himself.”

Kevin Bishop’s Ashley Brook returned to action with a scintillating success over timber at Prestbury Park earlier in the year.

Runner-up in the 2005 Arkle, he filled the same spot behind Well Chief at Newbury.

“We wanted to get a run over fences into him before Cheltenham and I was happy enough. He just seemed to flatten out a little in the straight,” Bishop explained.

“I thought he ran about a stone below form really, but we’re not making excuses as Well Chief was very impressive and had more in the tank.

“It’s a very open race tomorrow. You can’t underestimate Newmill either or Voy Por Ustedes as they thought that was a hot Arkle last year.”

Bishop is content enough with the going at Cheltenham, but admits it will prove tough for Ashley Brook to burn off his rivals with give in the ground.

“I think he’s probably been most impressive on better ground,” he added.

“It’s just a bit tougher front-running on bottomless ground as you’re more likely to come back to them.”