Daly unconcerned about Cheltenham watering
As he put the finishing touches to the preparation of Tote Gold Cup hope Behrajan, who worked yesterday under big-race pilot Richard Johnson, Daly said: "Of course it's a subjective view.
"If Best Mate wanted heavy ground then Henrietta (Knight, who has been against watering) wouldn't mind watering and I don't blame her at all for that.
"As far as Behrajan is concerned, soft ground would help him in that it would make the others go slower.
"I have to say he has never looked as big and well at this stage of a season as he does now. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing."
Behrajan was sweating down his neck and more often than not that is not a good sign, but Daly was not in the slightest bit worried. In fact he was delighted and said: "If he wasn't doing that I'd be seriously worried that's him.
"Interestingly, he didn't sweat when he went to run in Ireland at Navan and just didn't operate, but it was only afterwards that it clicked with me."
Behrajan's well-being was illustrated as he attempted to part company with Johnson. But the jockey was too smart for him and said: "He's also in the Grand National, but I think at Ascot in December he put up the handicap performance of the season and on that score he deserves a crack at the Gold Cup.
"He felt in great form this morning. He couldn't be better and is ready to do himself justice. You can't ask for any more than that."
Daly also had news of impressive Kempton winner Hand Inn Hand.
He said: "He'll go for the Arkle (two miles) if it's soft. If it was good ground he would go for the Cathcart (two miles five furlongs).
"I think he will develop more into a two-miler, but if he learns to settle as he gets stronger he will stay three miles."
Meanwhile, Mark Bradburne looks set to miss Cheltenham after taking a crashing fall from Clever Thyne in the Tote 'National Hunt' Novices' Handicap Hurdle at Ludlow, ironically won by his 'stablemate' Richard Johnson on Quiet Water.
The outcome starkly illustrated the contrasting fortunes the jumping game can throw up because only hours earlier both jockeys had been putting Henry Daly's Festival team through their paces.
However, Bradburne bravely remained upbeat and said with a wry smile: "It's one of those things, but I'm certainly not giving up and will go for X-rays when I get home.
"When I move my neck something crunches so it may be broken, but I've never broken anything before so I don't know what it really feels like, although I have dislocated my collar-bone before."
Bradburne had several rides already in the pipeline for the big meeting.
