Cheltenham like reaching Croke Park or Olympics for Cork trainer Terence O'Brien

Cork-trainer Terence O'Brien is dreaming of Irish success at the Cheltenham Festival this week, outside of the dominance of the big two Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, revealing a feeling of reaching "the Olympics" or "Croke Park" after a five-year absence.

O’Brien has found a stable star in Answer to Kayf for his small operation in the south of the country and has settled on Friday's Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.

The Albert Bartlett was the alternative for the winner of a novice hurdle at Naas in February and previously a third in a Grade 2 at Limerick over Christmas.

He will also run Emancipator in the Pertemps Network Handicap on Thursday in what will be his first Cheltenham entry in five years.

The romance is not lost on O’Brien even 30 years on since he began training horses.

Speaking to RTÉ Sport, he said: "Look, there's fierce excitement in the yard, for a small yard like us, to get to the 'Olympics’. If it’s not the Olympics it's definitely Croke Park, so it is fantastic just to even get there.

"But to be there with a horse like Answer to Kayf, who's got a live chance, is pretty exciting. We haven't been there that often, so you look forward to it.

"The Irish have been so dominant for the last couple of years, but I supposed from a smaller yard, it is fantastic to part of it and to be there with a chance. But, like, it’s so hard to get there and with a horse good enough (to be there and that could win).

"Our bread and butter is the daily routine and the likes of going to Tramore or Clonmel or whatever and we're delighted to even compete and win there.

"Everyone is excited about getting to the pinnacle and for us for our sport obviously Cheltenham is the pinnacle so yeah we are excited, no doubt