1:10 Cheltenham Tips

Dan Skelton has his horse running well. A Pai De Nom has been out twice this season. He started with a win at Newcastle in a class four race and followed that up with a second in a class three race, also at Newcastle. He again races in a class three race and in what appears a very competitive opening to the Cheltenham November meeting, a top five finish is not out of the question.

Has the benefit of a recent run and should strip fitter for the experience. The step up in trip looks a plus given his background as a former point-to-pointer. His novice hurdle win at Exeter reads well, with both the second and third franking the form multiple times since.

Recent first-time winning jockey goes for in-form David Pipe here, stripping off 10 lbs from this horse. She has shown enough in decent company to suggest an adjusted mark of 105 could be workable, notably a Listed Hurdle 4th in and around much better horses than this off level weights. She won with 13L in hand off level weights with a now 119 rated horse in 2nd first time up last season, so she could be one to catch when fresh. Whilst the trip is an unknown, she did finish 3rd in a P2P, so could take to this stiff test. She’ll be bottom weight with the claim on ground she should very much appreciate.

This horse has one of the better jockeys on board in this Conditionals race, and he is also able to claim 3lb off this bottom weight. The horse has first-time cheekpieces now too and has an unexposed profile. This looks to be his trip, having been placed on his only previous run over it where he was 2nd at 11/4 to the hot favorite. But the winner there is now rated 137, so the fact this horse was just 11/4 to beat him suggests this mark of 113 might underestimate him. His bumper win would also suggest that he's on a lenient mark here.

El Capitaine has won his last five races four point wins and following a move to Kayley Woollacott's stable he held on by a nose to win a handicap hurdle at Newton Abbot under Harry Cobden. He could follow up under Tiernan Power Roche a good choice for this conditional jockeys handicap.