Offering two days of pre-Christmas racing action, The International returns to Cheltenham Racecourse next Friday and Saturday.
The International meeting regularly showcases top-class race jumping and often gives us some pointers to The Festival itself.
Friday’s card features the finale of the Crystal Cup and it is also Christmas Jumper Day if you are so inclined.
The Saturday is an equally enthralling day with the key race being the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.
Friday Highlights
Tiger Roll is just one of the headline names on day one of The International at Cheltenham.
The eight-year-old, fourth behind Josies Orders over the Cross Country course on his seasonal return at The November Meeting, is entered for the £35,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase.
Gordon Elliott has also entered Grand National third Bless The Wings and Lamb Or Cod, while Ballycasey could line up for Ireland’s champion Jump trainer Willie Mullins.
Enda Bolger, who has won this contest a record seven times, has two entries- Josies Orders, and My Hometown, a recent winner at Punchestown.
The Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase is the final leg of the Crystal Cup (https://crystalcup.org) which will lend itself to plenty of overseas horses taking part.
Coo Star Sivola (Nick Williams), winner of the Ultima Handicap Chase last season is aiming for another major scalp in the £60,000 CF Roberts 25 Years Of Sponsorship Handicap Chase.
Entries for the three and a quarter-mile contest also include Robinsfirth, who took the race 12 months ago. The nine-year-old, trained by Colin Tizzard, then missed the rest of the season through injury.
Joe Tizzard said of the chaser: “Robinsfirth had a little bit of heat in his leg last season but was back in full work at the start of the term and is in good form.
“The owners – Christine Knowles & Wendy Carter – like going to Cheltenham, so he may run there next week. He is ready to run and will enjoy the soft ground.
“He is a chaser with plenty of ability but he is a bit fragile.”
Other interesting entries contenders include this year’s BetVictor Gold Cup scorer Rock The Kasbah (Philip Hobbs) and the 2017 Ultima Handicap Chase runner-up Singlefarmpayment (Tom George).
Click here for our TOP TIPS on Saturday's big race - the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup!
Saturday Highlights
Frodon heads the weights on 11st 12lb for the £130,000 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup, run over an extended two and a half miles on day two of The International at Cheltenham.
Frodon, who took this race as a four-year-old in 2016, ran a gallant race under top-weight on his latest start when finishing runner-up to Baron Alco (11st) in the BetVictor Gold Cup .
Baron Alco has been raised 6lb to a rating of 152 and is bidding to become just the fourth horse in history to win both the BetVictor Gold Cup and Caspian Caviar Gold Cup in the same season.
Baron Alco’s trainer Gary Moore is also saddles the JLT Novices’ Chase third Benatar (10st 11lb), who finished fourth in the recent Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot.
Moore said: “I have been very pleased with Baron Alco since the BetVictor Gold Cup and the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup is his big target now.
“He is 6lb higher in the handicap and whether or not he can cope with that will depend on what else turns up on the day. If it is a similar sort of race to the BetVictor Gold Cup, I don’t think 6lb would stop him.
“Having said that, I am well aware the way he ridden last time was an advantage because he was kept out of trouble in what was an incident-packed race, and there was probably a couple of hard luck stories in behind.
“The ground all comes the same to him. He is in amazing horse with a great attitude and he will go on anything bar extremes.”
Also entered is Guitar Pete (9st 13lb), who stayed on to take third behind Baron Alco last month. The Nicky Richards-trained gelding gained his biggest success over fences when he won last year’s Caspian Caviar Gold Cup by two and three-quarter lengths.
Day two of The International also features the £140,000 International Hurdle, a leading trial for the Champion Hurdle at next March.
Last year’s race saw the recently retired My Tent Or Yours edge out The New One and Melon in a thrilling finish.
The Tom George-trained Summerville Boy is looking to get his season back on track on Saturday afternoon.
Having finished last season on a high after narrowly beating Kalashnikov in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the six-year-old made his reappearance in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.
However, he proved no match for his rivals that day and toiled home last of four.
