RACING: Nicky Henderson's First Love will be expected to book his ticket to Cheltenham with victory at Folkestone today.

The strapping seven-year-old Bustino gelding, who runs in the colours of Queen Elizabeth, would ideally be served by a trip of three miles or more and his Festival target is the Royal & SunAlliance Chase.

But he still has the form in the book to take the folkestone-racecourse.co.uk Novices' Chase and will still appreciate the step up to 21 furlongs which is as far as he has gone so far in a career which has not yet quite hit the heights.

To be fair he has hardly done a thing wrong so far - never out of the first two in 10 starts - and a chasing career was expected to be the making of him.

However, he could not cope with the turn of foot shown by the ill-fated Montalcino over an extended two miles, two furlongs at Newbury in December.

But he had jumped for fun over the big fences at the Berkshire track and it was no disgrace to chase home a horse of whom big things had been expected had he not been fatally injured next time out.

First Love has always shaped like a real stayer in the making and the he can make short work of his rivals today.

Palua is another with Cheltenham aspirations and ought to be up to taking the Come Racing At Folkestone Maiden Hurdle if in the mood.

He travelled like a class horse on his timber debut for Emma Lavelle at Haydock but got hustled out of it on the run-in having looked the most likely winner jumping the last.

To say he does not win as often as he should is an understatement but his class should be more than enough to see him through here.

Tactful Remark is unbeaten in two starts and cannot be opposed in the Burmarsh Novices' Hurdle for the Martin Pipe-Tony McCoy partnership.

River Ness can make a successful debut over fences for trainer Nicky Richards in the Tattersalls (Ireland)/European Breeders' Fund Mares' Only Novices' Chase (Qualifier) at Sedgefield. This season the seven-year-old has only finished out of the frame on one occasion out of four runs.

There are 17 entries for one of the Tote Eider Northern National at Newcastle on Saturday. There is one surprise among the acceptors for the marathon handicap chase with the inclusion of the Martin Pipe-trained Deano's Beeno, winner of the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on December 20th last year when he defeated the mighty Baracouda.

Also among the possible contenders is the 2000 Scottish Grand National winner Paris Pike, whom trainer Ferdy Murphy recently confirmed a runner.