Cheltenham previewMartin Pipe's record at Cheltenham's Open meeting bears close scrutiny and the feature Paddy Power Gold Cup is a race the champion trainer has a liking for.

Indeed, no fewer than six of the last 10 winners have hailed from the Nicholashayne base, and a number of them have been well supported into favouritism.

This year has seen the money laid down on Our Vic, and with the David Johnson-owned gelding now sharing a place at the head of the market, a big run is certainly on the cards.

A quick look at his latest form figures would suggest that backing the seven-year-old son of Old Vic was bordering on lunacy, but they do not reflect his true talents.

Although a useful novice hurdler, the timber was soon to make way for larger obstacles and, after an impressive chasing debut, he showed his true colours to take a Grade Two event on his second start over fences.

A visit to the Festival for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase was next on the agenda, and although turned over as the strong favourite, third place in a Championship race is little to be ashamed of.

A length and a half clear of Saturday's chief rival Monkerhostin, and staying on well, a return to winning ways looked imminent when making his reappearance here last December, but he came to grief at the final fence. That fall clearly dented his confidence as he looked a shadow of his former self in his next two starts.

However, given a good break since, his former swagger at the fences can be regained, and off his current rating, a clear round would make him hard to beat.

There is certainly no shortage of quality action at Prestbury Park today, and in the Grade Three Servo Computer Services Trophy Handicap Chase another useful performer, King Harald, is making his seasonal reappearance.

Nothing special over timber three seasons ago, King Harald was returning from over 20 months on the sidelines when making an inauspicious start to his career over fences by falling in his first two chases late last year.

A subsequent narrow defeat in a three-mile Newcastle beginners' chase hardly marked him down as a Cheltenham Festival prospect, but what followed certainly did.

First of all scraping home at Newbury and then producing a much-improved performance to give 152-rated Ollie Magern a harder race than anybody could possibly have expected in a Grade Two chase over three miles and one furlong at Wetherby.

He then ended the season with a Listed handicap win at the Festival, doing so in the style of a progressive performer who can only improve this season.

Lingo has the potential to develop into a top-drawer performer this season and can kick his campaign off in fine style with victory in the valuable Greatwood Handicap Hurdle tomorrow.

Centrepiece of the final day of the meeting, the Grade Two event attracts some of the finest hurdlers in the land, but Jonjo O'Neill's lightly-rated gelding could steal a march on the leading lights.

A fine handicapper on the Flat for the Ramsdens, the six-year-old translated some of that form over timber when winning on his debut.

Albuhera was a blistering winner on his recent debut over fences at Wetherby and will play a leading role in the Independent Newspaper Novices' Chase. His form over hurdles entitles him to be a top novice chaser, but he exceeded expectations when easily outpointing the very highly-rated Rebel Rhythm a fortnight ago.

This is always a traditionally strong contest, won by the likes of Best Mate and Fundamentalist in recent years, but Paul Nicholls knows the novice chasing division inside out and must think a fair bit of the seven-year-old.

1.05 - Star Member

1.35 - Tumbling Dice

2.10 - Rooftop Protest

2.45 - King Harald

3.20 - Our Vic (nap)

3.55 - Kasbah Bliss

DOUBLE

King Harald

and Our Vic