Five big-name jumps horses set to return this weekend - including a potentially classy chasing debutant

The jumps season ramps up a gear this weekend with Cheltenham's two-day Showcase meeting and Aintree's Old Roan Chase card taking place. Here are five big-name entries to note . . .

Gale Mahler

3.00 Cheltenham, Friday: 2m½f Grade 2 novice hurdle

The Adrian Keatley-trained mare comes into this race on a six-race winning sequence, with her last four victories coming over hurdles.

The five-year-old gave 6lb and a beating to subsequent wide-margin Persian War Novices' Hurdle winner Flying Fortune in a novice hurdle at Uttoxeter in June. She was last seen in July when scoring by an impressive ten lengths in Listed company at the Galway festival.

British raider Gale Mahler (Henry Brooke) makes it six wins in a row

Gale Mahler: brought up the six-timer when scoring at Galway in JulyCredit: Caroline Norris

Decent ground is clearly important to Gale Mahler, so forecast conditions at Cheltenham should suit, while her official mark of 135 is the highest in the field.

Gale Mahler15:00 Cheltenham

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Jky: Henry Brooke Tnr: Adrian Paul Keatley

Broadway Boy

2.20 Cheltenham, Saturday: 3m1f handicap chase

This six-year-old disappointed in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree's Grand National festival when last seen in April, having previously missed an intended engagement in the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival due to a lung infection.

He reappears with his yard in fine form, however, and his form figures at Cheltenham read a promising 1211.

His only defeat at the track came when chasing home Flooring Porter in a novice chase on this card last year. He looks open to improvement as a second-season chaser and is running off a mark only 3lb higher than when scoring at Cheltenham in December, when he had subsequent Ryanair Chase winner Protektorat back in third.

Broadway Boy14:20 Cheltenham

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Jky: Sam Twiston-Davies Tnr: Nigel Twiston-Davies

Kalif Du Berlais

3.30 Cheltenham, Saturday: 2m½f Masterson Holdings Hurdle

Kalif Du Berlais was a dual winner as a juvenile hurdler last season – both victories coming at Kempton – supplementing a seven-and-a-half-length success on stable debut in January when landing the following month's Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle.

Reportedly bought as a future Gold Cup horse, he skipped Cheltenham's Triumph Hurdle in favour of the 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree, where he finished a distant third behind Sir Gino and Kargese.

Kalif Du Berlais -Harry Cobden wins from Givemefive

Kalif Du Berlais (right): narrow winner of the Adonis HurdleCredit: Mark Cranham

His sights are set to be lowered significantly for his seasonal reappearance on Saturday, but it is a slight concern that Paul Nicholls' horses have tended to need a run this season.

Kalif Du Berlais15:30 Cheltenham

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Jky: Harry Cobden Tnr: Paul Nicholls

Johnnywho

4.05 Cheltenham, Saturday: 3m½f novice chase

Johnnywho made a winning hurdling debut at Carlisle in November and caught the eye when a staying-on fourth in the Challow Hurdle next time.

He was not quite at that level on his next two starts, but bounced back to form when fourth in a competitive big-field handicap hurdle at Aintree's Grand National festival when last seen.

A former wide-margin point-to-point winner, Johnnywho looks like a potentially classy chasing recruit for Jonjo and AJ O'Neill.

Johnnywho16:05 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: Jonjo & A J O'Neill

Ahoy Senor

1.50 Aintree, Sunday: 2m4f Virgin Bet Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase

The popular Ahoy Senor generally struggled for form last season but benefitted from the return to Aintree when a half-length second to Gerri Colombe in the Bowl here in April, a performance that produced a joint-career-high Racing Post Rating of 170.

Gerri Colombe (left) was an up-to-scratch winner of the Bowl at Aintree

Ahoy Senor: went close in the Aintree Bowl last timeCredit: Michael Steele (Getty Images)

Ahoy Senor's Bowl run brought his form figures at Aintree to 11322, and he is set to return to the track to contest Sunday's Old Roan Chase.

The 2m4f trip looks on the short side though, and trainer Lucinda Russell has reported this to be a tune-up for next month's Betfair Chase at Haydock.