Four eyecatching runners on Cheltenham's Friday card - including a festival fancy and a cross-country contender

Cheltenham's two-day December meeting kicks off on Friday and here are four eyecatching runners on the seven-race card . . .

Caldwell Potter

12.40 Cheltenham: 2m4½f novices' chase

A Grade 1-winning novice hurdler for Gordon Elliott last season, Caldwell Potter was sold for a National Hunt record of €740,000 as part of Andrew and Gemma Brown’s Caldwell Construction dispersal sale in February.

The son of Martaline subsequently joined Paul Nicholls and made a winning stable debut when landing a novice chase at Carlisle at the beginning of this month.

Caldwell Potter: made a winning chase debut at CarlisleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Owners Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason, John Hales and Peter Done step the six-year-old up in class and trip on Friday, where his rivals include chasing debutant Jango Baie, a Grade 1 winning novice hurdler himself for Nicky Henderson last season.

Caldwell Potter is a best-priced 20-1 for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Caldwell Potter12:40 Cheltenham

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Jky: Harry Cobden Tnr: Paul Nicholls

Valgrand

1.15 Cheltenham: 2m1f handicap hurdle

Dan Skelton's five-year-old won his first two hurdles starts at odds-on and brought up the hat-trick in spectacular fashion when running out a 17-length winner of a Grade 2 novice hurdle on the Old course here in October.

Valgrand was sent off the 5-6 favourite when stepped up to 2m5f back at Cheltenham last time but couldn't live with the classy Potters Charm, finishing an 11-length runner-up.

Valgrand (far): no match for Potters Charm last timeCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

It is no surprise to see him drop back in trip on the back of that performance, while a handicap mark of 139 has the potential to underestimate him.

Valgrand13:15 Cheltenham

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Jky: Harry Skelton Tnr: Dan Skelton

Shan Blue

2.25 Cheltenham: 2m4½f veterans' handicap chase

This son of Shantou has found life tough since falling three out in the 2021 Charlie Hall Chase with the race seemingly at his mercy.

It is now 12 runs since his last win, which came in the 2020 Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase on Kempton's King George card, but he did come close to breaking his duck in a couple of handicap chases at Ascot last season and finished a solid fourth on seasonal reappearance over 3m at Bangor last month.

Dropping back in trip shouldn't inconvenience Shan Blue on that evidence and he's handicapped to win races off a mark of 141.

Shan Blue14:25 Cheltenham

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Jky: Harry Skelton Tnr: Dan Skelton

Iceo Madrik

3.00 Cheltenham: 3m5½f cross-country chase

France took this season's opening cross-country race at Cheltenham courtesy of the Gabriel Leenders-trained Sweet David, and his compatriot Iceo Madrik rates a leading contender in the Crystal Cup.

The six-year-old comes into Friday's race seeking a hat-trick following back-to-back wins at Compiegne, his most recent success coming in Listed company under Thomas Journiac – who retains the partnership at Cheltenham.

Iceo Madrik runs in the Professor Caroline Tisdall silks and had a brief career in Britain with David Pipe, when he was pulled up in all but one of his five starts.

Iceo Madrik15:00 Cheltenham

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Jky: Tnr: D Cottin

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