Silver can grab the Cheltenham treasures

Stolen Silver can make it two from two for the season in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Cheltenham tomorrow.

The £45,000 contest is the most valuable race on a six-race card which gets the November meeting at Prestbury Park under way and it is unsurprisingly a competitive affair.

Stolen Silver won twice over hurdles when trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and kept good company as a novice chaser last season – placing behind Eldorado Allen at Newton Abbot and Allmankind at Warwick.

The six-year-old disappointed on a couple of occasions when switched back to the smaller obstacles after the turn of the year.

But a switch of stables during the off-season appears to have had the desired effect, with Stolen Silver dominating his rivals to make an impressive debut for Sam Thomas at Market Rasen last month.

He was faced with only a couple of rivals switched back to the larger obstacles, but the runner-up and odds-on favourite Beyond The Clouds was race-fit and is a smart performer on his day.

What was most notable about Stolen Silver’s performance was how well he jumped out in front – and if he can get in a similar rhythm at Prestbury Park, he could make his 4lb rise look very lenient indeed.

One of the potential stars on show is the Dan Skeltontrained My Drogo, who kicks off his career over fences in the November Novices’ Chase.

After finishing second in a Cheltenham bumper last autumn, the Milan gelding went on to win each of his four starts over hurdles – rounding off his campaign with Grade One success at Aintree in April.

He is undoubtedly one of the most exciting novice chase prospects in the country and could go to the very top if his jumping stands up to the test.

Potters Corner should make his presence felt in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase.

The 2019 Welsh Grand National hero finished third on his cross-country debut in this race 12 months ago on what was his first start of the campaign. Having subsequently disappointed, he returns to the Cotswolds dangerously well treated, with his mark some 11lb lower than it was last year. It was admittedly hard to take much encouragement from his recent reappearance at Aintree, but that should have blown away a few cobwebs.

Gelino Bello is expected to prove hard to beat in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old won a Plumpton

bumper on his introduction before finishing third in a strong Listed event at Newbury.