Jumps Racing Action for Cheltenham on Friday, November 12

We've got some good quality stuff ahead of us at Cheltenham on Friday, and there's a number of recognizable names set to make statements here that may just carry over into festival season.

In the 1:15 at Cheltenham, we've got amateur riders squaring off and it looks like the bulk of the money will likely be heading towards Quattrocento, who boasts a course and distance score here after conquered a very similar race back in mid-October. He got a dream trip that day and faces tougher competition here so we'll be trying to beat him by selecting THEATRICAL MOMENT who comes out of Jonjo O'Neill's yard for a seasonal debut.

He was running at grade 3 level towards the end of last season, and will be coming into this one at what looks to be just the right time. There's an interesting outside bet available here on Cornish Sett, who will likely go off at a big price and could be a fantastic each-way selection, though he needs a little too much to go in his favour he may be worth a gamble. 

We've got a grade 2 clash in the 1:50 and there are some very nice-looking novices here with some even better-looking records. Undefeated CUE CARD looks the play here, and he made a major statement last March by winning the Grade 1 Champion Bumper. He also defeated the widely-respected Al Ferof and then got his season off to a roaring debut at Aintree when sent off as a 1/2 favourite without even really being pushed. He's up against quality hurdlers here but he is head-and-shoulders above the competition on paper. 

The 2:25 is a really tricky-looking handicap chase and there's going to be some quality prices thanks to real stand out favourites for this 2m chase. We'll be climbing aboard RIVALISTE who comes out of the Nicholls' yard and we expect he'll have learned his lesson after running a real nightmare in the Jewson Novices' chase at this year's festival.

He made nearly half a dozen mistakes and still finished 7 from 20 and had been going gangbusters prior to that. Nicholls is sending him for a seasonal debut at Cheltenham for a reason and you can expect him to have ironed out the inadequacies that plagued him last time.

It's tough to bet against GARDE CHAMPETRE in the 3:00 as it runs over a course he generally eats up and he is simply one of the best in the business going anywhere near this distance. He didn't perform to expectations at this year's festival but there was more than one mistake and he just didn't really look the business.

He wasn't campaigned properly last season and ran at 2m in two of his races and that just doesn't make sense when you have such a proven staying chaser. Sizing Australia comes into this one with a bit of fanfare but only gets 3 pounds on the top-weighted Nina Carberry-piloted gelding. 

We will be siding with a longer-odds selection here in the 3:35 by backing RHUM who gets Sam Twistin-Davies aboard again for this trip. The pair combined for Rhum's maiden score and he should handle the stretch out in distance here. He will be going off at a solid price and should be a decent each-way punt. There isn't much between many of these contenders and it looks a good opportunity to back an outside selection. 

You'd struggle to wager against REVE DE SIVOLA in the 4:05 final race on the card as he drops down sharply and tackles handicap hurdles company as a Grade 1 winner. This is a high-quality hurdler who will certainly land on the board and he will likely be looking to track the leaders and then make a real charge on the last flight. He loves the Cheltenham course and will be looking to make a real statement against this much more limited field.