Cheltenham returns! Four horses, including one for Willie Mullins, with entries at the Showcase meeting

The first Saturday meeting at Cheltenham since January takes place this weekend and the Showcase meeting remains a crucial one with an eye to the future. Our West Country correspondent James Stevens picks out four horses to look out for after entries were made on Monday.

Give It To Me Oj

There is a dual Derby winner heading to the home of jump racing for the Masterson Holdings Hurdle (3.30). 

The Gary and Josh Moore-trained four-year-old was a smart juvenile hurdler last season, finishing fourth in the Grade 1 at Aintree before winning the £100,000 Novices' Championship Final at Sandown on the final day of the campaign.

Fitness will not be an issue as he is two from two on the Flat this season, scoring at Epsom in the Jump Jockeys Derby before landing the Apprentices' Derby 17 days later.

The Moore stable won this with Botox Has a few seasons ago, and Give It To Me Oj could emerge into a top hurdler this season.

Chart Topper

A Willie Mullins Cheltenham runner, say no more. It is rare for Britain and Ireland's champion trainer to have representatives at this meeting, but there is qualification for the festival up for grabs in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (2.55).

Chart Topper has some promising form in big handicaps, having finished sixth behind Jeriko Du Reponet at the Punchestown festival. He has not been seen since finishing third at Galway this summer but has to be respected for Mullins, whose sole runner at this meeting in 2022, Dads Lad, was a winner.

The Changing Man

It is a return to Cheltenham for the Joe Tizzard-trained eight-year-old after his excellent second to Myretown in the Ultima at the festival in March.

The Changing Man: could return to Cheltenham this weekendCredit: Getty Images

The Changing Man was a model of consistency last term, placing in the Rehearsal, Silver Cup and Great Yorkshire Chase, and winning the Reynoldstown, while he signed off last term with a solid third in the Grade 1 Mildmay at Aintree.

He surely has another big pot in him this season and he is one of two entered for the £100,000 handicap chase (2.20) for Tizzard, with Rock My Way also a possible runner.

Pour Les Filles

Impressive nine-length maiden hurdle winner Pour Les Filles could outline his credentials as an Albert Bartlett type in the 3m novice hurdle (1.45).

The Gordon Elliott-trained seven-year-old won at 1-9 at Downpatrick ten days ago and is clearly a promising prospect for this season, having also finished fifth in the Aintree bumper last season.

This could prove to be an informative race with a view to the future, with Conman John another eye-catching entry.

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