Cheltenham card book-ended by quality contests as Potters Charm bids to confirm star potential in warm-up for Turners

One of the most exciting horses set to appear away from the ITV cameras at Cheltenham is Potters Charm, who will bid to extend his unbeaten record to six in the Grade 2 Ais Novices’ Hurdle (4.10).

He emerged as a leading candidate for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March after dropping down in trip and landing Aintree’s Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle last month from Miami Magic.

Connections believe his hurdling is getting sharper with each run and the step back up in trip here should see him in an even better light.

Willy Twiston-Davies, assistant trainer to his father Nigel, said: "He's really exciting and looks in really good form at home. He's been schooling brilliantly, his work has been really good, and we have no negatives. He should take all the beating.”

Twiston-Davies's The New One finished a neck second to At Fisher’s Cross in this race in 2013, with subsequent Gold Cup winner Coneygree 12 lengths adrift in third, before going on to land the Turners by four lengths from Rule The World.

Nigel Twiston-Davies: trainer of Potters CharmCredit: Edward Whitaker

Potters Charm, generally 7-1 for the Turners, is also quoted for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at 33-1.

Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero field two of the leading fancies, Billytherealbigred and Jagwar, in the opening Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase (12.40).

Billytherealbigred has been a revelation since joining the pair last spring with an official rating of 90, and would be unbeaten in five runs for them if he had not fallen heavily three out when cruising at Ayr in April.

His four wins for the team were all achieved as a four-year-old, and it is likely his ceiling remains higher than his current mark of 131. He is unbeaten in two starts over fences, and this step back up in trip could bring about further improvement after his Exeter victory last month.

Jagwar, who has always been held in high regard, boasts a record of two wins from three starts since sent chasing, and also appears to have plenty more to offer. It would be no surprise if the pair fought out the finish.

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