Joe Tizzard relishing Cheltenham return with JPR One

Dan Skelton’s Calico has claimed top honours in the £100,000 feature in each of the past two seasons and having also enjoyed a lucrative success at Ascot last season, returns for the hat-trick bid 6lb higher than 12 months ago.

The 10-year-old faces a host of challengers to his crown, including Tizzard’s teak-tough top-weight JPR One, who was beaten a head by Edwardstone in the Celebration Chase at Sandown in the spring and makes his reappearance at Cheltenham after connections decided against a potential trip to Far Hills for the American Grand National.

“I think he is fit enough to do himself justice. We had America last weekend in the back of our minds so we got going with him fairly sharply,” said Tizzard.

“Yes, it is a lot of weight (12 stone) in a handicap, but I think he can handle that. He seems in good nick, will love the ground and he performed well around there last year.

“He was just unlucky not to have got his Grade One at Sandown, but he seems in wonderful form at home and it is a nice race to start him in. I think he has a big chance of running a huge race and I would be disappointed if he is not bang there.”

While Skelton conceded the opposition will not make things easy for Calico, the champion trainer can find “no negatives” ahead of his first start since May.

“It would be amazing to win it for a third time. He is in great form and we have trained him for it,” Skelton told his Ladbrokes blog.

“I don’t have any negatives at all. It is going to be hard to win it for a third time, of course, but he’s a reliable soldier and, despite his advancing years, he has retained every bit of enthusiasm and, I would say, almost all of his ability, so I am quite positive.”

Henry de Bromhead brings Sky Lord over to take up his place from the bottom of the handicap and with stable jockey Darragh O’Keeffe suspended, Mike O’Connor deputises aboard the seven-year-old.

Sky Lord won at Wexford by 70 lengths at Wexford in July before finishing third in a decent contest at Listowel behind Willie Mullins’s Ocastle Des Mottes.

“That definitely looked a competitive race at Listowel and it seemed that way (in the race),” said De Bromhead, whose stable is in rude health.

“We are really happy with the way they are all running and they seem to be good at the moment, so we are looking forward to running.”

Traprain Law (Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore), Palacio (Sam Thomas) and Sans Bruit for Paul Nicholls also feature.

Gordon Elliott’s consistent hurdler Bowensonfire seeks to break his chasing duck at the fourth time of asking in the Catesby Estates “Chasing Excellence” Novices’ Chase.

The six-year-old faces a tough-looking task, though, against some promising rivals including Skelton’s impressive Uttoxeter scorer Ice Jet, who is also making his fourth start over the larger obstacles.

“It’s going to be quite hard for Ice Jet to beat a couple of higher-rated horses. However, he does get the four-year-old allowance, which is handy and will give him a squeak,” Skelton added.

“”We are biting off a lot here, but he’s been pretty productive through the summer and I don’t see why he won’t run well.”

Willie Mullins has his first Cheltenham runner of the season in the same race with Jarrive De Mee, ridden by son Patrick. Ben Haslam’s Passing Diamond, a winner of two hurdles and three chases during a prolific summer, and Nick Scholfield’s Glen To Glen, complete the field.

A second Mullins runner, Mr Hollywood, looks likely to top the market in the McCoy Contractors Novices’ Hurdle.

The well-travelled six-year-old won a Galway maiden over hurdles in July and was last seen finishing down the field behind Caballo De Mar in the Prix du Cadran on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp.

Kingstonian for the Joseph O’Brien stable and Cosmos D’Ainay for Elliott provide two further darts in a powerful-looking challenge from across the Irish Sea, with Datstheholyallofit, trained by Patrick Neville, looking the best of the home team.