Dave Nevison: my top tips for Cheltenham on Friday

Day one of the Showcase Meeting at Cheltenham on Friday signals that jumping is well and truly back. It is really exciting to get stuck into some quality big-field handicaps again and I have three fancies.

Nayati may just be thrown in for this high-profile conditional jockeys’ event, having won off a higher mark in the past.

He was dropped in the weights largely due to the time he spent off the course. When he ran at Perth a month ago, after nearly three years off the track, he was apparently expected to need the run but it didn’t stop him prevailing at 16-1.

He put up a useful performance to come from off the pace in a slowly-run race and definitely looked as if he had upside in him despite being an eight-year-old.

Theo Gillard resumes the partnership and, in common with trainer Donald McCain, has been in excellent form in late summer. Nayati has been given enough time to prevent him “bouncing” and looks as though he has been aimed at this event. A good run looks assured.

Mulberry Hill was a winner for me last week, who I went with because she was reappearing after a wind op for Fergal O’Brien. Onagatheringstorm is another such candidate and I am happy to go in again.

This gelding was at his best in the autumn last year, finishing runner-up at this meeting and running a good third at the big November meeting, having won at Aintree in the spring.

His final two efforts in competitive contests were disappointing but, in hindsight, his weak finishes can possibly be attributed to breathing issues. He arrives here fresh and lower in the weights that at any time last term. He looks set to go close if the trip to the vet has done the job.

Christian Williams is now firmly established as an excellent trainer of staying chasers and certainly one who knows his way around the handicapping system better than most.

Powerful Position has followed a path that is becoming familiar for a young Williams-trained chaser, starting off from an almost unfeasibly low mark and running up a sequence of victories in very modest races

This horse did not immediately take to fences but his jumping has improved with experience and, although Cheltenham will be a stern test, he looks to be ready for it.

Cheekpieces now accompany his regular tongue strap and he has an excellent young amateur in Freddie Gordon in the saddle. The handicapper generously dropped Powerful Position 2lb for his reappearance run at Chepstow and hopefully he can build on that here.