Daryl Carter's Tips: 4/1 Honeyball can pull off Doncaster plan with Skeltons set for Cheltenham success

• NAP Forward Plan can land the Doncaster feature again

• Madara fancied for December Gold Cup but also play In Excelsis Deo

• Haiti Couleurs is a well handicapped horse

• Place £10 bet on any sport on the Betfair Exchange to start your Free Bet Streak

Timeform Superboost

Paul Nicholls' Stage Star is a standing dish around Cheltenham and goes for the December Gold Cup today at 13:50. He's a three-time course and distance winner and is fancied to go well again today.

However, if you fancy he'll run well without winning then you can back him to finish in the top five at the super-boosted price of 1/12.00 from 8/131.61. To take advantage of this super-boosted price just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

*Please Note: This superboost is provided by the Betfair Sportsbook and not by any of our tipsers or writers.

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12:40 Cheltenham - Back Haiti Couleurs @ 6/17.00 1pt

Peaky Boy won well 27 days ago and is respected, but his stamina still needs to be discovered. That's not the case with Rebecca Curtis' Haiti Couleurs - 6/17.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who jumped well and ran out a very comfortable winner at Aintree last time in a straightforward task.

He was unfortunate on his seasonal debut behind Destroytheevidence when making a hash of the final three fences and then being shortened up for room late on against the rail. Still, he showed an excellent attitude to pick up again in the closing stages, leaving the impression that much more would come.

He sits on a very fair rating of 130, and it's only a matter of time before he leaves that behind, as he is worthy of a rating of at least 138 in my book. The seven-year-old was progressive over hurdles last season and will relish this stiff stamina test. I expect him to reverse the form with Destroytheevidence now under the handling of Sean Bowen and kick on and improve again.

Peaky Boy is feared the most ahead of the reliable Destroytheevidence, but the selection is the best handicapped in the field. Take No less than 6/17.00.

13:50 Cheltenham - Back Madara @ 9/25.50 1.5pt

There is plenty to consider in this contest, starting with the consistent GA Law, who ran a blinder at the November meeting when second behind Il Ridotto, and he holds strong each-way claims again with eight winners, seven seconds from runners who placed in the Paddy Power Gold Cup in recent years.

Fugitif was an eye-catcher on his seasonal return in the Paddy Power. Like Il Ridoto then, he has an excellent record the second time out and is expected to improve now that he has returned to the new course.

The angle with Madara - 9/25.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - is the return of the cheekpieces after he caught the eye in Paddy Power. He is a well-handicapped horse when things fall right for him, and this trip could offer an avenue for improvement. He may have been prepped for this race last time, considering his rider made no effort to get close to the front four and didn't pick up his stick once. I have a feeling they felt Ginny's Destiny may have been hard to beat on that occasion, given their line through Grey Dawning and wanted to use the opportunity effectively. That may also explain Tristan Durrell's jockey booking and the run without headgear that saw him to good effect last year. The below Betfair Predicts graphic shows Madara's position at the top of the betting.

Still, he stayed on strongly in the closing stages and considering that was his first start for the yard, he is entitled to improve. He now has Harry Skelton in the plate, sees the headgear return and is back on the new course, which saw him a brilliant winner over In Excelsis Deo on this card last year, where the circuit time compared very favourably to the December Gold Cup winner Fugitf.

He makes plenty of appeal, and this race is surely his ultimate target and a long-term plan, considering former trainer Sophie Leach said that connections wanted to aim at the December Gold Cup last year. He is well handicapped based on his efforts last term and makes plenty of appeal, and I expect him to go off closer to 11/43.75 than his current 9/25.50. Still, take no less than 9/25.50.

13:50 Cheltenham - Back In Excelsis Deo @ 9/110.00 0.5pt e/w (4 places)

In Excelsis, Deo - 9/110.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - must be played as a cover bet considering the circuit time of last year's effort behind Madara, and he is another that is well-treated when things drop right. He is a better jumper than many make out. The latest mishap was a jockey error on closer inspection, and his record before that is strong.

Harry Fry's runner was an outstanding winner at this venue in April in a brilliant time, and he was excruciatingly unlucky in the Cheltenham Plate. The festival race was not run to suit him, held up at the rear of the field, and he found all sorts of trouble. Still, he was a considerable eye-catcher. He loves good ground and is highly progressive.

He is unexposed at this distance and lightly raced. He should get a good pace to aim at, and this new track suits him better than the old. Keep the faith one last time, but weigh the staking plan favourably for Madara.

Back the selection at 8/19.00 or bigger.

14:05 Doncaster - Back Forward Plan @ 4/15.00 1pt

This can go to Forward Plan - 4/15.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who is expected to gain back-to-back victories following his low-key reappearance at Wincanton behind this column's winner, Al Dancer.

Anthony Honeyball's runner notoriously needs his seasonal return, and he is taking the same path as he did before he landed this race last year. His second-time-out record reads 122, and he was firmly on the upgrade at the back end of last season, which included a remarkable finish at Kempton to peg back Al Dancer from an impossible position. That means it's easy to forgive his run at Wincanton, similar to last year.

He is 12lb higher than winning this race last term, but he proved this rating was not beyond him at Aintree when third to Cruz Control in a strong race when things didn't go correctly for him, and he has a record outside of his reappearance with" good" in the going description of 32121229621. Drying ground conditions are firmly in his favour, and he ticks all the boxes with two efforts at this course, resulting in a win and a nose second.

He has been aimed at this race, unlike second favourite Gaboriot, who was due to run over the national fences last week while most of these are exposed. He makes plenty of appeal, and if things fall correctly, he should be landing this race. 4/15.00 or bigger is acceptable.

Podcast selections:

13:50 Cheltenham - Madara / In Excelsis Deo

14:05 Doncaster - Forward Plan

14:25 Cheltenham - Liberty Hunter

14:40 Doncaster - West Balboa

15:00 Cheltenham - No Bet

15:15 Doncaster - Norman Fletcher

15:35 Cheltenham - Joyeuse

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