Events / Graham Cunningham / 15 November 2007 /

Graham Cunningham runs through the selections for this weekend's action in Gloucestershire

One season screeches to a halt as another slips into overdrive.

It's time to move on from the duel between Sanders and Spencer which lit up the last six weeks of the Flat season. And time to lay down some plans for a six-week spell in the jumps campaign which is among my favourites in the entire year.

First off, I pledge to do my utmost to avoid the entire output of "I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here." Secondly, I promise that the cocker spaniel pup who has taken over the Cunningham household recently will be full house trained by Christmas.

And thirdly, I promise to make this weekend's Open Meeting at Cheltenham a real springboard for the rest of my punting winter.

The anticipation ahead of jumping's first major showcase of the season could hardly be higher. No fewer than nine subsequent Festival scorers - and the Grand National hero Silver Birch - were on show at this fixture 12 months ago.

This year's cast list looks well up to scratch, but some of them will fluff their lines and I'm hoping that L'ANTARTIQUE will be one of them.

Ferdy Murphy's gelding is pushing hard for favouritism in Saturday's Paddy Power Gold Cup market in the wake of Don't Push It's shock withdrawal.

Is he capable of running well? Of course he is. But is he attractively priced at around [6.4] on Betfair? Not in my book he isn't. Murphy is adamant that L'Antartique will come on for his reappearance win at Carlisle. He needs to land a brutally competitive handicap such as this and a small win and place lay looks well worth the risk.

As for a bet in the win market, GRANIT JACK is surely good enough to have a say from a mark of just 133, while BOB HALL is surely more than just a second string to Don't Push It based on his fine reappearance effort here.

Bold efforts are expected from both, while those who enjoy dabbling in the place markets - which have been enlivened by going live in-running recently - might find it worthwhile to take on the frustrating COPSALE LAD and the one-paced PALARSHAN.

Day one of the Open Meeting is an odd affair, not least because the Countryside Alliance seem to take over things while conveniently forgetting that foxhunting has been an illegal activity for some while now.

The tented village is a must if you are after a pair of Charlie Mann-style custard coloured corduroys as a Christmas present for your worst enemy, but the mobile phone is even more important for those seeking to back a winner or two.

Enda Bolger's ageless Spot Thedifference will carry huge popular support as he bids to land the big cross country chase for the fourth year running at 14:30. And good luck to him as he approaches his 15th birthday, but the advice here is to snaffle the best odds available about LE DUC and then lay him to lock in a profit in-running.

Granted, this enigmatic gelding has more natural ability than he cares to share with the general public - hence the fact that some cynics have dubbed him "Le Dog" - but this quirky course seems to fire his imagination.

In retrospect, he was probably ridden too aggressively when third behind Heads On The ground here back in March. Expect considerably more restraint from Sam Thomas this time. And expect the in-play backers to be tempted by odds a good deal shorter than his starting price when Le Duc looms up travelling strongly on the final swing for home.

The other two recommendations for Friday are a back of IMPERIAL COMMANDER in the novice chase and a lay of SPECTAIT in the featured novice hurdle.

Imperial Commander gave Anthony Evans his first Cheltenham success at the 65th attempt on his chasing debut. A repeat performance looks very much on the cards if he jumps with the same fluency this time, while Spectait was a very good Flat horse but will need to leave the bare form of his Aintree hurdling debut well behind to subdue a clutch of smart rivals in the Grade 2 contest at 15:05.

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