Friday ITV Racing Tips: Three to back on the first day of Cheltenham's Christmas meeting

• Skelton hurdler can get Friday ball rolling

• Chaser who has excellent record fresh to go in

• Ex-French cross country runner to strike for Mullins

13:15 Cheltenham - Back Fortune De Mer @ 10/34.33

Cheltenham's Christmas meeting kicks off on Friday and there are some competitive races for us to get stuck into, starting with this handicap hurdle that opens ITV's coverage.

The bang-in-form French Emperor has made a smooth transition to life in handicaps, winning his last two starts, including at the last meeting here where he sluiced through the heavy ground to beat to Jack Hyde by just over a length.

He clearly commands plenty of respect, but this is a much deeper race and he does have a 7lb rise to contend with.

I prefer the claims of Fortune De Mer, who was also a winner at Cheltenham a couple of starts back and ran well to be a length second to Trustintimes at Ascot on his most recent outing.

It's possible he was ridden with a touch too much confidence that day given his rival kept finding off the bridle and this smooth-travelling sort looks like he has more wins in him for the Skelton team.

13:50 Cheltenham - Back L'Homme Presse @ 4/15.00

The classy L'Home Presse has a fine record fresh, and he is taken to win on his comeback in this 3m 2f handicap chase.

Venetia Williams' 10-year-old was third on his return in the King George at Kempton last season before going on to win the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase at this track in January, beating Stage Star.

Although into the veteran stage now, the selection always runs his race first time up, as his impeccable record attests, and he holds a class edge against this level of opposition. Of course, given he is a cut above these rivals in form terms, he does have top weight to shoulder, but that doesn't put me off given all the other factors in L'Homme Presse's favour.

He's also at his best on left-handed tracks, so it's easy to forgive his poor showing when last seen pulling up at Ascot in February.

Of those further down the weights, King Turgeon is probably the most interesting.

A three-time winner at the start of last season, he was entitled to need his comeback run at Aintree (having had a breathing op) and he'll appreciate getting back over a longer trip here.

15:00 Cheltenham - Back J'Arrive De L'Est E/W @ 13/27.50

They may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the cross country races provide a decent spectacle and there are several of interest in this one, headed by Irish raider J'Arrive De L'est, a new recruit to the Emmet Mullins yard.

The former French-trained chaser scored twice for Daniela Mele last season and backed up the latest of those with a fair seventh place finish when last seen in March. He also possesses vital experience in this sort of contest, having taken a pair of cross country events at Pau in 2024.

That experience could well be the things that gives him an edge over several of these, although there are a couple of French-trained runners who ought to be capable of providing stiff resistance.

Iceo Madrik has plenty of cross country experience himself and, though it has to be a concern that he refused on his most recent start, he's probably still the pick of the pair of David Cottin runners.

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