Rachael Blackmore Exclusive: Jonbon and De Bromhead pair to star at Cheltenham

• Rachael Blackmore previews a big weekend of racing for Betfair

• All eyes on Jonbon on Friday of Cheltenham November Meeting

• Find out which Saturday runner made Rachael miss riding

• DeBromhead pair ar Paddy Power Gold Cup contenders

Stars light up Cheltenham's November Meeting

It's a very exciting weekend of racing ahead, with Cheltenham's November meeting starting on Friday, and a big weekend at Navan. Plenty of potential stars for the season ahead will be having their first runs at the weekend, so it should be a cracking weekend.  

Friday - Jonbon is the one to beat again

The Shloer Chase (14:55) is the main point of attraction on Friday's card at Cheltenham, featuring, as it does, the return of Jonbon. He has been a fantastic horse for Nicky Henderson and JP McManus, he has won 13 of his 17 races over fences.  

He has won the Shloer Chase on his seasonal return in each of the last two seasons, and, winner of the last two renewals of the Tingle Creek Chase too, he is obviously the one to beat again.  

L'Eau Du Sud could be the one to give him most to think about. He won the Grade 1 Henry VIII Chase at Sandown last December and he won the Grade 2 Kingmaker Chase at Warwick in February, and he wasn't beaten for in the Arkle at Cheltenham in March.  Also, Dan Skelton's horses are on fire at the moment, and L'Eau Du Sud won the Arkle Trial at this meeting last year, over Friday's course and distance. He could be Jonbon's biggest danger. 

Henry [De Bromhead] has two runners on Friday, Katakana (16:00) in the novices' handicap hurdle and King's Bucks in the Grade 2 novices' hurdle (15:30). 

Things seemed to click with Katakana back over hurdles at Thurles the last day. She travelled well through her race and she came away from her rivals from the second last flight. The ground was good to yielding at Thurles and it suited her well. This is obviously a much sterner test and, if the ground is more on the soft side, I don't think that that will be in her favour. 

King's Bucks finished second in a bumper at Gowran in March over two and a quarter miles on his debut under Rules, his first run for Henry, and he finished fourth in a maiden hurdle at Galway last time over an extended two miles. 

The step up in trip to two miles and five furlongs should really suit him here. He won his only point-to-point, he just got the better of Ace Brannigan, who is also with Henry now (he runs in the For Auction Novice Hurdle at Navan on Saturday) and who won his maiden hurdle at Tipperary in early October, beating Letos, who won the Listed Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle at Naas on Sunday.   

That form looks rock solid. King's Bucks is nicely-bred, his dam is a half-sister to the top-class Cyrname, and he has the potential to improve considerably for his first run over hurdles and the step up in trip.  

Saturday - De Bromhead horses are PP Gold Cup contenders

July Flower runs in the Arkle Trial (13:45) at Cheltenham on Saturday. She was really impressive in winning a mares' beginners' chase on her chasing debut at Limerick last month - watching her made me miss being a jockey! 

She took to her jumping nicely, she jumped her fences very well in the main. She over-jumped at one or two of them, but she can only improve in that department as she gains experience. She was a high-class mare over hurdles in France and in Ireland, she finished second in a Grade 1 four-year-olds' hurdle in France and she won the Grade 3 mares' hurdle at Leopardstown last Christmas. The ground won't be an issue for her, and she ticks all the boxes for me. 

Henry also runs Coming Up Easy and Theatre Native in a very competitive Paddy Power Gold Cup (14:20). Coming Up Easy is on a major upward curve. He has won each of his last three chases, and he has improved with each one.  

He was impressive in winning a listed handicap chase over two miles and five furlongs at Killarney last time, when he made most of the running. His two previous wins over fences were gained over shorter distances, but he has form over further over hurdles and he saw out the trip well in Killarney. Henry's horses usually improve when they travel to Cheltenham, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Coming Up Easy run a big race. 

Theatre Native was very impressive in winning a Grade 3 mares' chase over two miles four and a half furlongs on the New Course at Cheltenham in April.  

The ground was good that day, so this will probably be a different test for her. I have always found her to be a hard mare to figure out but, given the form that Henry's horses are in at the moment, she has to go there with a chance.

Racing Only Bettor. Listen to the Cheltenham Saturday preview

Now read Paul Nicholls' preview of his yard's Friday runners at Cheltenham