The three-day Open meeting at Cheltenham this weekend is one of the highlights of the jumps season. Leading owner David Johnson has won the feature race, the Paddy Power Gold Cup, on six occasions in the last ten years, and he has five of the 28 entries at the five-day stage. As in previous years second-guessing the Pipe/Johnson plans for this meeting are fraught with danger and that is still the case this autumn despite son David taking over the reigns at Nicholshayne from his father the legendary Martin Pipe.

Preference at this time is for the novice Knowhere trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies. Unbeaten in two starts this term the eight-year-old lacks the experience of his rivals, but his yard remains in cracking form and this grade two winner over hurdles could well go to the very top over the larger obstacles. A handicap mark of 138 is punitive for what he has achieved over fences to date, but he remains a horse of enormous potential and, granted luck in running and safe ground at the weekend, he looks sure to run a big race on Saturday at 12/1 with BetDirect.

In Compliance is considered a potential Gold Cup horse by trainer Michael O’Brien, but with the sad injury to Fondmort he must carry top-weight and Tom Taaffe’s Tumbling Dice is considered the main danger in a cracking renewal.

Taranis heads the market at present (4/1 with BetDirect) and it is worth noting that Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has entered only the jolly at this stage. With a stable full of potential chasing stars it could be significant that Nicholls relies solely on the progressive five-year-old, especially as he is not averse to having more than one representative in major races.

Other highlights include Sunday’s Greatwood Hurdle which sees Champion Hurdle hope Detroit City (currently 8/1 for Champion Hurdle success at BetDirect) take on a couple of potentially well treated Irish raiders in Cuan An Grai and Sweet Wake. Paul Nolan has won the race previously with Accordion Etoile and the former was very impressive when landing the Galway Hurdle last time. Both like to race prominently and Sweet Wake may have the race run to suit for Noel Meade.

If the ground is suitable we could see Paul Nicholls leading Novice hopes Denman and Noland return to the fray. The former was impressive over an inadequate trip at Exeter on his Chase debut and heads the market at 6/1 with BetDirect for the Royal & Sun Alliance Chase at Cheltenham next March, whilst the latter is the 10/1 ante-post favourite with BetDirect for the Arkle at next year’s Festival, despite never having jumped a fence in public.

It is a meeting, which historically Martin Pipe has reigned supreme. Will son David be able to follow in his dad’s giant footsteps? Or will David meet his match in the form of the current Goliath of jump racing Paul Nicholls? Battle will commence on Friday at Prestbury Park.

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