Tikram, who shaped with a good deal of promise on his reapppearance at Sandown last time, is fancied to go very close in the Victor Chandler Handicap Chase over two miles at Cheltenham this afternoon.

Gary Moore's nine-year-old divided Dempsey and Tysou on ground that would have been plenty soft enough for him after a break of over eight months at the Esher venue this month.

And, unlike the winner, who has a penalty to carry this afternoon, he is guaranteed to be as effective returned to this left-handed course where he has run some of his best races.

Although effective over three miles, he is a highly versatile sort and the likely decent pace of this contest will certainly play to his strengths.

His jumping seems sound these days and he is capable of going well from his low weight.

Dempsey should give a good account but all his form has been on right-handed courses and, although not totally exposed over fences, has something to prove going this way round.

Of the others, Mister McGoldrick and Armaturk have little or no margin for error from their current marks, Fundamentalist has to show that his jumping will stand up in a race of this nature and bigger dangers are the in-form Town Crier, Albuhera and Ground Ball.

Get more racing online at www.racing-north.co.uk.