Ben Linfoot on Cheltenham day one | Kim Bailey aiming for November reign

Day one of the Cheltenham November Meeting. Amen Corner this ain’t, we’re merely feeling our way into the round to further borrow from golfing parlance, but, like the opening holes at Augusta National, there is some real beauty to gaze at and birdie chances if you’re in good form.

Kim Bailey will fancy his chances from the tee box. The Andoversford handler is absolutely flying and is operating at a 32% strike-rate in November. And his sole Cheltenham runner on Friday, Does He Know, is a key horse for the day for both punters and bookies alike.

On a hat-trick after a convincing success at this track last month, Does He Know is a best-price of 11/8 for the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and is the clear form pick, with the 3lb penalty for that recent course and distance success an unlikely anchor to his chance.

Bailey isn’t renowned for firing in the winners at this meeting, though. He’s three from 48 at Cheltenham in November, a strike-rate of just 6.25%, but Does He Know does not know that and will be by far the shortest price-horse that Bailey has ever had at Prestbury Park at this time of the season.

His chief rival is Grand Mogul for Nicky Henderson, a more prolific scorer at Cheltenham in the autumn. The Seven Barrows handler has had 25 winners at this meeting since 1997, but is surprisingly 0 from 15 here the last two years with six of those beaten at 3/1 or shorter.

Grand Mogul looked good at Chepstow on his return last month. He’ll have to improve from that to beat Does He Know, but he could do, and that run of Henderson reverses at this meeting can’t last much longer, can it?

Indeed, he might’ve already had a winner for the Queen by the time they’re parading for the second. Steal A March goes in the opening Markel Insurance Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle and the unexposed five-year-old could challenge Induno for favouritism.

But if we’re talking trainers to look out for at the meeting, Neil Mulholland has to be on your radar. He’s had four winners and five seconds from 22 runners at this meeting in the past and is doubly represented in Friday’s opener, by Tango Boy and Heavey.

Tango Boy is of major interest under Harry Reed. A tad keen over three miles when last seen at Doncaster in March, the horse that beat him that day, I’d Better Go Now, won at Perth afterwards and is now rated 124, so Tango Boy, who gave him 7lb that day, is interesting off 117.

Mulholland and Reed also team up with Princess T in the last, and we’ll have learnt plenty by then.

Could Tiger Roll have given Easysland 4lb and a beating in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase? It’s unlikely, seeing as the French challenger beat him by 17 lengths off levels at the Festival, but better ground is in the Grand National hero’s favour and he has had a spin on the Flat to help his cause.

Might On The Slopes have made all in the Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Handicap Chase? He had to take a lead off Northern Beau at the October meeting but could get an easy time of things on the speed against a plethora of hold-up merchants this time.

And will Southfield Stone have boosted the form of Paddy Power Gold Cup hopeful Coole Cody in the SSS Super Alloys Supports Racing Welfare Novices’ Chase? If he can give 3lb and a beating to Protektorat and 8lb and a beating to Mossy Fen he certainly will have done.

The bigger hitters are out on Saturday and Sunday. But Cheltenham’s Friday card has enough points of interest to ease us into the weekend with Kim Bailey, David Cottin and Neil Mulholland potential players in the race to be the early clubhouse leader.

Cheltenham Friday Racecards & Free Video Form

• 13:15 - Markel Insurance Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle
• 13:50 - Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Handicap Chase 9 Runners
• 14:25 - SSS Super Alloys Supports Racing Welfare Novices' Chase
• 15:00 - Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
• 15:35 - Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2)
• 16:05 - Valda Energy Novices' Handicap Hurdle