Maestro Conti, no bigger than 10/1 for the Cheltenham Festival in March, looks to follow up his striking Kempton victory over Christmas on Trials Day at Presbury Park this Saturday.
Trained by Dan Skelton, who saddled six winners across the cards at Windsor and Fakenham on Sunday, the chestnut features among 16 potential runners in the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle.
Skelton also has Misterdoc in the five-day entries, while Gary and Josh Moore could run impressive Sandown scorer Macktoad and Paul Nicholls has entered the undefeated Minella Yoga, last seen edging out the five-year-old Act Of Innocence in an Introductory Hurdle at Newbury on December 29 (replay below).
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The aforementioned Act Of Innocence could also be back in action at Cheltenham this weekend as he holds an entry in the concluding Grade 2 Ais Novices' Hurdle, registered as the Classic Novices' Hurdle and won by the likes of Aigle d'Or, Bobs Worth, Santini and Birchdale for Act Of Innocence's trainer Nicky Henderson in the past.
Carlenrig could represent the red-hot Skelton team following his victory over three miles at the track at the December meeting, and Gordon Elliott has put in Open Secret, Kazansky and Spinningayard, with the last-named pair also holding engagements at the Dublin Racing Festival the following weekend.
The Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained Jagwar will bid to open his account for the season in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase although he may face competition from the likes of Booster Bob (Olly Murphy), Javert Allen (Jane Williams) and Prairie Wolf (Sue Smith and Joel Parkinson).
Jagwar galloped to victory in the opening Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase on this card last January, en route to landing the Plate at the Festival in March, and the often informative contest has attracted a possible field of 19 this time around.
They include the Henderson-trained Califet En Vol, who has run with credit in defeat Cheltenham's last two meetings in December and on New Year's Day.
Trainer Anthony Honeyball has three possible runners at this point in Dartmoor Pirate, Jordans Cross and Kdeux Saint Fray, while James Owen could run One Big Bang and Secret Des Dieux.
Barlovento, a winner at Kempton on Boxing Day for Olly Murphy, is another in contention.
Murphy said: "Booster Bob is set for the two and a half-mile handicap chase and Barlovento, who won at Kempton on Boxing Day, will run in the novices' handicap chase. The Blue Room, who chased home No Drama This End at Sandown last time, will run in the Grade 2 novices hurdle.
Neither Murphy nor jockey Sean Bowen have a Cheltenham Festival winner on their CV and looking ahead to March, the trainer said: "It’s nice to be able to get some Cheltenham experience into these horses, but then again the Irish come over, never having seen the place, and walk away with the prizes!
"It’s hard there but fingers crossed we can end that hoodoo. Sean’s riding unbelievably well, and long may that continue.
"We’re having to run a few in novice hurdles to get them on the course which is frustrating but we cannot control the weather and we’ve an exciting few weeks ahead with some great prize-money on offer again on Saturday."
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