THE National Hunt season has arrived in earnest as Cheltenham returns to the fold with its Open Meeting.  The feature race is the 2m5f Paddy Power Gold Cup won last year by the eventual Gold Cup runner-up Exotic Dancer.  Unfortunately the race looks likely to be run without two exciting types in Abrigante and Granit Jack but nevertheless is an intriguing contest with which to kick off the season.  Second season chasers have an enviable record in this Chase, which invariably goes to an improving horse, and it may well be worth siding with Ferdy Murphy’s course and distance winner L’Antartique.  Winner of a tactical affair last time out he had previously beaten well fancied Bob Hall in the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Festival in March.  Competitively weighted and with top jock Graham Lee on board he could go well for supporters.  The winter sees an endless supply of fairly moderate racing on the AW, however the fourth event on the Lingfield card is a decent event with a few potential winners.  Fyodor was unlucky enough to run into the equally well handicapped Les Arcs on the AW circuit a couple of years back and he maybe hasn’t won as many races as his talent would deem suitable.  Nevertheless this AW specialist has had a light campaign this time around and going by his close up fifth in an AW listed contest in March he should be up there in the firing line at the finish.  The power packed riding of Jimmy Fortune can only aid this charge.

 Selections: 1.55 Lingfield, 2 Fyodor

                                                                           2.35 Cheltenham, L’Antartique