TIRALDO looks to have plenty in his favour when he lines up in the Thomas Pink Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase at Cheltenham tomorrow.

The French-bred son of Royal Charter is not the most consistent of performers but his only victory last season came over this distance of three miles and a furlong and at Towcester, a course where the stiff uphill finish makes it not unlike Cheltenham at all.

Tiraldo caught the eye on his seasonal bow at this track last month over what was probably an inadeuate test, staying on to finish fourth behind Flaxley Wood having been outpaced when the tempo rose down the back straight.

Trainer Henry Daly is hopeful of picking up a race or two with his charge this season and has been toying with putting blinkers on him in order to aid his powers of concentration.

The likely good to soft ground should suit perfectly and he can outstay his rivals to get off the mark for the campaign.

Lord York goes well fresh and can make his first appearance on the racecourse since May a winning one in the Mitsubishi Shogun Trophy (Showcase Handicap).

The eight-year-old showed an impressive level of consistency to win six of his 11 starts last season, leaping up the weights in the process.

As such, he now has to race off a handicap mark 9lb higher than that from which he has ever won before.

But Ian Williams has brought about such a degree of improvement from Lord York that there must be every reason to think that he can win again.

The attraction of £30,000 in prize-money has attracted quite a classy field for the Sporting Index Cross Country Chase, a race run over obstacles in a special course in the centre of the track.

Many punters regard this sort of event as something of a white elephant, to be bracketed in with charity races, private sweepstakes and hurdles races for greyhounds.

But Irish raider Linden's Lotto looks worth a bet.

He has an incomparable record over this idiosyncratic course and can win this race for the third year in succession.

His trainer Tony Martin has a first-class strike rate with his charges in Britain and can be expected to have the veteran cherry-ripe for this contest, especially after he enjoyed a couple of pipe-openers last month.

Green Card takes a step up in grade for the Capel Cure Sharp Novices' Hurdle after running away with low-grade contests at Stratford and Fontwell (twice).

Having become somewhat frustrating to follow on the Flat, hurdling certainly seems to have revitalised the six-year-old.

This of course an altogether tougher assignment and his three successes over timber have all come on a fast surface.

But his fluent hurdling will stand in him good stead and his rivals might well have to pull out all the stops to overhaul him as the line approaches.

At a decent price, he represents the value bet.

You're Special can complete a four-timer in the Private Boxes For The DayAmateur Riders' Handicap on the all-weather at Southwell.

Pat Haslam's charge has improved in leaps and bounds in recent weeks and could well prove a money-spinner at this sort of level over the winter.