These competitive handicap chases are proper puzzles for racing fans and it’s great to see a maximum field of 20 runners go to post. When the prize money is good you get proper races, and we get that on Day 2 of the November meeting. I narrowed this race down to four leaving out Protektorat due to his short price and Spiritofthegames as he might find things happening too fast on good ground. Caribean Boy is a big price for such a good jumper.

Caribean Boy finished seventh behind The Shunter in the plate handicap at the festival last season. During that race Caribean Boy hit the fence at the top of the hill losing ground at a crucial part of that race. He travelled wide down the hill and to his credit come home strongly through tired horses carrying a big weight of 11-11! The Shunter won carrying 10-5 before placing at Grade 1 level at Aintree. Caribean Boy showed good speed to win over 2m4f on good ground at Newbury a year ago. He might prefer softer going but with the handicapper dropping him 5lbs to 148 he is too big a price not to have onside. Caribean Boy has the right profile coming here with just seven chase runs and two wins to his name.

Coole Cody won this race last season dominating from the front making use of his fluent jumping. He goes well around Cheltenham and is not too badly treated off a 4lb higher mark today. At the festival in March, he ran a good race to finish fourth in the Plate handicap chase behind The Shunter. In fact, all three horses that finished in front of Coole Cody are graded winners. The old course which they race over today is that bit tighter suits Coole Cody best.

This season trainer Evan Williams gave Coole cody a spin over hurdles at the showcase meeting last month. He was ridden by Evan’s daughter Isabel and showed himself in great form to place second behind Guard Your Dreams. Art Approval franked the form with a handicap hurdle win yesterday having placed fourth behind Guard Your Dreams and Coole Cody last month. Adam Wedge is back in the saddle and this course specialist should be there or thereabouts.

Cheltenham 2:15

0.5 Point Each Way Caribean Boy 14/1 Skybet paying 7 Places.