Ultima Handicap Chase Tips - 2:30pm Cheltenham

The first handicap of the week is run over 3 miles 1 furlong of the old course with a maximum field of 24 likely to go to post. Novices have a particularly good record in the race winning 4 of the past 7 renewals whilst 8 of the past 9 wore some form of headgear. Only one rank outsider has won in the past 10 years, 28/1 chance Golden Chieftain in 2013 with 5 of the last 10 winners sent off in single figures. This is not a race the Irish appear to target and have only won 2 of the past 52 renewals.

Novice Happygolucky heads the market - trained by Kim Bailey he has the right profile for the race having won two of his three starts over fences latterly over course and distance in early December. He's not raced since then and is light on experience of fences, having only raced three times over the larger obstacles but you can be sure that Bailey will have him tuned to the minute and he appears to be the one they all have to beat.

One For The Team has been steadily backed in the ante-post markets. Trained by Nick Williams, he's also a novice, who have such a good record in the race. He does however have to put a rather disappointing effort in the Skybet Chase at Doncaster in January behind him

Scottish trainer Harriet Graham is likely to saddle her smart Aye Right who’s been running consistently all season including silver medal places in the Ladbrokes Trophy and the Skybet Chase. He’ll have to defy his highest ever handicap mark here however.

Nicky Henderson has left two in at the 6 day stage in Pym and OK Corral. The latter hasnt been seen for 416 days and it will be some training performance were he to oblige whilst Pym hasn't been seen since a rather lack lustre effort at Newcastle in November.

Dan Skelton’s Alnadam also has to prove his stamina here and has to race off of a career high mark of 145.

A widely competitive race but best to stick with the novices and Kim Bailey’s Happygolucky who looks to have been trained with this race in mind