Hoe Joly Smoke out to go two places better at Cheltenham

Hoe Joly Smoke is out to build on recent efforts among a provisional field of 12 in the Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The seven-year-old has run twice this season, both starts coming at Prestbury Park as he collected third-placed finishes in a valuable handicap at the November meeting and then again in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

He remains competitively handicapped and will carry 10st 5lb around the two-and-a-half-mile trip he faces back in Gloucestershire at the weekend.

“He ran a great race last time out in the Paddy Power, I think this track (the New course) will suit him even more,” said Skelton, whose runner is vying for favouritism alongside Vincenzo and Jagwar.

“The forecast looks to be working out for him, there’s not too much rain around so the ground should be perfect – he’ll have no excuses, really.

“He carries a nice weight so we have our fingers crossed.”

Elsewhere in the race is Sam Thomas’ Vincenzo, runner-up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup when defeated only by Hoe Joly Smoke’s stablemate Panic Attack.

He is prominent in the market alongside Jagwar, who represents the stable of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero for owner JP McManus.

Jamie Snowden is due to saddle both Ga Law and Colonel Harry, with the Irish contingent made up of Joseph O’Brien’s Kim Roque and Gavin Cromwell’s Will The Wise.

Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s Imperial Saint, Paul Nicholls’ Il Ridoto, Venetia Williams’ Martator, Alan King’s Es Perfecto and the Faye Bramley-trained Glengouly complete the field.