Catch Calico on return to Cheltenham

CHELTENHAM returns this week with the two-day Showcase Meeting signalling that the jumps season is getting into gear. It looks like there could be plenty of rain around, and the going may change dramatically from the current description of good, so it’s worth keeping a close eye on the forecast. There’s plenty of interest across both Friday and Saturday at Cheltenham, but at the moment the first day looks to present the best chance of an ante-post bet. That opportunity comes in the squareintheair.com Handicap Chase (3.35pm), a race that the Dan Skelton-trained CALICO has won for the last two years. Skelton is a brilliant target trainer and in both the last two renewals of this valuable prize, he has primed Calico to be at his best. Last year, he was an impressive seven-length winner off a mark of 142, and he comes into this contest six pounds higher in the weights. He won a big handicap off a higher mark than this at Ascot last season, though, so it might not be enoug