ANDREW Thornton, who rode two winners at Leicester yesterday, can take centre stage at Cheltenham tomorrow on a horse with Gold Cup pretensions.

The hugely exciting Kingscliff, described by Thornton as "potentially the best horse I have ever ridden," goes for the £40,000 Tripleprint Handicap Chase after an extraordinary win at Ascot last month.

A broken rein during that race left Thornton without either brakes or steering, but the jockey's horsemanship and the exemplary professional approach of Kingscliff jointly overcame this major hiccup and they scored a fluent victory.

Winner of the Foxhunters' Chase at Cheltenham last season, Kingscliff has what it takes to also go right to the top as a steeplechaser.

With the in-form Thornton aboard, he will surely take all the beating tomorrow as he continues his march up the ladder. He is worthy of my Nap selection even though his odds will be prohibitive.

The Ian Williams' owners Novices' Chase sees Therealbandit launch his fencing career after a prolific spell of hurdling.

The Martin Pipe-trained gelding has an abundance of ability, as he showed on this course last month when proving head and shoulders above his rivals in a Listed race.

Reported to have schooled well over the major obstacles at home, Therealbandit will surely be sent off at short odds to make a triumphant start to his chasing campaign.

North Yorkshire trainer Patrick Haslam heads south to Cheltenham from his Middleham base with good prospects of picking up the £18,000 Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier) with Positive Profile.

An able staying handicapper on the flat, the five-year-old has taken well to hurdling and has won his last two races in pleasing style.

A 6lb penalty may not be enough to anchor him in this long distance contest, and jockey Robert Thornton can surely look forward to a good ride.

In the European Breeders' Fund 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle, a note should be made of Grey Report, the mount of Richard Johnson. The six-year-old, trained by Philip Hobbs, gained a long-priced victory at Newbury on his latest outing but there was certainly no fluke about that fluent success.

At Doncaster, The Kew Tour can come out on top in the 'Jingle Bells' Novices' Chase over three miles. Sue Smith's seven-year-old was a first fence faller on his latest outing on this course, but he had previously shown himself to be a horse with a bright future when scoring at Wetherby. I expect The Kew Tour to get his act together tomorrow and beat likely favourite Stromness.

Peter Beaumont has a promising young horse in Ocean Dancer, who could well open his account in the 'Good King Wenceslas' Maiden Chase.

Tomorrow's tips:

CHELTENHAM

12.35 Therealband, 1.10 Perouse, 1.45 Jasmin Guichois, 2.20 Kingscliff (Nap), 2.55 Positive Profile, 3.25 Grey Report.

DONCASTER

12.25 Summer Stock, 1.00 Ocean Dancer, 1.35 Reno, 2.05 The Kew Tour, 2.40 Pertino, 3.15 Samby.

Tomorrow's other meeting is at Southwell.

Updated: 13:22 Thursday, December 11, 2003