The National Hunt season is rapidly gaining momentum as it reaches top gear and tomorrow's most valuable race is staged over jumps at Cheltenham in the shape of the £17,500 Host Partnership Handicap Chase.

Jonny Portman has his horses in good form and his King Of Sparta, a good second on his recent reappearance, promises to take high rank in this two-and-a-half miles contest.

Portman can also win the Club 16-24 Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle with Misconduct, who is sure to be all the better following a recent comeback outing at Hereford.

Prolific winner Javelin may prove too sharp for his rivals in the £15,000 Jewson Handicap Hurdle.

The Ian Williams-trained gelding has enjoyed a fine run of success and can not be faulted in terms of consistency. He should make a bold bid in the hands of Rupert Wakley.

Williams will be wearing a different hat in the next race, the Ian Williams Owners Novices' Chase, which is sponsored by his patrons.

The vote here goes to Southern Star, an exciting recruit to fences. who represents Henrietta Knight, successful in the corresponding event 12 months ago with Hati Roy.

John Balding makes the long journey to Yarmouth from his Bawtry base and the Yorkshire trainer can be rewarded, courtesy of Eddys Lad in the Sea-Deer Handicap.

Eddys Lad has been running respectably in defeat lately and would hardly need to show marked improvement to come out on top here. John Bramhill takes the mount.

The Lound Nursery over five furlongs has attracted only a handful of runners and Tigress is awarded the nap vote.

David Evans' two-year-old was a winner over this distance on the sand last time out and is not expected to be inconvenienced by switching back to turf tomorrow.

The mount of David McCabe, Tigress is strongly fancied to make the most of her light weight.

Michael Jarvis has enjoyed a wonderful season and the Newmarket trainer has good prospects of adding to his tally of winners with Roaring Twenties in the Tote Exacta Classified Stakes.

This lightly-raced filly got off the mark at Sandown last time and has another couple of furlongs to travel tomorrow, which promises to be in her favour. Philip Robinson again has the mount.

Tomorrow's tips:

YARMOUTH

1.10 - Casa Grande

1.45 - Roaring Twenties

2.20 - Merdiff

2.55 - Eddys Lad

3.30 - Miss Corniche

4.05 - Tigress

CHELTENHAM

1.00 - Hard To Start

1.30 - Phar From A Fiddle

2.05 - Javelin

2.40 - Southern Star

3.15 - Misconduct

3.50 - King of Sparta

4.25 - Scottish Roots

Updated: 13:29 Tuesday, October 30, 2001