A boardroom decision at Cheltenham

As the names Majadou, Celibate, Upgrade, Tresor de Mai and - as yet - Fadalko don't sit comfortably in that list, it can pay to look further down the handicap for your selection.

Boardroom Shuffle would be a name to conjure with if Fadalko does the decent thing. Now trained by Noel Chance after spending his fine novice-hurdling days with Josh Gifford, this nine-year-old gelding is open to plenty of improvement from his current mark over fences.

He's still got an 11lb deficit to make up over the larger obstacles, running off 133 here compared with a 144 best over hurdles. Only Lady Cricket and Norski Lad boast similar statistics and, while it isn't an all-defeating argument and by no means a hard-and-fast system, this trio offers the best value in this £80,000 contest.

Boardroom Shuffle was laid out for the Mildmay Of Flete at the Cheltenham Festival last season, but a late setback meant he never kept his engagement. He was hopelessly outclassed in the King George last December, but was previously an encouraging third to Legal Right in the Tripleprint Gold Cup over Cheltenham's New course.

His third behind Flaxley Wood, a potential rival here, on his seasonal reappearance over hurdles at this track last month was a sharpener and that form is readily reversed on chasing terms.

He's a tasty 25-1 but hold your bets - if Fadalko stands his ground, he heads instead to Kempton on Wednesday with a stand-out chance.

In that case, the suggested bet offers skinnier reward. But Lady Cricket was plunged on with good reason this week. This mare was ninth in the 1999 Champion Hurdle and, despite her bonsai stature, has made her mark over fences. Skycab, an opponent here, couldn't see her for dust at this track last December, albeit conceding 2lb.

Lady Cricket's defeats by Lord Noelie and Beau looked fleetingly disappointing until those rivals respectively won the Royal & SunAlliance Chase and Whitbread Gold Cup. She was herself eighth in the former event, but it was an odd Festival target for a horse already exposed as a non-stayer at three miles and beyond.

This 2m 5f trip is ideal and she revels in soft ground. It would be a bonus to see Tony McCoy assigned to this mare, but trainer Martin Pipe has five other entries. The champion jockey surely chooses between her or fellow favourite, but Richard Johnson is on standby for his best cast-off - a winwin situation.

Of her other stablemates, last year's eighth Majadou is held by Fadalko, Dark Stranger was worryingly below par last time, Upgrade is unreliable and Tresor de Mai makes too many mistakes. Oppose Exit Swinger on the basis that all he beat so flashily at Sandown in April were some standard-class novices at the end of a long, hard season.

Second-season novice Corniche has possibilities, proving when third to Tiutchev at Punchestown that his same place behind Cenkos at Aintree was no flash in the pan. Venetia Williams won this last year with The Outback Way, so lightly raced Davoski is respected. Skycab is better than his defeat by Exit Swinger suggested.