CARLISLE is the destination today for North Yorkshire trainer Malcolm Jefferson, who has his horses back in form in time for next week’s Cheltenham Festival, where he is hoping to have three runners at a meeting which holds fond memories for him.

Cape Tribulation and Attaglance, both previous winners at the most prestigious gathering of the National Hunt campaign, will be joined on the journey to Prestbury Park by Firth Of The Clyde as Jefferson seeks to get on the scoresheet during the most important four days of the year.

More immediately, the Norton handler returns to his native Cumbria this afternoon with good prospects of hitting the bulleye with nap selection Grey Life in the Bet £10 Get £20 Free Bet Handicap Chase.

Successful in three of his six chases, Grey Life could finish only fourth to Aye Well at Wetherby last month. But that was when Jefferson’s horses remained under a cloud.

Since then, he has had four winners from his last ten runners, including a Newcastle double on Monday, a sure sign that his string is now getting back into overdrive after a frustrating period in the doldrums.

Grey Life can provide Jefferson with further proof that that the tide has turned by coming out on top in this two-miler under the in-form Brian Hughes.

Our Boy Ben, also trained by Jefferson, can not be left out of the reckoning in the Bet And Watch At winner.co.uk Novices’ Handicap Chase, but preference is for Vasco D’Ycy, who finished one place behind Grey Life at Wetherby on his latest start.

Jedd O’Keeffe’s gelding had previously run a couple of sound races at Catterick and has shown enough ability and potential to suggest he can win today, granted a fluent round of jumping under Brian Harding.

Lambourn trainer Warren Greatrex, whose Cheltenham runners next week include the high-class Cole Harden in the World Hurdle, has had only two previous runners at Carlisle and won with one of them.

He is represented today by Miss Estela in the Download The winner.co.uk App Handicap Hurdle.

The five-year-old has finished second and third at Exeter and Huntingdon on her last two starts. This is a race, confined to conditional jockeys using ‘hands and heels’ only, which may not take a lot of winning.

In the Horse Racing Loyalty Bonus Novices’ Hurdle, Wolf Sword deserves attention from George Moore’s Middleham stable.

The gelding, a bumper winner last season, shaped really well to finish second to the useful One Track Mind at Wetherby just over a fortnight ago. That form will put him firmly in the mix.

The closing Bet And Watch At winner.co.uk National Hunt Flat Race looks a tricky race to solve, but Tim Easterby has a fighting chance with Bollin Ace, the mount of Dougie Costello, who showed promise when finishing second at Wetherby on his debut.

Easterby could have as many as four runners next week, a team spearheaded by Hawk High, successful at the meeting last year.

Trustan Times, Run Ructions Run and Dark Dune make up the Great Habton raiding party.

At Southwell, Ollie Pears can land the opening coral.co.uk Apprentice Handicap with Lean On Pete, the mount of Robert Dodsworth, who has joined the Norton trainer from Mel Brittain at Warthill.

Lean On Pete, who finished third at Wolverhampton on his latest start, having won at the course on his previous start, has a course and distance winning form at this venue and looks sure to go well for Dodsworth.

Michael Appleby is a dab hand at producing winners on this course and it would be no surprise if the trainer, based at Newark, pulled off a treble with Teajaybe (2.45), It Must Be Faith (4.25) and Sleet (4.55).

Carlisle today: 2.00 Miss Estela, 2.35 Vasco D’Ycy, 3.10 Wolf Sword, 3.45 Grey Life (NAP), 4.25 Poker School, 4.45 Forty Crown, 5.15 Bollin Ace.

Southwell today: 2.10 Lean On Pete, 2.45 Teajaybe, 3.20 Martiniquaise, 3.55 Risk ‘N’ Reward, 4.25 It Must Be Faith, 4.55 Sleet, 5.25 Activation.

Today’s other meeting: Chelmsford City.