FRESH from his smooth-as-you-like Wetherby success last weekend, Banker Count will bid to hit the jackpot at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The much-improved Ryedale gelding heads to the home of National Hunt racing to contest the £100,000 Tripleprint Gold Cup Chase and has been installed the 5-1 second-favourite to collect the prize.

Although his trainer Mick Easterby would doubtless have preferred an extra week to allow Banker Count to get over his Wetherby exertions, the Sheriff Hutton handler reports his big-race hope to be at the peak of condition.

"He's absolutely bouncing - you wouldn't know he'd had a race at Wetherby," reports the bold Mick, as his exciting nine-year-old bids to defy a 6lb penalty, picked up for gaining an impressive success in last Saturday's feature race.

The £15,000 Cumbrian Challenge Handicap Chase, named in honour of the horse, trained by Tim Easterby, who won no fewer than ten races at Wetherby, attracted a high-quality field. Indeed, the runners were joined in the parade ring by Cumbrian Challenge, who, having a day out from his retirement home near Carlisle, looked a million dollars as he returned to familiar territory.

In the race, though, it was Banker Count who produced the million-dollar performance. Despite being burdened with top-weight of 12st, he cruised to the front at the penultimate fence and was not hard-pressed to cross the line three lengths ahead of Ryalux, his nearest pursuer, with Time Of Flight and Grey Abbey left to fight it out for the minor honours.

This was Banker Count's fourth Wetherby victory, and his second of the season, the two wins sandwiching a cracking effort in the Edward Hanmer Chase at Haydock, where he divided Kingsmark and Behrajan, the subsequent runner-up in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.

"I can't believe how much this horse has improved this year," said Easterby, before paying tribute to the skills of jockey Richard McGrath, who has established a wonderful rapport with the chaser.

"Richard has made him - he's taught him to jump properly," added the trainer. "The lad's a brilliant horseman." McGrath, who made his name riding for Jonjo O'Neill, now operates on a freelance basis, but is a regular Easterby rider. The quietly-spoken Irishman has as much faith in Banker Count as the horse seemingly has in him.

"He's a superstar," said McGrath. "The way he travels through a race and the way he jumps. He's as good a horse as I've ever ridden and he must have a great chance at Cheltenham."

Banker Count carries the colours of Pam and Hector Brown, who share ownership with Easterby. "We bought this horse from Mick when he was three and wasn't even broken-in or named. We actually went to see another horse, but we picked him out of a field and bought him because we liked him," recalled Hector.

Come Saturday, Hector and Pam will like Banker Count even more. In a race, which will be the highlight of Channel Four's televised coverage from Cheltenham, a bold jackpot bid is on the cards for the Ryedale raider.

Updated: 10:24 Thursday, December 13, 2001