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Joe Tizzard believes War Lord will relish the step up in distance when he lines up in the AIS December Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Although a winner over an intermediate trip over hurdles, the son of Jukebox Jury spent the majority of his novice chasing season at two miles, winning three times and running well in the Arkle before stepping up in distance to finish second in Grade One company at Aintree on his final start.

He began the new campaign in Exeter's Haldon Gold Cup over almost two and a quarter miles and the staying on nature of his third on that occasion has connections certain now is the time to again stretch out the yardage and attempt to take advantage of a mark of 148.

He is around a 7-1 chance for the £130,000 contest and the only slight concern of War Lord's handler is regarding conditions drying out at Prestbury Park.

"I think he will run a lovely race," said Tizzard. "He was a progressive novice last year and his run in the Haldon Gold Cup – if you stopped it turning in it looked like he would drop out the back of the TV – but he stayed on quite well.

"I'm a little bit worried about the ground, it looks to be drying up and the ground is in the back of my mind, but this has been the plan since Exeter and he's in good nick at home and should be competitive off this mark.

"I think he's crying out for it (step up in trip), that's what he was telling us at the back end of last year and certainly that's what we took from the race at Exeter."