Jump racing fans couldn’t ask for a better introduction to the new year than a competitive Cheltenham fixture for us to sink our teeth into.The best race on the card is the £100,000 Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase, for which a field of nine has been declared, and it should be a cracker.Our expert has picked out three strong fancies to follow, including a progressive Sam Thomas runner in the main event.talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £35 in racing betsNew Year’s Day tips12.50 Cheltenham – Regent’s Stroll @ 5/614:00 Cheltenham – Just Over Land @ 5/115:10 Cheltenham – Ma Shantou @ 3/1Nicholls to bag a winnerPaul Nicholls is in decent form at the moment and Regent’s Stroll is probably his most promising novice chaser this term. He was a smart performer in bumpers and managed to win a valuable event at Newbury impressively.The son of Walk In The Park was a bit babyish last season over hurdles and it took him a little while to get the hang of things. He got there slowly but surely and produced a career-best performance to finish second narrowly in a Grade 1 at Aintree in the spring.Frustrating on his first start over fences in graded company at Newbury, he pulled far too hard and gave himself no chance of winning. It was a much better performance when beating Jeriko Du Reponet at Wincanton and he can go in again if building on that.Thomas in line for more successSam Thomas is having an excellent season so far and he has a smart crop of novice chasers. Just Over Land struggled over fences last season and failed to win in five starts, although it has been a very different story during the current campaign.Unbeaten in two starts so far this season, he got off the mark with a smooth success at Fontwell and Scorsese has boosted the form by winning since. He was hampered at a key stage and recovered quickly to score by just shy of three lengths.Thomas’s gelding travelled powerfully throughout when going in again at Chepstow and that was a slightly better race. If he can get in a good rhythm here, this could prove to be a suitable test. More is needed at this level but he’s progressive and worth keeping on side.Ma Shantou can go in for LavelleEmma Lavelle’s Ma Shantou was a useful novice hurdler last term and he managed to win a couple of small races at Warwick and Windsor. Far from disgraced when third in a Grade 2 at Doncaster, he then went on to finish seventh in the Albert Bartlett in March.He began the season with an excellent display here on the old course in October and he scooted clear after hitting the front at the last, scoring by just shy of three lengths. The handicapper responded with an 8lb rise, which was fair enough on that evidence.Something was clearly amiss at Haydock next time and he never looked happy at any stage of the race. It’s probably safe to put a line through that performance and we should see a much better effort this time around.talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £35 in racing betsVisit talkSPORT BET for all the latest horse racing betting odds*all odds correct at time of writing and subject to change18+ New customers only. Opt in, deposit and bet £15 on Horse Racing odds of 2/1+ within 7 days of registration. Get 7x£5 in Free Bets for horse racing markets, which expire in 7 days. Scroll down for T&Cs. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsiblyRemember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamCare – www.gamcare.org.ukGamble Aware – www.gambleaware.orgFor help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org