One man can show the advantage of having a run under his belt this season by landing the £29,000-added Peterborough Chase from main rival Martha's Son at Huntingdon today. Gordon Richards' grey has proved himself as a top-class performer with back-to-back victories in the King George VI Chase, last year winning by 12 lengths from Rough Quest.
The nine-year-old is a stayer with a fine turn of foot, fluent fencing and a high cruising speed but seems to find a severe stamina test beyond him. Witness last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup, where he travelled like a winner until the home straight, where he went out like a light to finish sixth behind Mr Mulligan.
One Man showed his well being at Wetherby at the beginning of the month, tiring close home but being driven out to beat Barton Bank two and a half lengths in the Charlie Hall Chase.
Richards speculated after the race that this two-and-a-half-mile trip might be ideal for his charge and although some pundits will say that he could be outpaced over this distance, if Richard Dunwoody ensures a good early pace, then he can offset the speed of his rivals.
The successes of Martha's Son at the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals marked him out as the champion two-mile chaser of last season, but over this trip and against a race-fit One Man, may have to give best on his seasonal reappearance.
Under enormously promising amateur Seamus Durack, New Inn can be prominent throughout before landing the Wamdha Handicap Hurdle.
Having ran well on the Flat, the six-year-old looks to be on a fair mark at present, having run an excellent second to Potter's Gale at Leicester last week in a decent little contest.
This tight track often suits front-runners and he can do enough to see off his rivals, including the course specialist about whom the race is named.
Wamdha notched up his fifth course victory here last month but does not look as attractively weighted as the selection and may have to play second fiddle at best.
At Worcester, Eulogy can take the £19,000-added Countryside Novices' Chase.
Richard Rowe places his string well and he has high hopes for this son of Paean, who has taken time to find his feet. But at the age of seven, there is probably still some improvement to be found from Eulogy, who broke his duck at Ascot at the start of the month, handing out an impressive three-length beating to Amlah.
Likely to appreciate a step up in trip, Eulogy is fancied to go on improving and can negotiate the rise in class which this contest provides.
It is good to see some Listed class animals out at Lingfield for the Conditions Stakes. Indeed, why more races are not framed to attract good horses to the winter all-weather is a mystery.
Victory can go to Acharne, who has faced some stiff tasks but has useful form, notably a close fifth to Wixim in the Group Two Sandown Mile and a seven-length fourth behind Dance Design in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.
