Grade Two Dipper Novices' Chase Guide

Dan Skelton's Protektorat should just have the edge in the race, having been a smart hurdles horse, but making an emphatic start to his chase career, especially on debut at Carlisle when landing a Listed race by seven lengths.

The son of Saint Des Saints was a previous winner at Cheltenham over the smaller obstacles, landing a listed event in January 2020 and since then has finished third in a Grade Two at the same track whilst running a modest race at the festival in the Coral Cup.

Now chasing he looks to be a different proposition all together and on his chase debut looked to be something special, and franked that form next time out at Cheltenham when landing a four runner Novices' Chase at Prestbury Park.

He showed serious ability that day to win the event by 17 lengths from the smart Southfield Stone and Paint The Dream, with the latter winning last time out.

He is the one to beat and looks to be progressing into a smart novice chaser this term and although he would have preferred the race at Cheltenham, he should handle Wincanton.

The Alan King trained Messire Des Obeaux was a horse with bags of potential back in 2016/17 over hurdles winning the Grade Two Winter Novices Hurdle at Sandown and then backing that up at Newbury with the Grade One Challow Novices' Hurdle.

He then went to the Cheltenham festival in 2017 where he finished a good third behind Willoughy Court and Neon Wolf in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

He was a horse with a huge future but was not seen for almost three years after picking up a sequence of injuries and returned in February at Huntingdon when finishing a fair fourth after so long off.

King has now decided to send him chasing and he made his return at Wincanton on debut and he managed to get off the mark in a decent Handicap Chase over 2m4f.

If finding the form of old he could be a superstar in the making and is a very interesting runner.

The final runner of the three is the Nick Mitchell trained Lieutenant Rocco who like the other two runners was decent over hurdles winning twice, but it looks as though he is finding the step up to fences a little too much.

He made his debut in November at Chepstow over two miles and he finished third in a weak event but, next time out he was stepped up in trip and performed to a better standard.

He finished second of four at Cheltenham behind Fussil Raffles in a Novices' Chase over 2m4f and at one stage looked like winning the event.

Although this was a better run, this quality of race is better and its hard to see him beating the odds on favourite.