Grade Two Future Champions Novices' Chase Guide

Having been trained on the flat before his national hunt career many thought that the four year old would stay over hurdles but Skelton this season decided to send him over the bigger obstacles and it has paid off.

He started his life over hurdles at Warwick seeing off an average field in good style but what he has done since that has been superb.

He headed to Cheltenham in the Grade Two Triumph Hurdle Trial and after going from the front he could not be stopped winning well, with the second, third and fourth since going on to frank that form.

He did the same when he went to Chepstow over Christmas landing the first Grade One of his career in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle and that set up a run in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival.

Having been prominent in the market he could only finish a fading third and he headed back to Prestbury Park last time out for his seasonal debut and again was underwhelming.

Skelton sent him over fences at Warwick in the Stan Mellor Memorial Novices’ Chase and he put in a faultless round of jumping to land the event with ease.

The form of that 13 length win has since been franked with second placed Zanza winning next time out at Newbury in a Handicap Chase.

Next time out the superstar stepped up to Grade One company over fences for the first time in his career and made a mockery of a superb field to land the Henry VII Novices' Chase at Sandown.

He extended his unbeaten record over fences to three races at Warwick next time out when landing the Grade Two Kingmaker Novices' Chase by 14 lengths.

The gelding was then sent into the Grade One Arkle Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham festival and was ultimately did too much early on and was outclassed into fourth.

Stepping up in trip for this event should see him be a lot calmer from the start and this Grade One winner is not without a chance.

Tamaroc Du Mathan for Paul Nicholls looks to be a big contender in this event having been in smart form throughout the term.

The six year old was a fair hurdler last term, but is now a classy horse over fences winning two of his three outings and only being beaten by the superstar dual Grade One winner Shishkin.

He made his seasonal debut at Wincanton in a Limited Handicap Chase and his jumping was superb taking lengths out of the field at every occasion to win easily.

He then bumped into Shishkin in the Grade Two Wayward Lad Novices' Chase at Kempton where he finished a good second behind the star.

Bumped up in trip to 2m4f last time out at Kempton, the gelding flourished in the Grade Two Pendil Novices' Chase to take the event, where again his jumping was superb.

He has skipped both Cheltenham and Aintree for this and could be the value against the favourite.

The seven year old Malystic is stepping into unchartered territory with this Grade Two, taking on these level of horses for the first time in his career.

The gelding has been an extremely consistent horses during her career to date in bumpers and both over hurdles and fences, placing in 10 of her 12 events whilst going on to win five times.

Sent chasing this term the Peter Niven trained runner finished second to Protektorat on his debut at Carlisle and then got off the mark in a small fielded event at Wetherby.

He backed that up next time out at Newcastle in December and then he was last seen in a jumpers bumper in January finishing third behind Proschema, who has since franked the form.

Should be fresh for his small break but stepping up in trip and class makes it very hard for him to get involved if not improving a a fair bit.

Formerly with Gordon Elliott this horse is extremely gritty and determined in handicap company, but stepping into this Grade Two makes him vulnerable.

Good ground is the key to this horses and on his chase debut in October he got that at Carlisle and finished a good second behind a horse for Dan Skelton.

He backed that up over the same course and distance next time beating a better field, but then bumped into Malystic and others at Newcastle and was outclassed.

Sent to Doncaster in January he was a fair third behind the smart Ibleo and The Big Bite and last time out he used that when stepping up in trip at Catterick to get back to winning ways over 2m3f.

He is a lovely horse but probably not at this level and may get overwhelmed.