Spotlight: Triple Grade 1 winner and while all his races since March 2024 have been at about 2m4f or 2m6f, he did win a Betfair Chase at Haydock (extended 3m1f, soft) in 2022 and ran three solid races (two of them in the Gold Cup) over about 3m2f at Cheltenham in 2022 or 2023; each-way player.

Spotlight: Last season's switch to chasing yielded two 3m wins and he ended the campaign with a tenacious second over 4m2f in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter (6lb higher today); all three of those runs were on good to soft but the last two of his hurdle wins were on heavy (latest by 25l in a canter); assuming that this 7yo returns on song, there's a lot to like.

Spotlight: Jumped and hung badly right in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter (4m2f, heavy) in March 2024 but nevertheless battled back to win, and that's the clear highlight among eight chases going this way round; scoring by 31l at Ascot (3m5f, good; 10lb higher today) was a good way to start last season, which he ended tailed off in the Grand National, but the return to Cheltenham (where he ran twice in 2023) is a nagging concern.

Spotlight: Acts on soft; sent chasing last season with five runs here, running well (first and second) over about 3m1f at the November and December meetings; never got into it when a fair fifth in the 3m6f National Hunt Chase in March; has a race under his belt this term (well beaten here) but position 9lb out of the handicap makes this a stiff task; 7lb claimer is recruited.

Spotlight: Went close five weeks ago in a 2m Flat race; seen far more often over jumps and he's 3-10 as a chaser, with a soft-ground Cheltenham second on New Year's Day being one of his best efforts last season but that was over 2m4f; Newcastle third last November showed he stays 2m7f but there's far more for him to prove at this trip.

Spotlight: Acts on soft; won chase debut last October but patchy record over fences since and his 2m6f second at the Galway festival in August was over hurdles; two chases since and his jumping was not fluent enough here last time to inspire much confidence; stamina to prove too and 6lb out of the handicap.

Spotlight: Won 2023 Welsh National by 34l on heavy (2lb higher today); failed to shine in the Gold Cup or Grand National later in that campaign, before pulled up on both starts last season and again on recent reappearance, albeit with those last three races coming on good ground; a huge turnaround is therefore needed, with return to the mud and blinkers (from cheekpieces) the big hopes.

Spotlight: Less consistent last term than the season before but still won a quite valuable veterans' handicap at Newbury (3m2f, soft) in March under claimer Chad Bament; reappearance in that campaign was another of his better efforts and he used to have a good record on heavy going, so he's not dismissed despite most of the others having much younger legs.

Spotlight: Goes well on the 3m5f Cross-Country course at Cheltenham, on which he was third last December and second at the Festival in March; acts on soft, well beaten sole start on heavy; tailed off on final start last term and has since had a wind operation (his third); also tongue tied first time; the big problem is that a career best is probably needed, at the age of 12.

Spotlight: 6yo mare who's a second-season chaser, the first season containing a 3m1f/3m2f hat-trick last December on good to soft (Plumpton and Hereford); off the boil afterwards, including over 3m5f on heavy going; could still have potential but she's 7lb out of the handicap, so 5lb claimer is on board.