Paul Nicholls appears to have a strong hand with six of the 50 entries for the £75,000 (€90,000) Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster on January 25.

Hello Bud was a gallant winner for the father and son team of Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies in an eventful race for the totesport.com Becher Handicap Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree.

Perennial champion jockey Tony McCoy ended 2009 on a high by signing off the year with a near 742-1 treble at Warwick courtesy of wins from Leo’s Lucky Star, Afistfullofpebbles and Prince Geeno.