Stick with Moscow Flyer
A terrific race is in prospect with Azertyuiop, Le Roi Miguel, Cenkos and Flagship Uberalles all sure to have their supporters.
But they are going to have to produce something very special to lower the colours of the brilliant Moscow Flyer.
Jessica Harrington's star has won all his completed starts over fences, his greatest moment coming in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March.
He was not at all inconvenienced by the furious pace and hardly put a foot wrong over the Prestbury Park fences.
Formerly up with the best over timber, the nine-year-old demonstrated his well-being with a perfectly satisfactory reappearance at Navan early last month.
Trainer Paul Nicholls may have to settle for second-best with Azertyuiop in the big race, but should have no such problems with Thisthatandtother in the Extraman Trophy.
He has done absolutely nothing wrong in his two starts over fences and breathtaking would just about sum up his latest win at Cheltenham.
Martin Pipe's Our Vic is considered an exciting prospect for novice chases but he shoulders top-weight in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle and that may prove beyond him.
However, it should pay to stick with the champion trainer in this race he has won it six times in the past because he also saddles Fortune Island, who looks very interesting off a low weight.
He has had only three runs over hurdles, pulling up the first time at Kempton before winning with ease at Exeter. He went straight to the Triumph Hurdle after that, but lost all chance when badly hampered three from home.
He has not been seen over timber since, running three times on the Flat, including a clear-cut success back at Kempton in the Queen's Prize before looking ill at ease around the tight turns of the Roodee in the Chester Cup.
His last racecourse appearance was in the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting, but his rider reported he had hung right-handed after finishing down the field.
He is lightly-raced enough over hurdles to have enough improvement in him to figure prominently.
