Silver to strike Welsh National gold

Expect the Paul Nicholls-trained Silver Birch to run a huge race in the £100,000 (€142,100) Coral Welsh National tomorrow if the holiday card at Chepstow beats the freeze.

Representing a big stable, lightly raced over fences, a thorough stayer and a sound jumper, the seven-year-old has all the right credentials.

Silver Birch, who also likes a bit of give underfoot, put himself firmly in the picture for this with victory over the daunting National fences at Aintree last month.

In front in the Becher Chase with a circuit to travel, he found plenty after the last on the famous Liverpool run-in to repel Just In Debt by a length at the end of three and a half miles on soft ground.

Fourth in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival back in March over four miles – a race in which Celestial Gold, one of the undoubted stars of this season so far, was second – he was probably feeling the effects when pulled up at Ayr’s Scottish National meeting.

However, that remains the only time he has been out of the first four over hurdles or fences and at his age there is almost certain to be more to come off a handy-looking weight.

Given that Silver Birch has outstanding claims, it must say a lot for the prospects of Cerium in the At The Races Red Button Betting Finale Juvenile Hurdle that the Ditcheat handler reckons the three-year-old is his best chance of the day.

The ex-French three-year-old has made a big impression in his two starts for his current yard, jumping and travelling well to trot up at Kempton in October before readily accounting for subsequent winner Phar Bleu, who reopposes, in Grade Two company at Cheltenham in November.

He is another who is suited by plenty of give.

Cordilla can make the journey down from Nicky Richards’ Cumbrian base pay a handsome dividend with victory in the Pontin’s Themed Breaks Beginners’ Chase.

Three times a winner over hurdles, the six-year-old was making steady headway from off the pace when he stumbled and unseated Brian Harding with four to jump on his chasing debut at Bangor earlier this month.

But with that experience under his belt and most of his best form having come on testing ground, compensation awaits.

There is top-class action on this of the Irish Sea, too, with Best Mate going for back-to-back wins in what is now called the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.

The triple Gold Cup hero was an imperious winner 12 months ago after his main rival Beef Or Salmon failed to fire.

Michael Hourigan’s charge promises to be the main danger again but he does have questions to answer after a below-par effort in the John Durkan Chase, although connections were keen to stress afterwards that he had missed a significant amount of work in the fortnight before that race.

For his part, ‘Matey’ put in a perfectly adequate, if not sensational, reappearance when touching off Seebald at Exeter and although Beef Or Salmon might give him a bit more to think about this time – he beat his Durkan conqueror and subsequent King George hero Kicking King fair and square over three miles on his penultimate start – it is still hard to oppose Henrietta Knight’s pride and joy.

Either way, it is one not to miss, especially as it is live on the BBC and At The Races.

Watch out for the Noel Meade-trained Mark The Man, too, in the Ascon/Rohcon Novice Chase.

He created a big impression on his one run to date over fences and is reckoned by many a good judge to be among the best staying novices in Ireland.