Bill Joyce can put a dent in some lofty reputations by winning the Coral Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.
Some true titans of the National Hunt game have won this Grade One, such as Denman, Large Action and Bonanza Boy, and whoever comes out best this year will surely be booked for the top table.
There was so much to like about the way Bill Joyce moved through a decent race last time out in a Grade Two at Sandown, and even more to admire about how he put the race to bed.
He was very heavily backed on the day of the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, having initially been ranked among the outsiders, but that event, as it can for so many, proved too much.
Sent over hurdles he has shown why he was fancied to run a big race there and the way he put Quebecois away, despite pulling like a train early on, marked him down as way above average.
The giant Inthewaterside has always looked made for fences and finally gets the chance to show what he can do in the Coral "Pipped-At-The Post" And Win Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.
A useful hurdler without ever threatening to be top class, he had wind surgery in the summer.
On his comeback over hurdles he ran well for a long way despite getting himself hot and bothered before the race. Fences could bring out any amount of improvement in him.
Joe Tizzard is enjoying a very fruitful period and his Sunset Marquesa looks the one to be on in the Play Coral "Racing-Super-Series" For Free Mares' Handicap Hurdle.
She had very smart form in Listed mares' bumpers, but she was surprisingly beaten on her hurdling debut.
She showed the benefit of that outing when making all at Wincanton next time, however, and a mark of 114 underestimates her on her bumper form.
Bryony Frost is over from France to ride Asian Spice for her father Jimmy in the above race but she has a better chance on the Paul Nicholls-trained Brave Kingdom in the Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase.
Lightly-raced, he has won four of his six races since moving to Nicholls and he has not been seen since looking unsuited to going right-handed at Ascot when he obviously developed a problem.
Back going a more suitable way round, his mark of 137 could prove lenient.
Patrick Neville has his small string in very fine form and Not Staying Long can defy a 10lb rise for a recent win in the Sky Bet Build A Bet Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase at Catterick, where Anthony Honeyball sends the promising Kdeux Saint Fray all the way from his Dorset base for the Sky Bet For The Fans Maiden Hurdle after winning an Ascot bumper.
Apart from Strong Leader's disappointing run in the Long Walk not much has gone wrong for Olly Murphy recently and Butch can bag him another winner in the Four Calling Birds Novices' Chase at Leicester.
The third day of Leopardstown's Christmas fixture could really turn into a Willie Mullins benefit and he certainly holds all the aces in the Savills Chase with Fact To File taking on Galopin Des Champs again.
Having seen off his stablemate in the John Durkan over 4000m, Mullins seems to think the older rival will get his revenge back over 4800m but in racing the younger legs come out on top more often than not and Fact To File is taken to confirm his superiority. - Press Association
SELECTIONS:
CATTERICK: 14.25 Not Staying Long, 15.00 Kdeux Saint Fray, 15.33 Smart Casual, 16.10 Siog Geal, 16.45 Ribeye, 17.20 Got Your Back.
LEICESTER: 14.15 Butch, 14.45 Northern Reel, 15.25 Latenightrumble, 15.55 Ronnies Reflection, 16.30 Lady Pretender, 17.10 High Treason.
LEOPARDSTOWN: 14.20 Sermandzarak, 14.50 Winding River, 15.20 Quai De Bourbon, 16.00 Home By The Lee, 16.35 Fact To File, 17.05 Binge Worthy, 17.40 Kovanis.
LIMERICK: 14.30 Shoot The Blues, 15.05 Final Demand, 15.40 Good Land, 16.15 Law Ella, 16.50 Dancingondaceiling, 17.25 Buck Rogers, 17.55 Mossy Way.
NEWCASTLE: 17.00 Falcon Nine, 17.30 Rainwater, 18.00 The Watcher, 18.30 Blue Lakota, 19.00 Trais Flours, 19.30 Red Maids, 20.00 Mahato, 20.30 Strong Johnson, 21.00 Concert Boy.
NEWBURY: 14.05 Sunset Marquesa, 14.37 Star Time, 15.12 Skycutter, 15.45 Mr Hope Street, 16.20 Brave Kingdom, 16.55 BILL JOYCE (NAP), 17.35 Inthewaterside.
SOUTHWELL: 17.45 Noisy Music, 18.15 Sun Dancer Girl, 18.45 Yes I'm Mali, 19.15 Turner Girl, 19.45 Nala The Lioness, 20.15 Yes Sir, 20.45 Gray Rainbow, 21.15 King Of Speed, 21.45 Katie G.