Castle Carrock should handle the ground better than most and could still be ahead of the handicapper in the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham on Sunday.
He proved last year when beating Diva Luna at Sandown that testing conditions do not stop him and he fared reasonably well when upped in class at the end of last season.
A bumper winner for Nicky Richards, he changed hands for £100,000 and moved to Alan King and that Sandown win was his first outing for new connections.
He then went to Kelso for their Premier Novices' Hurdle when he was keen early on so ended up being dropped out, which meant when Jet To Vegas quickened he had too much to find and came home third. The winner was subsequently fourth at the highest level at Aintree.
Stepped up to 4000m at Aintree himself, Castle Carrock was not disgraced when sixth in the Mersey Novices' Hurdle behind Honesty Policy but again was keen.
The quicker pace they should go in this will suit and he looks a viable alternative to the top of the market.
The Oddschecker Handicap Chase over 5400m has the potential to be a real slog.
With that in mind one horse who will be right at home is Nassalam, winner of the 2023 Welsh National.
So impressive was he that day the handicapper put him up 15lb and he has never recovered, not good enough for top graded races and too high in the weights otherwise.
However, he is now just 3lb higher than his finest hour and while that is no doubt the target once more, this is a £75,000 race in its own right and he will certainly stay.
Lucy Wadham's Jax Junior had no answer to the classy Lump Sum on his chasing debut but he was always going to find 3200m too sharp.
Much softer ground and an extra 800m should really suit in the Bottlegreen Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.
Last year's Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly makes his hurdling debut in the mallardjewellers.com Maiden Hurdle but he will find this a bit different to chasing home City Of Troy.
Olly Murphy can do little wrong at present and his Hold That Serve seemed to have been entered everywhere in recent days.
The fact this has been chosen as the starting point for the winning pointer appears to be of some significance.
At Fontwell the Paul Nicholls-trained One Island appears to have been found a nice first opportunity in the BetGoodwin Steamer Of The Day Juvenile Hurdle.
A winner on the Flat in France of his only start, he will not have to run to a high level to win this. - Press Association
SELECTIONS:
CHELTENHAM: Race 1 - 15.15 Hold That Serve, Race 2 - 15.45 Jax Junior, Race 3 - 16.20 Glengouly, Race 4 - 16.55 Nassalam, Race 5 - 17.30 CASTLE CARROCK (NAP), Race 6 - 18.00 Eclat De Marvel.
FONTWELL: Race 1 - 14.27 Summer In Milan, Race 2 - 14.57 Alfa Charlie, Race 3 - 15.32 Zaochen Enki, Race 4 - 16.05 Shantou Lucky, Race 5 - 16.42 One Island, Race 6 - 17.17 Joe Cotton, Race 7 - 17.52 Mask Of Zorro.
NAVAN: Race 1 - 13.47 Glen To Glen, Race 2 - 14.17 Riskabahia, Race 3 - 14.47 Cowper Hall, Race 4 - 15.22 Walks In June, Race 5 - 15.57 Kir, Race 6 - 16.32 Will The Wise, Race 7 - 17.07 Final Demand, Race 8 - 17.42 Some Pretender.