Let It Rain can provide title-chasing Dan Skelton with another major prize in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.
The Alcester handler is enjoying a fantastic campaign in his bid to dethrone Willie Mullins and become champion trainer of the first time - and with a total prize fund of £155,000 up for grabs in this fiercely competitive handicap, and Mullins not represented, Skelton will be hoping to extend his lead.
Let It Rain has looked a classy operator from the start, with an impressive bumper debut at Warwick followed by Listed success at Ascot in December 2023.
Her career has been stop-start since as she was then off the track for the best part of a year and even last season she only made it to the track twice, finishing second to a horse now rated 146 in French Ship on her hurdling bow before bolting up at Wetherby.
After another 13 months off, Let It Rain made her latest comeback in an Ascot handicap pre-Christmas and travelled like the best horse in the race before being run out of it in a close finish by Dance And Glance and All In You, both of whom are in opposition again.
Skelton's mare is expected to improve past that pair with a run under her belt and even though she is up 4lb to a revised mark of 124, she looks well handicapped.
Haiti Couleurs is expected to cement his Cheltenham Gold Cup claims with victory in the William Hill Denman Chase.
The Rebecca Curtis-trained nine-year-old is five from seven over fences, a record which includes big-race triumphs in the National Hunt Chase, the Irish Grand National and the Welsh Grand National.
He suffered a rare blip in the Betfair Chase in November, but he is not the first horse to run below form at Haydock and he showed his true colours with an excellent weight-carrying performance at Chepstow in late December and the testing conditions at Newbury should play to his strengths.
With Jango Baie not declared and L'Homme Presse turning out just two weeks after a hard race at Cheltenham, the stage looks set for Haiti Couleurs to claim his first win at this level.
Nicky Henderson's Lulamba can stamp his class on the William Hill Game Spirit Chase.
The Grade One-winning hurdler has been pretty much foot perfect in winning his first two starts over fences and now steps out of novice company to take on more experienced rivals at Grade Two level.
Sprinter Sacre did the same for the Seven Barrows team in 2012, while Altior was also a novice when claiming the first of his three Game Spirit wins in 2017.
Both Sprinter Sacre and Altior went on to win the Arkle at Cheltenham the following month and there is every chance Lulamba can repeat the feat.
In Lulamba's absence, Steel Ally is tipped to bag the Bet Smarter With Oddschecker Kingmaker Novices' Chase at Warwick.
The eight-year-old has been thoroughly impressive in scoring over fences at Carlisle and Ascot and while Mambonumberfive is a serious rival this weekend, there is a feeling Steel Ally might be better suited to soft ground.
Olly Murphy does not often leave Uttoxeter without a winner and can add to his tally at the Midlands venue with course and distance winner Lon Chaney.
The son of Walk In The Park won as he liked here on New Year's Eve and with the bulk of his 7lb penalty offset by the 5lb claim of his rider Lewis Saunders, he is difficult to oppose in his follow-up bid.
The best all-weather race of the day is the BetMGM Tandridge Stakes, which takes place in the evening at Southwell.
There are plenty of familiar names in contention for this Listed prize and the pick of them could be John and Thady Gosden's Chancellor, whose narrow defeat at the hands of Holloway Boy at Kempton in early December reads well given the high-class winner has since finished third in a Group One in Dubai. - Press Association
SELECTIONS:
LINGFIELD: Race 1 - 14.35 Thankfully Simmy, Race 2 - 15.10 Rosieisme Darling, Race 3 - 15.45 Tadreeb, Race 4 - 16.20 King Of Chaos, Race 5 - 16.55 Monsieur Kodi, Race 6 - 17.30 Silky Wilkie, Race 7 - 18.05 Muy Muy Loco, Race 8 - 18.40 Knight Of Magic.
NAAS: Race 1 - 15.05 Highland Crystal, Race 2 - 15.40 Raise You Up, Race 3 - 16.15 Jalon d'Oudairies, Race 4 - 16.50 Half A Chance, Race 5 - 17.25 Todo Bien, Race 5 - 18.00 Dinoblue, Race 6 - 18.35 Hunters Yarn.
NEWBURY: Race 1 - 15.00 Kadastral, Race 2 - 15.35 Below The Radar, Race 3 - 16.10 Haiti Couleurs, Race 4 - 16.45 Lulamba, Race 5 - 17.20 LET IT RAIN (NAP), Race 6 - 17.55 Itseemslikeit, Race 7 - 18.30 Risky Obsession.
SOUTHWELL: Race 1 - 19.30 Forglen, Race 2 - 20.00 Alpine Girl, Race 3 - 20.30 Dakota Breeze, Race 4 - 21.00 Hackney Diamonds, Race 5 - 21.30 Chancellor, Race 6 - 22.00 He Bangs The Drums, Race 7 - 22.30 Birkenhead.
UTTOXETER: Race 1 - 14.50 As Tears Go By, Race 2 - 15.25 Jack Black, Race 3 - 16.00 Lon Chaney, Race 4 - 16.32 Happy And Fine, Race 5 - 17.05 John Barbour, Race 6 - 17.42 Rosa Diaz, Race 7 - 18.20 Churchman.
WARWICK: Race 1 - 14.40 Just Golden, Race 2 - 15.15 Jubilee Alpha, Race 3 - 15.50 Steel Ally, Race 4 - 16.25 Knappers Hill, Race 5 - 17.00 Good Girl Kathleen, Race 6 - 17.35 Almuhit, Race 7 - 18.10 Luttrell Lad, Race 8 - 18.45 Vrheligonne.