Pint-sized but gutsy chaser Black Corton heads the weights, while the bookies are having a mare trying to find an outright favourite.
The lack of a viable Gold Cup candidate does mean it's a wide-open renewal, and the door could be left open for a horse like BEWARE THE BEAR (3.00 Newbury).
It's virtually a year to the day that Nicky Henderson's eight-year-old last got his head in front, when winning the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in dramatic fashion last December.
He has subsequently been pulled up on bottomless ground in the Welsh National, run a cracking fourth at Cheltenham and been pulled up in the Scottish National.
He is now just 3lb above his last winning mark and this 3m2f trip is just about his optimum.
The gelding has won first time out for the last two seasons, and this big galloping track will play to his strengths.
Up in the Black Country, tricky MICKEY (7.15 Wolverhampton) can get back on the scoreboard.
Tom Dascombe's five-year-old has just one win to his name from 17 career starts, but that victory came at Wolves.
His best form has come on the all-weather, but he did run several good races in defeat on turf over the summer.
Jack Out The Box – Saturday's each-way picks
3.00 NEWBURY – Beware The Bear: 'Goes well fresh and conditions here look to be perfect'
7.15 WOLVERHAMPTON – Mickey: 'Likes this track and he's well-handicapped on past AW form'
On his last visit to Dunstall Park, he pushed the 109-rated speedster Lancelot Du Lac close in a driving finish.
He lines up off a tempting mark of 89 and this is the easiest contest he has tackled in quite a while.
He isn't a straightforward ride, but top jock Richard Kingscote is, in my opinion, one of the best in the country and is the man for the job.
Read more from Jack by following him on Twitter @jkeene124
Source: Read Full Article