Road to the spring festivals for hunter chasers starts on Tuesday

Britain’s hunter chase season begins at Taunton on Tuesday when the first of 88 such races is staged before the end of May.

Foxhunter chases at the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals as well as Stratford’s fixture in late May are the pinnacles, while an evening card of hunter chases at Cheltenham on May 1 is another significant magnet.

With Cheltenham’s Foxhunter Chase closing on February 25, there is invariably a scramble in a handful of stables to get a horse qualified for that £45,000 contest and, while there is time to win two open point-to-points or finish first or second in two hunter chases, there is no time for hiccups. Last season’s equine flu scare came out of the blue and spoilt a few plans, while flood or frost are possible factors at this time of year.