'He is as good a chaser as there is around' - Tom Segal looks at the state of play at the top of the chasing tree

Back in January my new year's resolution was to be more positive, to be a glass-half-full type of guy. For the most part I've succeeded in that aim, but there is no point in being upbeat just for the sake of it and I can't help but think last season's Gold Cup was not the classic we thought it was at the time.

While it is far too early to write of Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame, they both look to currently have issues. Galopin simply doesn't jump very well anymore. He was sloppy at Cheltenham, sloppy again in the John Durkan and on recent evidence he's not as good a horse as Fastorslow, who is a brilliant jumper.

Galopin Des Champs was by no means disgraced at Punchestown on his comeback, but he has gone from looking a fast horse to a bit of a slogger in a short space of time. Bravemansgame's performance at Haydock suggested he might have an issue. The Betfair Chase turned out to be a moderate affair, with the winning time five seconds slower that the previous year, which was run on slower ground according to the Going Stick. Bravemansgame didn't finish off his race at all and will need to improve stones on that form to have any shot of winning the King George again.