Best of the rest: Epatante has chance to shine in absence of star stablemate Constitution Hill

You might not think a horse beaten 12 and 17 lengths on her last two starts would be a red-hot favourite for a Saturday Grade 2, but in defence of Epatante, who contests Doncaster's Sky Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares' Hurdle (2.05), those reverses have been behind exceptional stablemate Constitution Hill.

She was second to him in the Fighting Fifth and filled the same slot in the Christmas Hurdle, but now trainer Nicky Henderson appears to have found a golden opportunity for the high-class mare to go one better.

He has done that after she was denied an outing at Haydock last weekend and Nico de Boinville will be aboard the 2020 Champion Hurdle heroine, whose regular rider Aidan Coleman is required at Cheltenham.

Taking on the might of Henderson and Epatante's owner JP McManus is ex-Alan King inmate Finest View, a Kathleen and David Holmes homebred who has her first start for Andrew Martin.

"She's settled in brilliantly and looks so well," Kathleen Holmes said of their five-time winner who has been off since June.

"We thought she might benefit from being in a smaller yard. Andy is happy with her, but she hasn't run for a while. She might need it, but you never know on the day with horses and we were keen to run her in this race.

"She's an elite mare, but we would like a bit of black-type. It just puts a bit of icing on the cake and, at the end of the day, our job is breeding."

Doncaster also hosts the Albert Bartlett River Don Novices' Hurdle (2.40) and Grand Soir is an intriguing runner for John McConnell, whose County Meath raiders to Britain are always worth a second look.

Grand Soir has won his last three and McConnell said: "The nicer ground should suit him and he's been progressive since he started winning, so he's entitled to go for a better race. We're hopeful and he'll stay well. If he's in touching distance turning in, he should run a big race.

"He's a big galloper who probably isn't that flashy at home, so we were slightly disappointed with him starting off, but he's got the hang of it now."

The market is headed by Stay Away Fay, an exciting prospect for Paul Nicholls, who also has claims of winning the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (3.35) at Cheltenham with Henri The Second.

Long held in high regard by the champion trainer, Henri The Second won Sandown's Grade 2 Winter Novices' Hurdle in December, but is penalised for that success, so concedes weight to his ten rivals.

Wichita Lineman, Diamond Harry, Bobs Worth, At Fishers Cross and Yanworth won this race before going on to bigger things and Harry Cobden, who rides the six-year-old, said: "He's got a 5lb penalty for winning a good race the last day at Sandown, but I think he's a very good horse and we haven't yet seen the best of him."

Read this next:

3.00 Cheltenham: can Paisley Park make Cheltenham history in the Cleeve Hurdle? 

2.25 Cheltenham: 'It's his biggest test' - Skelton and Mullins on their Cotswold Chase stars 

Members' Club special offer: get exclusive tips and insight FREE for one month  

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.