Can Scamp finally come out on top for Fergal O'Brien?

Plenty of attention on Warwick's feature 3m handicap chase () will focus on Minella Scamp, who remains a maiden after 12 races under rules but won his only point and has been runner-up on both starts since joining Fergal O'Brien.

O'Brien said of the nine-year-old on Tuesday: "Minella Scamp ran well at Hereford the last day, he just seemed to bump into one a bit. He'd have been fit enough then but having a run behind him won't hurt. We're stepping him up in trip and Paddy says he thinks Warwick will suit."

Minella Scamp's two runs for O'Brien have come off breaks of 351 days and 82 days respectively, while this time he turns around after 18 days. He was second to Lord Bryan last time, but in truth it is his effort behind Looksnowtlikebrian at Ffos Las in December that appeals as stronger form and he gets to run off the same mark here.

Besides his point run, Minella Scamp's pedigree – from the family of dual Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace – offers promise of him staying 3m with his sire King's Theatre being one of the best among staying chasers.

A potential form line to note

The 2m5f maiden hurdle that opens Warwick's card (2.10) may not have any potential stars in its line-up, but plenty have laid the groundwork for proving useful and it could work out as good form for the grade.

Tossapenny sets the standard on RPRs, but four of his eight rivals have already shown the form to win an ordinary maiden hurdle, which would be above-average for a race of this type.

The likely favourite won a point and has been second on all three rules starts, beaten an aggregate total of less than a length (three-quarters of a length in a bumper and two noses over hurdles).

Two of his four projected rivals are dropping in trip, which again is not all that common in this type of race. Blue Flight improved stepped up to 3m at Ludlow last time, while Ocean Cove ran his best race so far over 2m7f at Exeter in December.

That was his hurdles debut and trainer Fergal O'Brien said: "Ocean Cove has a handicap mark of 120, but he's only had the two runs and we've a nice race at Ayr in mind for him and he needs the match practice before then.

"He'll be there to give it his best, but there are a few nice horses in there. He jumps well and stays well. Uttoxeter just got a bit silly last time – they messed about and it didn't suit him. He's a nice horse and will be going chasing next year."

Will City Supreme be ready to go?

The feature at Wincanton (3.40) looks pretty winnable for the grade and a lot may rest on whether City Supreme is ready to do himself full justice returning from another break.

The Anthony Honeyball-trained eight-year-old made his seasonal reappearance in December at Plumpton and finished tired, but shaped fairly well. A further absence of just over three months sounds a note of caution, but he remains an unexposed chaser who won off this mark just over a year ago and seems to jump well, something that is vital at Wincanton.

Read The Briefing from 8.30am daily on racingpost.com with all the day's latest going, weather, market moves and non-runner news