Could there be another Grade 1 star lurking among a quality novice chase field?

Gold Cup winner Coneygree, King George winner Clan Des Obeaux and Champ are among the subsequent Grade 1-winning chasers to have landed this race in the last ten years and Paul Nicholls will be hoping the future is similarly bright for promising youngster Hermes Allen.

The six-year-old was so strong in the market before the Ballymore at Cheltenham last season that he displaced Impaire Et Passe as favourite but, after going off a heavily backed 9-4 chance, Hermes Allen couldn’t get competitive and finished 21 lengths behind in sixth.

His reputation is such that he went off 3-1 favourite for the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on the back of that disappointment and he redeemed himself to a degree by finishing six and a quarter lengths behind Irish Point in third of 14, albeit comfortably held.

Maybe his wind was causing problems as Nicholls has given Hermes Allen surgery over the winter and has a 21 per cent strike-rate with runners after an op. However, his overall strike-rate is 24 per cent and Hermes Allen’s chance is dependent on how he takes to fences on his chase debut.

He did win a point-to-point in Ireland before joining Nicholls and the trainer is famed for bringing improvement from his runners when they go over fences, so big things are expected.

Sarah Humphrey has similarly high expectations for Nickle Back, who has gone two for two over fences and scored by combined margins of 43 lengths. His latest 19-length victory over Hystery Bere was given a boost when that rival finished second at Wetherby on Wednesday.

Humphrey isn’t a regular visitor to Newbury, but one of her seven runners here was successful and a further three finished in the first three, so Nickle Back is no forlorn hope.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

'He's fit enough to run well' - can Hermes Allen be Nicholls' next chasing star?

Paul Nicholls is excited about unleashing Grade 1-winning hurdler Hermes Allen over fences, but warned he will come on for his chasing debut as he belatedly gets his campaign under way.

The six-year-old enjoyed his finest moment at this track last season when an easy winner of the Challow Novices' Hurdle, but he was beaten on his last two outings at the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree's Grand National meeting. He was due to run earlier in the season before suffering a setback,

Hermes Allen: Grade 1 winner over hurdles last seasonCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Nicholls, who last won this race in 2016 with dual King George VI Chase winner Clan Des Obeaux, said: "He had a gallop the other day at the track with Complete Unknown, but we were a bit behind as he missed a month's work after picking up a foot infection. He's fit enough to run well, but he'll come on for this too. I'm looking forward to getting him going and he's been schooling well. He'll improve on whatever he does."

What they say

Lorna Fowler, trainer of Colonel Mustard
I was very happy with his run at Down Royal. The race was a bit unsatisfactory with the three fences taken out as I wanted to get a proper race into him and for him to show us he really stays two and a half miles over fences. But he'll come on for it and will love a flat track. He's classy rather than really gritty, so I think the track will suit him.

Sarah Humphrey, trainer of Nickle Back
We're really excited. His preparation has gone well and there's no negatives really as long as the day doesn't get to him. We'll get permission to go down early, so he can go down quietly on his own, and we'll take our chance.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of No Ordinary Joe
It's a Grade 2 but it's a small field and Newbury is a nice place to start a novice over fences. He's schooled well, and he and James Bowen have got on very well together.

Emma Lavelle, trainer of Tightenourbelts
Our choice was to carry 12st or more in a handicap or have a go at this. He's a horse we really like and the track should suit him. It's a hot race but I'd rather be running off level weights in a race like this than giving lumps of weight away without the experience. Hopefully he can show us what he's made of.

Reporting by Matt Rennie

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