Gary Moore hoping Goshen can dispel track doubts in trappy National Spirit Hurdle

This Grade 2 contest is a comfortable landing spot for horses who find themselves just below Grade 1 level and is usually a small but competitive affair.

It is often a tricky race to assess, with just one favourite successful in the last decade, and the same applies this time with just 8lb separating the five-runner field on official ratings and three points separating top from bottom in the market. The unseasonably dry ground could also bring this field closer together, with this the first running set to take place without soft or heavy in the description since 2009.

Botox Has became the biggest-priced winner in that timeframe when striking at 20-1 last year and his trainer Gary Moore is back with stable star Goshen. The popular seven-year-old underlined his distaste for chasing when third of three at Lingfield last time and is much more comfortable over hurdles, as he proved when second in the Kempton's Long Walk Hurdle on Boxing Day and when winning the Coral Hurdle at this level beforehand. 

Brewin'upastorm was eight and a half lengths adrift there, receiving 6lb, and competes off the same terms here. However, he is much more suited to going left-handed and is a regular in this race, having won it in 2021 before he narrowly missing out last year. A recent wind operation could prompt improvement, but you have to be quite good to become a dual winner, with just Brantridge Farmer, Comedy Of Errors and Lough Derg managing it since the 1970s.

The contest will ignite another mini rivalry as the plucky veteran Sceau Royal reverts to hurdling to once again take on Knappers Hill, who derailed his bid for a fourth Elite Hurdle at Wincanton in November. The 11-year-old receives a 6lb pull in the weights now and didn't disgrace himself when third in the Dublin Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival, but no horse his age has ever managed to win this race.

Knappers Hill seemed to kiss goodbye his chance of turning up in a Champion Hurdle last Saturday when only second in the Kingwell Hurdle, but a reproduction of that run would nevertheless put him clearly in the picture here. While no match for the winner I Like To Move It, he achieved plenty by beating the 152-rated First Street, giving him 2lb, and is probably better suited to this longer test nowadays.

'I'm not sure Goshen will be happy going around Fontwell'

Chasing did not go to plan for Goshen last time and while Gary Moore concedes he will be more content back over the smaller obstacles, he is concerned about the return to a left-handed track.

Goshen put in two high-class hurdling efforts in the Coral Hurdle and Long Walk earlier this season and he won at this track as a juvenile, but he was put in his place at Lingfield last time and has shown a pronounced preference for going the other way round in recent years.

"He will be happier over hurdles but whether he'll be happier going around Fontwell I'm not sure, as he prefers going right-handed," the trainer said. "The ground won't be his cup of tea either but we're limited with where we can go with him now, so we thought we'd give it a try.

"He got beat by Brewin'upastorm at Lingfield last year on soft ground but when he took us on going right-handed at Ascot, Goshen slammed him, which just shows you how he can be. The cheekpieces seemed to help him a bit over fences, so we're keeping them on. We're hopeful more than confident."

What they say

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Knappers Hill
I'm bringing him out fairly quickly because more often than not this meeting is a bog, but two miles and three furlongs on this decent surface is probably ideal for him and I'm not really saving him for anything. He ran really well last week and beat a good horse into third in First Street. Two miles is a bit sharp for him around Wincanton and we might have made a bit too much use of him there. He's had a quiet week, he's fit, fresh and well. There are question marks about all of them, it's an open little contest.

Knappers Hill: beat Sceau Royal in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton in NovemberCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Dan Skelton, trainer of Proschema
He's got a bit to find on ratings and the trip might be on the short side, but he'll like the ground. I don't think he should be favourite but I think he'll run nicely. He'll run over three miles at Aintree afterwards.

Alan King, trainer of Sceau Royal
He's in good form after his third in the Dublin Chase and we've left him in the Ryanair, but we think he'll find it tough in that. I think he's slightly happier over hurdles than fences these days. He was in good form when he schooled on Monday, the decent ground will suit him and so will the trip now he's lost a little bit of his speed.

Olly Murphy, trainer of Brewin'upastorm
He's in good form, he loves the race and the track. It looks a tight little race but if he turns up on his A-game he shouldn't be too far away. I'd have loved an extra few days with him as I've been fairly tight getting him ready, but he's in good nick and we're looking forward to running him. He shouldn't mind the ground and they haven't raced on that strip since November. He's in the Coral Cup and he has Aintree and Sandown as options afterwards too.

Do you want £200+ of free bets for Cheltenham? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.