'He goes there at the top of his game' - analysis and key quotes for Pertemps qualifier

The first four will qualify for the final of this series at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Shoot First justified warm favouritism 12 months ago for Charles Byrnes, and three of the top four in the market this year are trained in Ireland.

Bugs Moran, an excellent runner-up in a Listed handicap hurdle at Galway in August on his return from a near 16-month absence, backed that up when occupying the same position at Listowel last month.

Both those efforts were over shorter trips, and the return to 3m, combined with his proven hard race-fitness, makes him a huge runner.

We’llhavewan didn’t fare so well in another handicap hurdle at the Galway festival, but he has since won with more in hand than the official half-length margin suggests at Killarney in August.

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The two British-based runners who stand out are Hugos New Horse and Hyland.

Hugos New Horse, winner of six of his nine starts, is open to further improvement at this first attempt at 3m for Paul Nicholls, while Hyland should have enough in the tank to remain highly competitive after scoring with a degree of comfort last time.

The fifth, Moveit Like Minnie, won at Ludlow on Thursday, and a 6lb rise for that Warwick success looks fair.

Judicial Law, a proven winner at 3m-plus, races off a career-high mark of 130, but he remains capable of a big run.

Bottomweight Spike Jones also stays well, but he might need softer ground to produce his best on this first outing since undergoing wind surgery.

What they say

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Jet Of Magic
He's been running well this season, but we wouldn't want the ground to get too soft.

Noel Meade, trainer of Bugs Moran
Hopefully he has a decent chance. He seems to like this sort of trip and he's consistent. If he happened to qualify for the final by finishing in the first four it would be great and if he were to win it would be a bonus. He seems in great form.

Syd Hosie, trainer of Rock My Way
We're looking to get a run into him, it's a big race but he should be well handicapped. He's done everything right at home, he worked well with Plenty Of Time who went out and won the other day so that's a positive.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Hugos New Horse
He won't mind the ground. He improved all through last season and we hope he can continue to. We just want to see whether he can get three miles. I think he might, but it'll be interesting to see if he does.

Fergal O'Brien, trainer of Hurricane Harvey
He was placed at Cheltenham in April last season and I thought he ran well on his first start back at Uttoxeter. This should really suit him. He's really lazy so the faster they go, the better for him, and he's in great form.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Hyland
It was a very good return from him at Warwick. This is a bit of a step up in class, but he deserves a go after a good start. He wants good ground so I hope they don't get much rain.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Ringdufferin and Gortmillish
Ringdufferin has won his last two and is getting better with every run. This looked a nice race for him to go next and he goes there at the top of his game. Gortmillish is a nice horse who might go chasing later in the season, but this looked a nice place for him to come. He will improve plenty for his run at Killarney.

Ben Pauling, trainer of Bangers And Cash
He'll have a campaign in staying handicaps and he'll come on for the run. It's a nice starting point for his owners so we'll see how he gets on.

Harry Fry, trainer of Dubrovnik Harry
Things didn’t go to plan last year, but we think we’ve got to the bottom of the problem. It’s a competitive race, but hopefully he can run well and get his career back on track. He was always going to be a chaser, but if he finishes in the first four and qualifies for the final then it’s a nice safety net to have.

Read the rest of our Saturday previews:

1.15 Cheltenham: Is the progressive Haddex Des Obeaux the next Grade 1 winner to emerge from this competitive handicap chase?

1.50 Cheltenham: It's Blueking D'Oroux's race to lose - but can anything stop the Paul Nicholls good thing? 

2.10 Doncaster: 'Bad ground is a worry' - Aidan O'Brien and Charlie Appleby on Futurity favourites Diego Velazquez and Ancient Wisdom 

2.25 Cheltenham: Will front-runners dominate or can patient tactics pay dividends in a race that often defies Cheltenham trends? 

Flooring Porter poised for chase debut and Grand National hero Corach Rambler returns as jumps season ramps up 

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