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

Scanning over the roll of honour for this 2m handicap chase really whets the appetite for the new jumps season. Three of the previous eight runnings have been landed by horses who subsequently made their mark at Grade 1 level and, who knows, perhaps Haddex Des Obeaux will be the next cab off the rank.

Rouge Vif, Saint Calvados and Fox Norton were six when they won this, which is a positive omen for Haddex Des Obeaux’s supporters, of whom there must be some given he has recently been trimmed to 33-1 in places for the Queen Mother Champion Chase here in March.

He is the only one from that age group this year and has hinted at potential stardom over fences. The 19-length front-running tour de force he produced at Warwick in January was made all the more commendable in light of subsequent events, as the three he pummelled scored on their next outing. A 10lb rise to 146 is manageable, and Haddex Des Obeaux’s racing style is archetypally suited to Cheltenham.

He is not the only interesting chaser in the field. Notlongtillmay was runner-up in a Grade 1 at last season's festival. Red Rookie ran in the 2022 Arkle. Guy and Triple Trade are hunting down hat-tricks, while Dancing On My Own has finished first and second in the past two Red Rums at Aintree for Henry de Bromhead.

Another interesting facet of this race is how Before Midnight performs on his second start for Fergal O’Brien after leaving Sam Thomas. Before Midnight bolted up in this off 136 two seasons ago and peaked at 148 the following spring. Regressive performances have coincided with a drop to 135 and a further 7lb is taken off by Ben Sutton, who is quickly establishing himself as an amateur to keep onside.

That is truer still when he teams up with O’Brien. The pair have enjoyed four victories and two seconds from seven representatives, and a recent run separates Before Midnight from many of these.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

What they say

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Dancing On My Own
He seems in good form and we're looking forward to it. Everything seems good and he won well at Aintree in April so fingers crossed he can bring that sort of form to the table here.

Gary Moore, trainer of Haddex Des Obeaux
He likes to front run. Whether he'll be able to this time, we’ll have to see, but we are looking forward to getting him back on track. He’ll enjoy any further rain they get as he’s a better horse on soft ground.

Tom Bellamy, rider of Red Rookie
We’re looking forward to getting him started and I think there could be a big one in him off his mark this season. Hopefully they get some rain overnight and if they do, I think he has a fantastic chance.

Fergal O'Brien, trainer of Before Midnight
I was really delighted with his first run for us at Chepstow. We wanted to get the freshness out of him for this race, but he ran a lot better than I thought he would. He seems well at home and fingers crossed he can drive on.

Harry Fry, trainer of In Excelsis Deo
He didn’t build on the promise of his debut success last season, but he's still only a five-year-old and there is plenty of time for him. It’s a competitive field, as you would expect for a race of this type. He needs experience and this is a nice starting point.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Guy
The ground should be fine; he doesn't want it too soft. We'll look forward to him as he seems in great form at the moment.
Reporting by David Milnes

Read the rest of our Saturday previews:

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? 

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

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

The jumps season is coming! Pick up your copy of The Big Jump Off, out now and packed with everything you need for the 2023-24 National Hunt season. Our brilliant 72-page supplement, including ante-post tips, guest columnists, top trainer profiles, divisional analysis and much more, is available to order from the Racing Post shop here.