L'Eau Du Sud faces intriguing test of Arkle credentials against Gordon Elliott pair and chase debutant Rubaud

The six horses in last year's Henry VIII had a return of three wins from 16 runs across the rest of the season. It does not speak highly of Britain's first Grade 1 novice chase and has no doubt played a part in enticing some of the runners that lend this year's field some serious interest.

Gordon Elliott is doubly represented. He sends the Gigginstown-owned Touch Me Not and JP McManus-owned Down Memory Lane. One has already won a Grade 2 novice chase, the other went off 5-2 to beat Caldwell Potter on the final start of a curtailed novice hurdle season.

Paul Nicholls had even declared Rubaud for his chase debut, although he was a non-runner on Friday evening. That would have been seriously ambitious, given no horse has ever won a British Grade 1 chase on their debut over fences.

L'Eau Du Sud, the likely favourite today, showed on his first chase start that even the naturally adept can need to get a mistake out of their system. He jumped well at Stratford bar a howler at the fourth, then was sharp throughout when impressing at Cheltenham last time.

The run of this race seems likely to suit him. Partly because this is the first Grade 1 novice chase, it is rarely in anyone's interest to turn it into a slog. Relatively fast finishes are common. Four of the past five runnings have produced a time from three out to the line that is faster than the calculated sectional 'par' at Sandown. That indicates more emphasis being placed on speed than stamina.

A similar scenario this year would favour the speedier L'Eau Du Sud, who competed in top handicap hurdles at two miles. Meanwhile, as their connections might imply, Touch Me Not and Down Memory Lane are both bred to stay significantly further than a bare two miles.
Analysis by Keith Melrose

Dan Skelton: 'L'Eau Du Sud has come out of Cheltenham in excellent form and we couldn’t be happier'

The ownership group featuring Sir Alex Ferguson and Ged Mason could be set for another remarkable weekend, with L'Eau Du Sud looking to kickstart a 24-hour spell that also features Spirit Dancer bidding for glory in Hong Kong.

Spirit Dancer, who won last month's Bahrain International Trophy in a week where Ferguson and Mason had a fair share of success at Cheltenham, is chasing a first prize of £2.2 million in the Hong Kong Cup on Sunday.

The first prize of £56,950 for the Henry VIII Novices' Chase is not quite as substantial at the Esher track, but it is nonetheless a valuable prize in its own right and a crucial next step on the ladder for L'Eau Du Sud.

He has won both his starts over fences by double-digit distances, most recently when landing the odds by 11 lengths in the Grade 2 Arkle Trial at Cheltenham. He is 8-1 for the Arkle in March.

Trainer Dan Skelton, who is chasing a second win in the race following Allmankind in 2020, said: “L’Eau Du Sud is in great form and we're excited to be going there for a Grade 1.

"He’s come out of Cheltenham in excellent form and we couldn’t be happier with him going forward."

Gordon Elliott, responsible for Down Memory Lane and Touch Me Not, said: "Down Memory Lane is a good horse and we've always thought a bit of him. He's only ever been beaten once and I liked what I saw from him at Navan. He jumped well there. We saw this race and thought it might suit so it will be interesting to see how he gets on.

"Touch Me Not surprised me at Punchestown. He's obviously a much better chaser than hurdler and Sam [Ewing] said he jumped brilliantly at Punchestown. Sandown is a really good jumping test so it should suit a horse like him."

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