Chase The Spud looks too hot to handle

Patience is said to be a virtue and Chase The Spud can prove the point by making the tenday wait for the rearranged Coral Welsh Grand National a rewarding one with victory at Chepstow.

Fergal O’brien’s gelding was well fancied to land the spoils last week and nothing has changed in the interim.

The ten-year-old has an established record in the marathon staying handicap department, having ground out victory over Mysteree in the Midlands Grand National in March.

After a richly-deserved long summer off, Chase The Spud made his seasonal reappearance at Haydock six weeks ago over three and a half miles on heavy ground. He had to display courage and determination to beat Robinsfirth by six lengths, with 24 lengths back to the third horse, Cloudy Too.

Inevitably, Chase The Spud has gone up in the ratings again but the stable is on a high at the moment and he has the right attributes to cope with a big weight and when conditions demand it.

Mercenaire can give trainer Nick Williams a third success in the Coral Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle. The Devon handler saddled Me Voici to take this Grade One contest in 2009, while Le Rocher struck in 2013.

He has found another suitable contender in Mercenaire, who was impressive when making most of the running to score by 25 lengths at Exeter in November.

Western Ryder looks the answer in the 32Red Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown. The Warren Greatrex-trained six-year-old has shown the right attributes in winning his completed races over jumps at Chepstow and Cheltenham after unseating his rider at Stratford. He beat Lalor in tidy fashion last time out and can take the step up to Grade One company in his stride.