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David Pipe unleashes the second most expensive jumper ever bought at public auction at Haydock when Un Temps Pour Tout runs in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trial
New owners Professor Caroline Tisdall and Bryan Drew went to £450,000 for the five-year-old in November, which means only JP McManus has paid more for a National Hunt horse when forking out 530,000 guineas way back in 2004 for Garde Champetre.
While the latter never came close to paying back that astronomical fee, he did at least cover himself in glory by winning the cross-country race twice at the Cheltenham Festival.
Pipe will be hoping for a bit more from his new recruit, who was last seen finishing third behind Ptit Zig in a Grade One at Auteuil. Tom Scudamore will be the man on top and he is eagerly looking forward to the race.
The jockey said: "He seems to have settled well into our yard, but obviously he has come with a big reputation. What he has done at home would suggest he is well up to it, and his French form is good. He has worked well at home and he has done everything we've asked of him to date.
"Of course they are different obstacles completely in France, they are like mini fences, so while you don't have to completely re-school them, we have jumped him over plenty of English-style hurdles just to get him used to them.
"One thing he will like is the ground, that is sure to be in his favour looking at his form in France. I'm really excited about riding him, it will be great to see what he can do."
Un Temps Pour Tout is in at the deep end against the likes of Venetia Williams' Zamdy Man, who ran at both Cheltenham and Aintree last season and his unbeaten this term.
His jockey Aidan Coleman told his www.racinguk.com blog: "Zamdy Man has won two from two this season and is a lovely horse. He's been given a nice break since his win over the course and distance in November and is going very well."
Nicky Henderson's unbeaten Stand To Reason and the also-unbeaten Meadowcroft Boy, who steps up in class, offer further resistance.
Meadowcroft Boy's trainer Alistair Whillans said: "I don't know what the opposition was like (at Carlisle), but he won it well enough. He jumped well and is very professional. He is like that at home as he works well, but doesn't sparkle. He just does his work and that's it.
"We were thinking of going to Newcastle on Wednesday, but then we thought we would give him a go at a decent race and see how good he is. After Saturday, we will know whether we go handicapping or for the better races in the spring, but his bumper form suggests he is pretty good."