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Ground conditions are the chief concern for trainer Charles Byrnes as his Cesarewitch hero Run For Oscar reverts to the jumping game for the Betfair Exchange Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Haydock.
An impressive winner on the Flat at the Merseyside venue in early August, the seven-year-old subsequently justified market confidence to earn his connections a six-figure windfall in Newmarket's prestigious staying handicap last month.
Byrnes immediately nominated this weekend's £125,000 contest as a potential target and he is once again prominent in the betting, but his trainer admits he would have preferred better ground.
"We're hoping the ground doesn't deteriorate – that's the one worry we have," said Byrnes.
"He's in similar form to when he went to Newmarket, but he wouldn't want it too heavy, so that is a small bit of a concern.
"We've a very good claimer (Daniel King) on him as he's not a big horse, which is why we were keen to claim.
"He's in top form and we're hoping for the best."
Run For Oscar is joined at the head of the market by Harry Fry's Might I, who steps up in trip on his first start since finishing second in a Grade One novice hurdle at Aintree in the spring.
Other leading contenders include Good Risk At All, a recent winner at Carlisle for Sam Thomas, Dan Skelton's Get A Tonic and the Paul Nicholls-trained Complete Unknown.
Nicholls told Betfair: "He was very progressive last season and landed the EBF Final at Sandown in March in style. He has done well over the summer and I've had this race in mind for him since he came back into training.
"The more it rains the better for Complete Unknown, who stays very well and enjoyed an away day recently. He has an obvious chance in a competitive handicap."
The Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Graduation Chase has been dominated by the Nicholls yard, with Clan Des Obeaux (2017) and Bravemansgame (2021) among his eight winners in the last 10 years.
This year the Ditcheat handler is set to saddle hot favourite Hitman, who was narrowly beaten in Aintree's Old Roan Chase on his reappearance last month.
"This graduation chase is an ideal prep for Hitman ahead of the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day," Nicholls added.
"I knew he wasn't fully wound up when just beaten last month at Aintree in the Old Roan, but he still ran a great race giving stacks of weight away to most of his rivals including the winner and the third Ga Law, who franked the form at Cheltenham last weekend.
"He has definitely come on for that outing and should be hard to beat."
Listed honours are up for grabs in the opening Betfair Weighed In Podcast Newton Novices' Hurdle, in which Nicholls is represented by impressive Chepstow scorer Tahmuras.
Nicholls said: "He is a lovely prospect and won with authority on his debut over hurdles at Chepstow, which surprised me a bit as it was over two miles and he is going to want further in time.
"I want to give him one more run at Haydock before aiming him at something like the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown. I'm hoping for another big run from him."
The final race on a quality card is the £60,000 Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase.
Richard Hobson's course favourite Lord Du Mesnil and Joe Tizzard's The Big Breakway, who has struggled to fulfil his early promise, both line up.
Houston Texas is the likely favourite for the in-form Nicky Richards team, while Venetia Williams will have high hopes for the returning Fontaine Collonges.
Tizzard said: "I haven't given up on him, he cost a lot of money and he has plenty of ability – it just hasn't happened for him.
"When he won his first novice chase at Cheltenham we thought 'here we go', but when he next ran at Exeter he was all over the place. Last year he struggled with his shins, so we've fired his shins and he's in a really good place at home.
"We've entered him for the Coral Welsh National and if we can run well on Saturday, we'll head there."
