Ryman The Stationer Novices' Chase 2011

12.45 Cheltenham

Ryman The Stationer Novices' Chase (Class 2)  (4YO plus)

Winner £12,512

Advice: 3 pts win Mossley (3/1 general)

Join Together: Useful novice hurdler, coming second in Grade 2 before then winning by 20 lengths at Chepstow, and going well there (although in no way certain to win) when stumbling on landing 5 out there on chasing/seasonal debut; Improved from that when grinding things out late on here, winning under fine ride; Should go well again under penalty.

Traffic Article: Improved over the summer and now building up a handy strike rate over fences (3-9 over fences with 4 of those being seconds), with a good win at Cheltenham’s October meeting to his name; This harder but respected.

Champion Court: Had the makings of a very useful prospect last season, winning Grade 2 at this meeting last year and ending up with a fourth at the Festival; Shown promise over fences, winning well before then being given too hard a task when trying to give 5lbs to Grands Crus (needed a longer trip); Should run a big race.

Fists Of Fury: First chase win when getting the better of talented but temperamental runner up at Wetherby; Should go on and win races but others might be better options.

Mossley: Excellent start to hurdling career when winning novice hurdle at Huntingdon on the bridle before landing Grade 2 here (Join Together behind), and even better when second behind Bobs Worth in staying novice hurdle at Festival (forget Aintree run); Scratchy chase debut (on and off bridle for long periods before winning easily) but should improve plenty for that and big chance here.

Old Wigmore: Useful over hurdles (behind Mossley and Join Together in Grade 2 Albert Bartlett) but not quite gone on over hurdles; Much improved when a wide margin winner at Exeter (race set up well for him) latest and more needed again here.

Sybarite: Not been the same over fences has hurdles and others would have to be preferred if running here just a day after being beaten  12 lenghts by Solix.

VERDICT: MOSSLEY will need to jump a lot better than he did at Kempton on his chasing debut but improvement for that run is expected and he was the best of these over hurdles, where he holds Join Together and Champion Court on two different lines of form.