Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Saturday.
Three points of interest
Can the Crisfords make it three in a row in the Winter Oaks?
Al Agaila and Oh So Grand both landed the Winter Oaks Fillies' Handicap (13:25) at Lingfield after winning the trial over course and distance the previous month and the Crisfords will be hoping that Charlotte's Web can emulate that pair to make it three in a row for the stable in this valuable prize.
Charlotte's Web is unlucky not to be unbeaten on the all-weather as she was badly hampered before powering home into third at Wolverhampton in August and she has won her three subsequent starts on a synthetic surface.
Charlotte's Web has shown run-by-run improvement on Timeform's figures on the all-weather and she showed a good attitude to complete the hat-trick in the Winter Oaks Trial last time, wearing down the runner-up inside the final half-furlong with the pair pulling clear of the remainder.
That performance earned the progressive Charlotte's Web Timeform's Horse In Focus Flag, marking her out as one likely to remain of interest, and the booking of Jack Mitchell - who won last year's race aboard Oh So Grand - has generated Timeform's Jockey Uplift Flag.
Royale Pagaille boasts a superb record at Haydock
Bristol de Mai would probably top the list if, Family Fortunes-style, you asked 100 racing fans to 'name a horse associated with Haydock', but Royale Pagaille could well be on the board.
Royale Pagaille joined Kauto Star, Silviniaco Conti, Cue Card and Bristol de Mai as a multiple winner of Haydock's premier race, the Betfair Chase, when triumphing in November to secure back-to-back victories in the Grade 1 event.
Royale Pagaille may not be as talented as those other multiple winners of the Betfair Chase but he still has a Timeform master rating of 165 which just about hits the benchmark for a top-class chaser, and he has proved remarkably consistent at Haydock where his record now stands at five wins and a second from six starts.
Away from Haydock, the highest Timeform performance rating that Royale Pagaille has registered is a figure of 158 when fifth in the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He has on four occasions achieved a Timeform performance rating in the 160s at Haydock, including when twice successful under top weight in the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase (14:30).
He's 3 lb higher than when registering his second victory in the Peter Marsh three years ago and has to concede a lot of weight to the field, but he's clearly extremely effective at Haydock - as denoted by Timeform's Horses For Courses Flag - and has testing conditions in his favour here, so he looks likely to launch another bold bid.
How Energumene and Jonbon compare on Timeform ratings
Only four runners went to post in the 2022 Clarence House Chase but spectators were still treated to a race for the ages as Shishkin and Energumene both delivered outstanding performances, with Nicky Henderson's contender just edging out Willie Mullins' raider.
Shishkin sadly died last season, but Energumene features among another four-runner field for this year's Clarence House (15:32) and again has a top-class opponent from Henderson's stable to deal with in the shape of Jonbon.
Plenty has always been expected of Jonbon given he's a full brother to Douvan - the highest-rated horse trained by Willie Mullins on Timeform's figures - and he was bought for a record £570,000 after winning his Irish point. However, Jonbon has certainly lived up to expectations as he's compiled a superb record under Rules comprising of 16 wins from 19 starts, including 11 from 13 over fences.
He ran up to his best on Timeform's figures when earning a performance rating of 172 in the Tingle Creek at Sandown last month, reasserting his status as the top chaser in Britain. That Tingle Creek effort is also the joint-best performance so far this season on Timeform's ratings, along with Galopin des Champs' win in the Savills Chase.
Jonbon is rock solid, though it should be pointed out that Energumene has earned a performance rating in excess of Jonbon's best on five occasions, with the pick of his efforts coming when runner-up to Shishkin in the Clarence House Chase. Energumene achieved a rating of 180 for that outstanding display and only 16 horses this century have achieved a higher Timeform rating.
Energumene missed all of last season and didn't have to be anywhere near his best to win the Hilly Way Chase on his return at Cork last month, earning a Timeform performance rating of 164. An effort of similar merit is unlikely to be enough against an opponent of Jonbon's calibre, but how close to his very best can Energumene get at the age of 11? That is likely to be what decides the Clarence House.
A Timeform master rating expresses the level of form a horse is considered capable of showing under optimum conditions. Timeform's handicapper has settled on a figure of 177 for Energumene which is below his very best but at the level he produced when winning his second Champion Chase nearly two years ago.
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