Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Tuesday.
Three points of interest
Fact To File adds fascinating dimension to Champion Chase
Two impressive winners at the latest Cheltenham Festival clash in an intriguing renewal of the Punchestown Champion Chase (18:00) on the opening day of the meeting.
Ordinarily you would expect a wide-margin winner of the Champion Chase at Cheltenham to start as a red-hot favourite for the Punchestown equivalent, but that's not the case this year with Marine Nationale playing second fiddle in the market to Ryanair Chase winner Fact To File.
There are a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, Marine Nationale's 18-length success over Jonbon doesn't tell anything like the full story as the runner-up effectively lost all chance when belting five out, while Quilixios was still in with a chance, though most likely set for second, when he fell at the final fence.
That was a career-best performance from Marine Nationale and earned him a Timeform rating of 167, but Fact To File ran to an even higher level and earned a rating of 173 when slamming his rivals by nine lengths in the Ryanair Chase the following afternoon - and he was full value for every length.
Fact To File had twice shaped as if his stamina was stretched when placed behind Galopin des Champs in the Savills Chase and Irish Gold Cup over three miles, and he relished the drop in trip to an extended two and a half miles at Cheltenham.
Clearly, the big question is whether Fact To File can cope with another sharp drop in trip to an extended two miles on a sound surface, but the way he went through the Ryanair Chase would offer encouragement.
Timeform's reporter issued the K and J in-running symbols to Fact To File to denote he travelled notably strongly and jumped very well, and those attributes are good ones to have on side in a two-miler.
Timeform Flags point to Expressionless at Nottingham
The Horse In Focus Flag is awarded by Timeform reporters to horses who are likely to be of interest next time. Expressionless earned the Horse In Focus Flag for his promising comeback effort at Newbury this month, while he also has the Horses For Courses Flag to highlight his effectiveness at Nottingham ahead of his return to the track in the mile-and-three-quarter handicap (15:18).
One of Expressionless' two victories last season was achieved over the course and distance he tackles on Tuesday, while the other also came over a mile and three-quarters at Yarmouth.
With that proven stamina in mind, it was encouraging that Expressionless fared so well on his return over an inadequate trip of a mile and a quarter at Newbury. He was understandably tapped for toe over a couple of furlongs out but he stayed on to good effect and passed four rivals inside the final furlong.
Timeform's reporter commented Expressionless "needs the emphasis more on stamina" and that he "will prove suited by a return to 1½m+ and is one to be interested in". He, therefore, looks well suited by the stepping back up in trip on Tuesday and should make his presence felt off his last winning mark.
Drop in trip to suit Bay of Dreams
In contrast to Expressionless, Bay of Dreams left the impression that she would benefit from a sharper test of stamina when overhauled inside the final half-furlong at Wolverhampton last month so she looks to have been found a suitable opportunity in the extended mile handicap (17:03).
A winner on her handicap debut over a mile at Newcastle last month, Bay of Dreams looked set to follow up under a penalty in a nine-and-a-half-furlong handicap at Wolverhampton five days later when breezing to the front on the turn for home.
However, unlike at Newcastle, where she had also travelled well, she was unable to put the race to bed over the longer trip and was overhauled close home.
Timeform's reporter at Wolverhampton noted how Bay of Dreams was "moving smoothly to the lead in the style of one that should be suited by a return to 1m".
Racing off the same mark as last time, she's 4 lb clear on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings and still has the Timeform 'small p' to show she remains to improvement after making such a bright start in handicaps.
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