Timeform provides an overview of the key things to note on Tuesday.
Kitzbuhel sets the standard among staying novices
Kitzbuhel unseated his rider at Sandown on his penultimate start but his jumping has otherwise been a major asset and has helped him register a couple of Grade 1 wins this season and earn the highest Timeform rating among the staying novices.
Kitzbuhel jumped boldly at the head of affairs when winning the Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and he did likewise when landing the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham last month. The other notable aspect of his performance at Cheltenham was the fine attitude he showed to dig deep and score by three-quarters of a length.
Those likeable traits help explain why Timeform's reporter awarded the Horse In Focus Flag - marking him out as one likely to be of firm interest next time - and they also bode well for his prospects in open company next season. But before then he looks likely to launch another bold bid in the Champion Novice Chase (16:50) at Punchestown. He heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 3 lb and could prove a tough nut to crack based on what he's shown so far during an excellent first season over fences.
No Gain will benefit from step back up in trip
No Gain again caught the eye of Timeform's reporter and earned the Horse In Focus Flag, despite finishing only sixth at Doncaster on Friday and strictly failing to build on the promise she had shown on her stable debut at Wolverhampton the previous month.
No Gain had been campaigned over longer trips for her former yard but marked herself out as a potentially well-handicapped sprinter for Adam Kirby - a trainer who has made an encouraging start to his own career - when finishing fourth in a six-furlong handicap at Wolverhampton. That was an eye-catching display from No Gain given she raced freely and ended up making her effort earlier than ideal out wide, and she consequently looked of serious interest in a five-furlong handicap at Doncaster last week.
As it transpired, No Gain didn't have the pace to cope with that further drop in trip, but she made encouraging late headway after becoming outpaced, leaving the impression that she's still one to be interested in back up in trip. She's back over six furlongs at Yarmouth (17:03) and is fitted with blinkers for the first time - which replace the cheekpieces - in a bid to further sharpen her up and draw some improvement.
Majborough has the class to bounce back
Majborough was badly let down by his jumping at the Cheltenham Festival for the second year in succession when disappointing in the Champion Chase, and he now has the 'x' symbol attached to his Timeform rating, marking him out as a poor jumper.
However, he is Timeform's highest-rated jumps horse in training based on the form he showed when a spectacular 19-length winner of the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown, in which the reopposing Marine Nationale never threatened to land a blow on ground softer than ideal for the distant runner-up.
That Leopardstown form places Majborough 3 lb clear of Champion Chase winner Il Etait Temps at the head of Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings for the Punchestown Champion Chase (18:05) and, while he's clearly a risky proposition, he might be provided with a good platform to show his class. None of the other four contenders usually make the running - Timeform's Pace Forecast is Very Weak - so the potential is there for Majborough to get into a nice rhythm and prove tough to peg back. His performance at Leopardstown showed he's capable of running to a very high level when everything clicks.
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