RSA Novices' Chase (Grade 1)

The Henderson team is a strong one here comprising a quarter of the field headed by likely race favourite Might Bite. There’s no doubt that he possesses the best form in the race but there is a slight question mark about his ability to act on an undulating track. He has won over hurdles here but he did disappoint on his chasing debut around this circuit and some doubts remain. It may well be that his stablemate Whisper can improve again over this longer trip and put his experience of winning over the fences here to good use. He’s clearly now coming to himself over fences and is a Grade 1-winning hurdler over 3m. Five Irish runners go to post and the most fancied will be the duo at the top of the card Acapella Bourgeois and ALPHA DES OBEAUX. The former was a runaway winner last time out when granted a very easy lead and he’ll find tactics like that harder to repeat here so it’s very much the latter who is fancied to take this prize back to Ireland. His experience of the Festival will stand him in good stead off a break and with his stable back in form he looks a leading contender. Willie Mullins has trained the winner of this race three times this century and runs Bellshill although he needs to bounce back to his best after a below par run last time out. Royal Vacation and O O Seven add some strength in depth to the home team and deserve their place in the line-up.

1. Alpha Des Obeaux
2. Whisper
3. Might Bite