A big field for this opener but we can soon narrow this down to Kercabellec, Cigarillo and Thisisyourlife, with the vote going to recent course and distance winner Kercabellec. The Nicky Henderson-trained five-year-old showed some promise last season, and confirmed that when returning from 11 months off to land a course and distance success from Supreme Dawn last month. Given time to recover from those exertions and coming from a yard in red hot form, he is taken to defy his penalty and repeat that win. Noel Chance sends out Cigarillo here, and after a battling second when he stayed on well behind the useful Distant Prospect at Newbury last time, he merits the utmost respect. This drop back to the minimum, however, does not look to be in his favour and so he may have to be content with the frame. Of the remainder, the one that stands out as a likely progressor is Thisisyourlife. Henry Daly's gelding put up a good display in a bumper on debut at Hereford earlier in the month and is likely to be spot on for his hurdling debut, so an improved effort is expected, but for the winner we will side with Kercabellec.
