Warwick's McCoy Contractors Engineering Classic Handicap Chase over three-miles-and-five-furlongs on Saturday will be a searching test of stamina and LE BREUIL is taken to gain a first success since his National Hunt Chase triumph at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.
The nine-year-old has not repeated that career-topping performance over four miles since (which earned him a rating of 150) but has shaped well off a reduced handicap mark in two starts this season, on the latest occasion racing with enthusiasm before finishing third to Vieux Lion Rouge in the Becher Chase at Aintree since when he has had a wind operation.
I fancied Le Breuil for this race last year but he could never land a blow after starting slowly under his claiming rider, eventually finishing fifth behind Kimberlite Candy (who was only just in front of him at Aintree) whereas he seems much better when racing prominently.
Now 8lb lower in the ratings (140), the excellent Kielen Woods takes over and will hopefully obtain a better early position on a horse who battles hard and stays extremely well.
The least-exposed runner is the Alan King-trained Notachance who, at the age of seven, could be open to further improvement after his reappearance win at Bangor even though he is worse off with Django Django (has shown little sparkle since) who beat him at Newbury last season.
King will also be hopeful of a bold run from his course and distance winner JAY BEE WHY in a strong renewal of the Ballymore Leamington Novices' Hurdle.
Running for the first time since a wind operation, the six-year-old bolted up by nine lengths (could easily have been more) here last month from the warmly fancied Nicky Henderson-trained favourite Patroclus and, while that form is relatively untested, I calculate he could be rated at least 130.
If correct, that leaves Jay Bee Why with a bit more to find against the likes of Oscar Elite (140) and Make Me A Believer (137), but he barely came off the bridle and looks potentially smart.
Make Me A Believer is probably the biggest threat after his battling defeat of Any News (who was conceding 6lb) at Cheltenham, though he now steps up markedly in distance on much softer ground.
Later on, COME ON TEDDY is probably the most progressive runner in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle.
All the better for a run at Uttoxeter in November, the Tom George-trained seven-year-old showed improved form to win going away from On The Blind Side at Cheltenham's December meeting and can defy a 7lb rise in the weights.
Come On Teddy clearly stays extremely well on that evidence and the runner-up did the form no harm when chasing home McFabulous at Kempton last week.
Posted at 1545 GMT on 16/01/21
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