ANOTHER cracking Saturday of action on the national hunt front with the big betting race of the day being the Sky Bet Chase (3.20) with a cracking entry of 17 runners, headed by the top weight Nuts Well who has yet to win over this extended three-mile trip.

There may well be some scattered showers, but that should merely freshen up the good ground, which will suit plenty of these spring horses, and there are plenty of them in this line up as well.

I managed to get down to a short list of four, namely Canelo, the classy Fusil Raffles, Grand Sancy and my double figure priced selection HURRICANE HARVEY.

Canelo is arguably the best handicapped of the quartet, but does have to recapture his form following three moderate runs this season. Fusil Raffles is well up to his handicap mark of 151 and his second to Chantry House in last year’s Marsh Chase is the best form on show, the question mark is a fast run three miles which may empty the tank down the long home stretch.

Grand Sancy is another well treated entry, and if the ground is genuinely good then he looks a big player of his light weight. But the selection looks the better value call at around the 20/1 mark.

There is no questioning he has a big engine inside, as he showed when landing Grade Two over course and distance last year, and the only negative is his slightly ponderous jumping.

He can hit the odd fence along the way but if he can stay in touch on the first circuit, his class and staying prowess could make him a major force here. A near repeat of his staying on third in the Badger Beer at Wincanton in November would see him go close, with the long home stretch very much in his favour.

I will come to the other big betting races of the day at Cheltenham and Trials Day there generally later on, but staying at Town Moor, I have a couple of other fancies.

First up, WESTERN VICTORY (2.10) will relish the forecast good ground in the Grade Two Yorkshire Rose Mares Hurdle. She is only rated some 4lbs behind likely short priced favourite Miranda. The latter does have her quirks and at around 6/1 the selection looks way too big in the marketplace to bridge that gap.

The other play I want to have on the card is in the extended three-mile Grade Two River Don Novices Hurdle at 2.45. Irish raider Mahler Mission is the unknown quantity, but he will have to improve a fair amount for the extra yardage here, and UNANSWERED PRAYERS could be the answer.

This son of Ocovango has simply been crying out for this deeper test of stamina and although a bit more give in the ground also wouldn’t go amiss, he may have too much for the likes of My Bobby Dazzler and the four timer seeking Not At Present in the closing stages.

A few early mistakes along with the deep ground put paid to the chance of CHANTRY HOUSE in the King George at Kempton Park, but the prospect of good ground at Cheltenham for the Grade Two Cotswold Chase at 2.30 will be much more up his street.

He returns to the scene of his Marsh Chase at the Cheltenham Festival victory, where he looked all the way through the race as if he needed three miles, and now gets his chance in arguably a sub standard renewal. Aye Right could well be his biggest rival, but he is simply not in the class of the selection.

However, Nicky Henderson’s charge will be quite rightly very short in the betting and if you are looking for a much better value bet then look to the extremely competitive two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at 1.55 and have an each-way play on the novice TORN AND FRAYED.

The Twiston-Davies charge has a cracking record on a sound surface and his runs behind Favoir at Ascot and behind the ultra-smart My Drogo at Cheltenham make him look a very interesting proposition off a mark of 131.

He has twice run well over this course and distance and with plenty of speed in this race headed by the brilliantly game Coole Cody, his hold-up style could be suited to this race and anything in double figures looks enticing.

Earlier on, KIHAVAH (nb) looks on the upgrade following his Newcastle success and despite a hike in the weights he could still be fairly handicapped off 124 in the opening handicap hurdle at 12.15.

While later on, the progressive JAVA POINT adores good ground and the two-and-a-half mile novices handicap chase at 1.20 looks perfect for him, off a rating of 127 with the hugely underrated Jonathan Burke on board.

Away from the two big national hunt cards there are plenty of other interesting bets this afternoon and this evening, and the best of them could very well be EVENING SONG in the opening class six handicap at 12.45.

Down to a career low mark of 62 in the Lingfield Park opener, she has an outstanding chance of taking care of Keep Right On and One Step Beyond, the latter being a huge eye-catcher last time out over this course and distance.

Later on at the Surrey track, PROVINCE looks very interesting in the fillies’ handicap over an extended mile at 2.02. More in keeping with her breeding, stepped up to seven furlongs from five furlongs on her seasonal debut she ran a career best when a strong finishing fifth here over seven furlongs.

The extra 220 yards here should bring about even more improvement and see her take care of both bottom weight Sparka and top weight Got The Moves.

Finally, at Uttoxeter, good to soft going is perfect for the ultra consistent MACKELDUFF (NAP) in the handicap hurdle at 2.22.

The 11lbs he gets from the top weight Cabot Cliffs could prove crucial Oly Murphy’s charge can make it three wins from seven career outings.