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THERE are two hugely competitive handicap chases that boss the betting landscape this weekend and the dry ground conditions are sure to have an effect on both the Eider Chase (3.25) at Newcastle and the Handicap Chase (3.00) at Kempton Park.

The former is normally a real stamina sapping race run on deep winter ground over nearly four and a quarter miles, but this year the marathon contest will be run on turf with only the minimum amount of give in it.

Kitty’s Light has been given a really good chance by the handicapper, set to race off a mark of 132 here, last won off the same rating and placed off a deal higher as well. There has been plenty to like about his last few runs particularly a running on third of seven at Kempton Park last time out and this extra yardage looks sure to play in his favour as long as the ground doesn’t become too testing at the Gosforth Park track.

However, at around 3/1 the market has more or less found the gelding and with 14 rivals set to line up against him, there is a bundle of each-way value bar the one.

The two that interested me the most were the 10-year-old Amateur and the 2021 Scottish National hero MIGHTY THUNDER (nap). The selection has only visited the race course on eight occasions since that famous win, mixing hurdling with chasing, but his record has been nothing short of awful being unplaced on each occasion and pulled up no less than four times.

There was though a bit more optimism to be gleaned from his last run in the Edinburgh National at Musselburgh where at least he finished the course, and actually looked a player turning for home with four to jump before dropping out and finishing a distant 36 length seventh.

A full 19lbs lower than for that Ayr success and 7lbs off his last racing mark in Scotland, I think he looks well worth an each-way shot off what is his lowest ever chasing mark.

The big race at Kempton also has a Christian Williams-trained runner as favourite in the recent Ascot victor Cap Du Nord. With a conditional booked up, he is only marginally higher in the weights than seven days ago and if over that race has quite obvious claims alongside his market rival, Annsam.

But again the play in such an open contest has to be an each-way one and I am quite happy to side with another well handicapped staying chaser in the name of ENRILO. The Paul Nicholls charge has also fallen off a cliff form wise like our other main selection Mighty Thunder, but showed signs that the ability is still there when falling behind Frodon at the end of 2022.

Paul has given him plenty of time to be freshened up and even though the nine-year-old fell at Kempton last month, he did himself no favours that day when running freely and wide all the way around. To my eyes he is a much better horse being held way off a fast pace and brought with a steady challenge on the final circuit.

Fourth in this race last year off 141, when some 11 lengths off Cap Du Nord, the selection is now 12lbs better off with that rival and only 1lb above this last winning mark, some 6lbs below his last placed rating. Of his other rivals, the likes of the lightly raced Our Power and Flegmatik are feared most of all.

Staying at the Sunbury-On-Thames track, I fancy fair flat performer, SCRIPTWRITER, can give weight away all round in the Adonis Hurdle at 1.50 and so give a Triumph Hurdle boost to his Cheltenham conqueror Comfort Zone.

SOLO could well be the answer to the Grade Two Pendil Novices’ Chase at 2.25. Second to Balco Coastal here last time out, he has since had a wind operation and that could see him make the jump forward that he needs here to land this famous event from the classy Boothill.

Also at the Surrey track I fancy a huge run from IVALDI in a competitive handicap hurdle at 4.10, while GUY could well bounce back to winning form in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at 4.45.

Back to Newcastle, and the only other wager I will be having at the north-east track is COULDNTGIVAMONKEYS in the concluding handicap hurdle at 5.15. He was in the process of running a career best on his fifth start last time out at Wetherby before taking a tumble at the last flight when set to hit the frame. This stiffer track should play much better to his strengths and he can get off the mark here in what looks a pretty weak affair.

Elsewhere, WATCHYA could be a huge price in the Listed sprint at Lingfield (1.30) and outrun his rating and TYRRHENIAN SEA in the Winter Derby at 3.05 with Forest of Dean worth a second look as well against the likely short priced favourite Lord North.

Finally, have a second look at STARSONG running under the lights in a low grade six furlong handicap at Chelmsford at 6.40. He didn’t get the pace in the race he needed at Lingfield Park behind Hello Zabeel last time out but a stronger end to end gallop looks almost guaranteed here.