THE Gold Cup Handicap Chase marks the end of the National Hunt season this year supported by some other brilliant action on the card, and with the recent rain in the Esher area, I have changed my view on the outcome of the race.

Every drop of rain that falls will count against top weight Frodon and Scottish National hero Kitty’s Light and will aid REVELS HILL.

Harry Fry’s charge missed the Ayr event to run here instead and with that almost certain give in the ground, he looks a cracking bet. We know he stays well following a classy success in the three-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at Taunton, where he gave a pound and a three-and-three-quarter-length beating to Welsh National hero The Three Amigos.

Up 9lbs for that win, he nonetheless remains a work in progress open to significant improvement, and may be able to reverse recent Devon Stayers Handicap Chase form with Coolvalla on 2lbs better terms.

The last named could well be the biggest danger in the knowledge that the ground has come in his favour as well, and even off a career high mark of 145, it could be that the seven-year-old is worth a saver at an each-way price.

My main bet on the supporting card will come in the Select Hurdle (4.00), a Grade Two contest over an extended two miles and five furlongs, in the form of GOSHEN.

The enigmatic Gary Moore charge has always been at his best going right-handed, loves cut in the ground and his stable remain in cracking form.

The cream on the cake is that this distance is arguably his optimum and he may be able to give the weight away to that classy mare Theatre Glory.

The Oaksey Chase over two-and-three-quarter miles could see the now veteran FIRST FLOW have one last hurrah.

He raced way too freely before coming down at the sixth at Ascot last time out, but if he settles here I think he is by far the value bet over the progressive Solo and Eldorado Allen. The last named arguably runs over his best distance and is rightly feared.

The Punchestown Festival continues in Ireland and I make ESCARIA TEN the best bet on the card in the three-mile handicap chase at 4.25.

Once regarded as a future Gold Cup hope, the nine-year-old is set to run off a mark of 141 here after being pulled up at Cheltenham in the Plate where they simply went too quick for him over the extended two-and-a-half miles there.

There comes a time when a horse has been dropped to such a mark that you have to entrust they are better than they have shown, and the Gordon Elliott charge is preferred to Diol Ker and Percy Warner.

Elsewhere on the card, WESTERN SEA can outrun his huge odds in the opening Cross Country Chase at 2.35, while the near four-mile Handicap Chase at 3.10 should suit ENJOY D’ALLEN down to the ground.

The ground was patently too quick for this useful nine-year-old as he could never get a shot at the leaders in the Grand National at Aintree, eventually finishing tailed off when 12th of the 39 that went to post at the famous Liverpool venue.

He is now fully 9lbs lower than when a strong finishing third in the 2021 Premier Handicap race and 12lbs lower than when running a cracker in last year’s Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.

I was disappointed by the performance of BRANDY LOVE in the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham when she was never given the chance to make a challenge from off the pace in a moderately run race, but she can out that right by taking the Grade One Irish Mares Champion Hurdle due off at 3.50.

The big race at Ripon is the Silver Sprint Handicap at 4.10 and back down to a mark below 100 for the first time in 16 months, now may well be the time to catch MONDAMMEJ.

He should get the fast pace he needs to chase to show his best form and gets the nod over Justanotherbottle.

On the same card I would give a major chance to both THE PREDICTOR at 3.35 and his Richard Fahey stable mate BLENHEIM BOY (nap) at 5.15. The last named has fallen from a high mark of 90 to 84 and is proven on this specialists’ track.

I shall also be having a play in the evening under the lights at Wolverhampton where GRAFFITI may go close to defying top weight in the nine-and-a-half-furlong, basement handicap at 8.30.

With George Bass taking 3lbs off his back the selection is set to run off a mark of 54, rated 72 last year, and he can also defy a 154-day absence at the main expense of Hot Team and course and distance winner Crazy Spin.