THIS has to be one of my favourite Saturdays of the whole national hunt season with the Tingle Creek and Henry VIII Novices’ chases along with some cracking handicaps at Sandown Park and the Becher Chase and Many Clouds at Aintree. The ground for both venues, although drying, should be safe for all concerned so hopefully there won’t be too many scratchings.

Let’s start at the Esher track where as Paul Nicholls has already stated his Greaneteen is on “home soil” for his big clash with Edwardstone and SHISHKIN in the Tingle Creek Chase at 2.55. That love of the track brings them very close together on official ratings and of course the recent Haldon Gold Cup winner has the added advantage of being race fit.

However, I just think that the market has over compensated for that view, and with an outstanding record when fresh and on this springy ground, I think that Nicky Henderson’s charge still holds a class advantage. It is too easily forgotten that he thumped the new market leader by 10 lengths in the Grade Two Desert Orchid Chase last year, albeit in receipt of 3lbs, and I think that he is the value call now in this normally spine-tingling two mile speed test.

Over the same course and distance, Jonbon is sure to start a short price for the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at 1.45. I thought his fencing was superb on his chase debut at Warwick when he simply out jumped and out galloped Monmiral, and I expect that form to be upheld here. However, I also believe that a novice jumping around here is a different test and although the Henderson entry is quite obviously the most likely winner, I would rather have a play on UNEXPECTED PARTY (nap) at a double figure price.

Dan Skelton has always thought a lot of this son of Martaline, and he was only ever going to fulfil his full potential over fences. He impressed me with his jumping at Exeter first time out, despite being badly hampered by a loose horse at the third and he just seemed to be outstayed by McFabulous down the home stretch.

That horse has done the form no harm at all since at Newbury and that run should have brought the seven-year-old selection a fitness peak for this. Yes, he has to take another mighty step forward for this, but I don’t think that is out of the question and of course his yard remain in ripe hot form at the moment.

Of the handicaps on the card, I really wasn’t struck between the eyeballs for a selection in the concluding London National Handicap Chase over an extended three and a half miles at 3.30, but think that PLAYFUL SAINT has an outstanding chance in the two-mile hurdle due off at 2.20.

He was given more than an easy time down the home stretch by Harry Skelton when a distant fourth behind Sonigino at Chepstow, and as long as the ground doesn’t dry out too much, this very lightly raced seven-year-old will relish the long uphill run to the line. If by chance he is taken out, put this son of Saint Des Saints in your notebook as a big handicap hurdle pot awaits connections some time this season, perhaps even the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Becher Chase at Aintree looks a really good renewal this year with 23 runners declared at the time of writing. Last year’s runner-up, Hill Sixteen, ran a cracking warm-up for this prize when third to Sounds Russian at Kelso and even off a 9lbs higher mark he could well get revenge in his 2021 conqueror, Snow Leopardess.

However, there are less exposed types further down the weights which catch the eye, notably Fantasikas (needs to improve his sometimes slip shod fencing), Ashdown Lad and FIVE STAR GETAWAY.

The Christian Williams-trained runner found the 2m5f of the Topham Chase on good ground too quick for him last year, and was always out of his speed comfort zone, but over the extra five furlongs here I suspect the make-up of this race will suit him better.

And staying on six and a half lengths fourth to Garincha at Bangor over two and a half miles should set him up nicely for this, and a mark of 132 looks very viable despite the open nature of this event over the famous fences.

The Many Clouds Chase (1.30) looks a cracking affair. Nicky Henderson told me a few weeks ago that Chantry House has really bloomed through the summer and he still considers him a real Gold Cup horse in the making, but for me that could also be the port of call for this year’s Grand National hero, NOBLE YEATS. I thought he was simply brilliant when easily dismissing Hurricane Georgie and Run Wild Fred in a Listed event at Wexford at the back end of October.

I am sure connections will be counting back from the defence of his title at Liverpool, but should he go and win well here then I suspect a crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup would rightly be on the cards and I have taken a big slice of a double figure price about him for the Prestbury Park event. What we should get here is a solid pace as I’m sure that the much vaunted Ahoy Senor will not hang about, made all on both his starts over hurdles and fences here, and that should set the race up very nicely for the selection.

The Skelton clan may get off to a winning start in the novice hurdle at 11.45 with ETALON, while later on in the day Riders On the Storm can follow up his impressive success in the Old Roan Chase here by landing a competitive two-and-a-half mile handicap off a rating of 141 at 2.40.

Finally, on the evening card at Wolverhampton, BRAINS (5.20) can make up for being a beaten favourite last time out by landing the opening low grade extended mile handicap, and an even better wager may come in the form of INTERVENTION in a six furlong affair at 6.20. He is back down to his last winning mark of 76 (placed off 78) and should have the fast pace he so badly needs to aim at here.