Grade Two Hilly Way Chase Guide 2022

The outsider of the five runner field and one who can be totally dismissed due to what he has achieved compared to others.

He has only ever won three races from 42 career starts so it is impossible to make a case for this lad and he looks set to struggle in Grade 2 company.

Trip will be a major concern too and recent runs have come on better ground so will find this a real challenge. Looks to be making up the numbers here.

One of the best horses in training and one I bet many cannot wait to see again for this upcoming campaign. Energumene makes his seasonal reappearance after 229 days off the track and will look to win this race for the second year in a row.He is a four-time Grade 1 winner and won the Champion Chase at The Cheltenham Festival in such stylish fashion.

He beat Funambule Sivola by 8 ½ lengths and I think going off that performance and the way this horse just oozes class, he is bound to be a short price for next year’s Champion Chase again.

Goes really well fresh and is the best horse in this race by some distance, therefore he is the one to beat and it would be no surprise to see him winning by multiple lengths yet again.

The Mullins trained 8 year old will go off as an odds on favourite and should win this with absolute ease, impossible to oppose.

Epson Du Houx showed signs of progressing nicely last season when he made it 2-2 beating Jack Hackett by 6 ½ lengths over 2 miles at Naas.

Since then he has not shown the same level of ability in races, but did bounce back after a 199 day break when winning over 2m1f at Cork.

The horse has not been seen since that win meaning he has been off the race track for nearly 400 days. It is a slight concern he has not raced for so long, but on the other hand the break may have done him some good so he remains an unknown, but with potential to win races again.

He is not too bad over fences, but to win here after such a long layoff would be a shock to all, but may have the ability to put in a good enough run that could see him finishing in second following Energumene home.

This 6 year old son of Saint Des Saints will have a tough assignment on his hands here to impress in what looks a real difficult race to win due to the favourite being one of the best horses to come out of Willie Mullins’ yard.

Has only ever had the one start over fences and plenty more could come from that in the future, but for a race like this he is probably one of a couple in here that may see their better days come in weaker contests.

Will have to prove he can stay the 2 miles on soft ground so there are too many risks that come attached with this horse.

Master McShee is a Grade 1 winning horse and that victory came in December last year where he beat the Gordon Elliot trained Farouk D’Alene by a short head in the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick.

He then notched up a hat-trick of second placed finishes in two Grade 1’s and a Grade 2 contest so he has shown he has the ability to compete with the better horses.

Most of his recent runs have come over 2m4f, but he drops back down in trip to just the 2 miles here for what will be his seasonal reappearance.

May be the one who could follow home the short priced favourite Energumene and looks set for a good run if he can continue to progress from last season.