Grade Two Jordan Electrics Ltd Future Champion Novices' Chase Guide 2022

On paper this race looks a pretty close affair, with the highest rated in the field having the rating of 146 and the lowest being 135, all horses winning at least one race at various parts of this season.

Donald McCain is having his best career season and his horses are running in fine fettle at the moment as they operate at a 30%-win strike rate for the last 14 days, with 12 winners in just 30 runners.

His mount in this was lightly raced over hurdles last season, looking like his career will mainly be run over the larger obstacles, and that has proved diffidence.

He has already had the five career starts over fences, winning on two occasions at Uttoxeter and Haydock, which was a career best performance to date when he landed the Grade 2 Novices Chase, winning by a very easy 9 and a half lengths.

That performance really stamped his authority on the Novice Chasing scene this year, until he then ran quite disappointingly last time out at Kempton.

There doesn’t look to be any real excuses, he just didn’t run his race and was beaten by just over 12 lengths into fourth that day, with only one horse behind him.

It might be best to put a line through that piece of form as he comes into this off a slight break, and was electric at Haydock the time before last.

He is a fairly solid jumper and could make his presence felt from the front end in this race, but does have to give 5lb’s to the rest of the field, and with the second favourite only 2lb’s below him in the rating, that could catch him out.

Two-time winner this season when tackling the bigger obstacles for his first season, including a 9 and a half length romp at Haydock in a Grade 2 in January.

He was electric that day and could prove to be too good compared to the rest of these, should he bounce back from a slightly disappointing run last time out, big player although has a 5lb penalty in this.

Milton Harris is having his best season since reforming a few years back, having plenty of Graded winners this season already with Knight Salute.

He lines Jacamar up in this who is the lowest rated horse in the race but is a two-time winner this season over fences.

He was very impressive last time out when winning at Leicester when landing a Class 3 at Leicester last month by just under 6 lengths.

He has only ever won at Class 3 level so takes a massive step up in this but is in fine fettle at the moment and is with a trainer who knows how to get them ready, should more improvement come out of him he could go well in this and get in the placings.

Takes a huge step up in class in this but is a two-time winner this season with the benefit of 5lb’s from the favourite.

Will need to step his form up massively to land a blow in this but he is with a trainer who can get them to step up.

Michael Scudamore has campaigned this horse really well this season considering there are some very good Novices Chasers with various trainers out there, but unfortunately Do Your Job has bumped into two of them this season when contesting in Grade 2 contests.

He bumped into Arkle winner Edwardstone at Sandown and Kempton this season (Was a faller at Sandown and a 10 length second at Kempton) and then Third Time Lucki at Doncaster in January of this year where he was beaten by 30 lengths, Third Time Lucki was an Arkle hopeful before being removed due to slight setbacks before the festival.

It would be a slight concern that he hasn’t been able to get his hand in front in this class of race and was well beaten on his two attempts at this level, but as we all know he bumped into two very good rivals in both of those races, and there doesn’t look to be anything at the level of Edwardstone or Third Time Lucki in this contest.

Do Your Job gets a very valuable 5lb from the favourite and he is only 2 ratings lower than him, so that could prove vital in this contest.

He won on his first attempt over 2m4f at Newcastle last time out, with the step up in trip that day bringing even more improvement out of him.

He looks to be slightly one paced and always stays on well, so he could be there picking up the prices come the end of the race, but this is a step up in class over a trip that he is unexposed on, so his form would have to step up to another level to win this, but from what we have seen from him this season it wouldn’t surprise me if he runs well in this.

Gets a very valuable 5lb from the favourite and is a two-time winner over fences this season, including a step up to 2m4f at Newcastle last time out which was a winning effort. Will go well in this.

The most experienced horse in this race with 10 runs to his name over the larger obstacles already early on in his career, has also won twice, but yet to really contest in this sort of level.

He has run at Grade 1 level however this season behind Bravemansgame and Ahoy Senor, in the Grade 1 at Kempton over the Christmas period.

He ran a decent race that day, only getting beaten by 18 lengths behind two of the UK’s leading Novice Chasers but never really looked like getting any closer than that.

That was against some very good rivals and at the highest level of race possible, and he did win after that at Musselburgh in February in lovely style beating an Ann Hamilton hot pot.

That was only a Class 2 contest however and he did disappoint in the Ultima last time out at the festival when pulling up two out, but that was on really bad conditions where rain was falling all day, so going back to the better ground will suit this horse (Although he has won on heavy previously, it wasn’t much of a contest) but his form will have to step up to another level to land a blow in this against some previous Graded winners.

Two-time winner in his chasing career, pulled up in the Ultima last time out so will need to show no signs of that race leaving a mark on him.

Ran well in a Grade 1 over the Christmas period and returns to better conditions in this, he could run well but has to give most of these 3lb’s (Apart from the Favourite who gives him 2lb’s)

A horse that won on only his second start for Paul Nicholls (Was previously running in France before being with the team at Ditcheat) when winning the Ladbrokes Handicap Chase in fine style at Newbury back in November of last year.

He travelled really powerfully throughout the race and jumped like a seasoned professional, winning by just under 5 lengths on the day.

He looked a really nice chaser in the making for the Nicholls team, but that unfortunately hasn’t gone to plan since, as he has the form figures of PU-3-8 since his romp at Newbury (Which included the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham festival last time).

His run last time was in very testing conditions, something that doesn’t look to suit him and was only two weeks or so ago, that race might have left a slight mark on him, but running back on this better ground with the slight step up in trip, this could bring some improvement out of him, but given his previous form it would be a chance should you back him in this race.

There is no doubt he has talent and a valuable 5lb’s he gets from the favourite which will more than work in his favour, but he would need to bounce back to his Newbury form to land this against two main protagonists who look really nice types and will be prepared nicely for this.

Winner at Newbury last November in fine style but has disappointed since that win only placing once in three starts, but that was on heavy conditions so the slightly easier ground in this will suit but does need to bounce back.

Could go well in this being 5lb better off than the favourite.