Rembrandt can stay ahead

Weather permitting, punters can look forward to a magnificent weekend of jumping this Christmas.

Kempton gets the ball rolling with Pertemps King George VI Chase on Friday, but Chepstow will also be packed to the rafters on Saturday with the annual slog for the Coral Welsh National.

A glance back through the records reveals that only top-class chasers like Carvill's Hill and Master Oats have managed to defy a burden of 11st or more in this £80,000 handicap in recent years.

That fact alone will have the trends followers looking towards the bottom weights, but the form book surely suggests that Sir Rembrandt is well worth his place at the head of the market.

Dorset trainer Robert Alner already has one star stayer in his yard in Kingscliff and could have another on his hands in this powerful seven-year-old.

Granted, he isn't anywhere near so battle hardened as some in this field, but he looked very good in a light novice campaign last season and put up a hugely impressive performance to thrash Bindaree in the Rehearsal Chase over this course three weeks ago.

Joss Naylor, Take Control and Hedgehunter came up against an extremely well handicapped horse when filling the frame behind Strong Flow in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.

All three have plenty to recommend them again, but none of them have the same sort of scope for improvement as Sir Rembrandt who was unlucky in the Hennessy where he was hampered at the first fence and then fell at the third.