Valley Henry to scale the heights

On this day 12 months ago, Newbury racegoers were introduced to a brilliant young chaser, Shotgun Willy. Three months later at the same track, the Paul Nichollstrained novice was sensationally to lower the colours of a horse tipped as Europe's best staying chaser, First Gold.

Tomorrow, the Ditcheat handler unleashes another of his Manor Farm inmates tipped for the very top. Valley Henry will have to produce something quite special to match the earlier achievements of Shotgun Willy, but the manner of his chase debut at Chepstow last month promised much.

This Bet 365 Telebet Worcester Novices' Chase is a proper test, however. In Manx Magic, Southern Star, Frosty Canyon and Gentle Rivage he meets some rivals with putative campaigns as aspirational as his own. This is the first big novice-chasing clash of the National Hunt season.

Valley Henry's novice-hurdling career started well, with two smart victories, but then went awry when niggling injury intervened. Always built more for chasing, he looked to have found his niche when slamming multiple winner Ashley Muck by 12 lengths on his reappearance.

That performance was even more impressive given he was racing over an inadequate trip. This three-mile contest looks ideal and Timmy Murphy could have a rising star in his hands.

Manx Magic was a high-class hurdler and has transferred his ability to the larger obstacles. But he wasn't desperately impressive when winning at Cheltenham earlier this month, idling and allowing runner-up Wishbone to get closer than ideal. In the same race, Southern Star departed too early to say which of this duo would have won. Henrietta Knight's charge has otherwise been pretty faultless in his achievements to date over fences and he's just the type that his inform trainer excels with. He can prove the main threat.