Few horses in training stir the emotions quite as much as Edredon Bleu. And Henrietta Knight's star can bring the house down at Sandown today when he bids to make it third time lucky in the Mitsubishi Tingle Creek Chase.
Beaten in this race in 1998 and 1999, the Champion Chaser will be a warm order to put that record straight. His trainer thinks he is as good as ever and he certainly looked it when taking the BBA Peterborough Chase for the fourth consecutive year on his reappearance last month.
He showed his usual sparkle and bravery to blaze a trail in front and see off some useful rivals, beating smart hurdler Geos, who was making his hurdling bow, by four lengths.
His pilot that day was Norman Williamson, but Tony McCoy is reunited with him this afternoon and the pair can run their rivals into the ground.
Edredon Bleu has usually gone into this race on the back of two runs and that might well have contributed to his previous defeats - he's much fresher this time around.
One imponderable in the race though is Brian Ellison's Latalomne. Unbeaten over fences, he is a fine prospect in his own right but has yet to set foot in this sort of company and might find it a bit hot.
McCoy also partners flying mare Returning for the Knight stable. She comes into the Extraman Trophy on a five-timer having really stuck to her guns at Ascot on her latest start.
Martin Pipe's French recruit Bounce Back looked to be going much the better turning for home but he made a mistake at the second-last and Returning outbattled him on he run to the line.
Pipe's Belle D'Anjou must have a big say in the £55,000-added sterling William Hill Handicap Hurdle. She is not the biggest of individuals but has a fair amount of talent judged on her comfortable success under 12st at Taunton on her latest start.
She made smooth headway to lead at the last and won in clever style, value for more than the official margin of one and a half lengths.
Although she runs off a 12lb higher mark today she looks capable of improvement and cannot be discounted.
A treble could be on the cards for the Nicholashayne handler as Montreal has solid claims in the williamhillcasino.com Handicap Hurdle.
See More Business should still have enough left in the tank to account for his rivals in the Tote John Hughes Rehearsal Chase at Chepstow.
Paul Nicholls' star has a Cheltenham Gold Cup and two King George VI Chases to his name but is getting on a bit now and it must be doubtful he can ever regain those dizzy heights.
However, he would not be risked here by connections if he was not in good heart and he can deny Moral Support a repeat victory in the £35,000 contest.
Hitman is probably the best maiden hurdler in training and Mark Pitman's injury-plagued six-year-old can lose that tag in the opening Chepstow Sunday Market Maiden Hurdle. And Ferdy Murphy's Man On The Hill should be followed in the Tote Placepot Handicap Chase at Towcester.
