OPINIONS on when the ‘real’ National Hunt season begins in Britain are wide and varied.

Mercedes Benz day at Chepstow used to be a good one, when the BBC cameras would roll into Chepstow and broadcast horses jumping obstacles for the first time since Hickstead.

Cheltenham’s October meeting, some said. Cheltenham’s November meeting. After the Champion Stakes, others said. But you always knew that, when Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase day dawned, you were into the teeth of it.

Cyrname is back again today, and you can understand why he is a short price. Paul Nicholls’ horse was impressive in winning the race last year, in beating Vinndication by a cosy two lengths, and notching his first win over three miles. He is rated 9lb and more superior to all his rivals, and he only has to carry a 6lb penalty.

But it may not be as straightforward as that. He ran twice after he won the Charlie Hall last season: he was pulled up in the King George, and he was pulled up in the Ascot Chase. He has had another wind operation in the interim, but he is not a rock solid favourite.

Clondaw Castle is the obvious alternative, he is the second highest-rated horse in the race, and he receives 2lb from Cyrname.

Tom George’s horse looked very good in winning the Close Brothers Handicap Chase at Kempton last February off a mark of 154, stepping up to three miles for the first time under rules. But he was well beaten by Clan Des Obeaux at Aintree, and he wouldn’t want the ground to get much softer than it was yesterday.

Fusil Raffles was tempting, but you can’t think that he wants to go that far beyond two and a half miles. He was essentially out-stayed by Chantry House over that trip in the Marsh Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

It is worth finding out whether or not he does stay three miles, but it may be that he will be dropping back down in trip after today.

Shan Blue ran in that Marsh Chase, but he was ridden aggressively from mid-race, and it wasn’t that surprising that he tired late on. Actually, the injection of pace that he put into the race made it more of a test of stamina than it would otherwise have been, probably helping the winner, and possibly hindering the runner-up.

Shan Blue’s season tailed off last term, but he was very good in the early throes of the campaign, and it may be that this is the time of year to catch him.

He won his first two chases early last season, both at Wetherby, before he went to Kempton at Christmas and landed the Grade 1 Kauto Star Chase.

His jumping was very good at Kempton, as it had been at Wetherby in his first two chases, and it may be that a flat track on good to soft ground suits him best. That is what he will have today, and he is two for two over fences at Wetherby, one for one over today’s course and distance.

He has plenty to find on official ratings, he is officially rated 20lb inferior to Cyrname and he only receives 3lb from him, but he is only seven and he has raced just six times over fences, so he has the potential to go beyond his mark this season.

Also, this is his time of year. His record from October to December reads 2F1111, while his record from January to September reads 3326252.

It is also significant that Harry Skelton goes to Wetherby to ride him in the Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase and Proschema in the West Yorkshire Hurdle, instead of going to Ascot to ride Amoola Gold in the Byrne Group Handicap Chase and Captain Chaos or Bennys King in the Bateaux London Gold Cup.

Ascot

That is a cracking contest, the London Gold Cup - it’s a day for cracking contests – and it is interesting that Vinndication goes there, to a track at which he is three for three - including one for one in this race - as opposed to having another go at the Charlie Hall.

He sets the standard, racing off a handicap mark of 158, but it may pay to take a chance on Jerrysback against him.

Philip Hobbs’ horse has never won at Ascot, but he has put up some of the best performances of his life there, like in a handicap chase there last January, when he finished third behind Dashel Drasher and Bennys King off a mark of 142, 4lb higher than today’s mark, and in the Silver Cup in 2019, when he finished third to Regal Encore, and in the Noel Novices’ Chase three years ago, when he was beaten a length and a half by Vinndication, with whom he is 20lb better off today.

Jerrysback is nine now, but he has raced just 10 times over fences in his life, he is a really lightly-raced nine-year-old, and the fact that the handicapper has dropped him to a mark of 138 makes him interesting today, over three miles at Ascot. He retains the potential to go beyond that mark.

He goes well fresh too, his good run behind Dashel Drasher last January was on his seasonal return, and it is probable that Philip Hobbs has had this race in mind for him for a while.

Recommended:

Shan Blue, 3.05 Wetherby, 5/1 (generally), 1 point win

Jerrysback, 3.20 Ascot, 8/1 (generally), 1 point win