Warwick's Classic Chase card is subject to an 8.00am inspection with frost forecast overnight; the course has been completely covered.
A select field of eight are set to face the starter at 2.55; the going is described as soft.
L'Homme Presse, fourth behind Galopin Des Champs in the 2024 Gold Cup (Nassalam pulled up) and then third that same year behind Banbridge in the King George at Kempton, heads the weights off a mark of 162. As a result three race from out of the handicap: Destroytheevidence; Joyeux Machin; and Val Dancer.
As far as I can recall Venetia Williams' charge is the highest rated horse to contest this race - and I remember he won the 2022 Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle off 164. Hey Big Spender won the 2012 renewal of this race off 156.
L'Homme Presse didn't come up the hill in the Gold Cup but four weeks ago he was doing his best work at the business end over the same course and distance when beaten five lengths by Blaze The Way.
Favourite Myretown appeared to win the Ultima at the 2025 Festival off 127 with something to spare.
Next time, racing off 142 in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, he took a crashing fall at the third in the home straight. He attempts this marathon trip for the first time; Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore clearly hold this one in high regard as they've given their charge a Gold Cup entry for which he's quoted a 66/1 chance.
Twelve months ago Mr Vango won the London National off 135 and then added the Peter Marsh and the Midlands Grand National to his tally. Five weeks ago he was pipped a short head by Twig in the Becher Chase at Aintree and was raised a further three pounds for his trouble to a mark of 155.
After the race handler Sara Bradstock said:
"I couldn't be more delighted with him as he wants all of the trip and slightly softer ground, then you've got a big chance. He's such a big horse, you can't make definite plans."
Resplendent Grey finished fourth behind Haiti Couleurs in the National Hunt Challenge Cup at the Festival in March, beaten 11 lengths conceding seven pounds. A fine effort - and next time Olly Murphy's charge improved again - sporting first-time cheekpieces - to win the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
I'm not inclined to take his defeat of Handstands in the Colin Parker at Carlisle too literally as that was a tactical affair and was meant to blow away cobwebs before a run in the Coral Gold Cup. Unfortunately he never established any sort of rhythm at Newbury and, ultimately, was disappointing in eleventh, beaten some 27 lengths.
After the Colin Parker, pilot Sean Bowen said:
"I said at the start of the season that I hope he will end up as my Grand National horse."
From a yard in fine form (2 wins from 8 runs in the past fortnight) Destroytheevidence has come in for some support during the day.
In a recent Straight from the Stable article [RP Weekender 24-28.12.25] Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls said:
"He's handicapped off beating Haiti Couleurs at Chepstow first time out last season [11.10.24]. If you took that form literally then he's incredibly well handicapped, but I think we were probably ready that day and he wasn't. He ran very well last time, fighting off the horse on the outside (Hunter Legend) and then getting mugged up the inside by one (Ballycamus) he didn't see coming. He's consistent and because of that the handicapper doesn't help him. It's tough for him, but I hope he'll win something like the Forbra Gold Cup at Ludlow [run over three miles towards the end of February].
Connections have decided to replace the usual cheekpieces with a first-time visor.
Val Dancer won the 2024 Welsh Grand National off a mark of 126. He usually races with the pace but last time lost his pitch after the third in the Becher Chase before staying on to claim third behind Twig and Mr Vango.
Four weeks ago Joyeux Machin weakened approaching the last, ceding third place in a three mile handicap chase at Doncaster to stablemate Prince Zaltar; Harry Atkins' seven pounds claim more than compensates for the fact he races from out of the handicap.
Nassalam won the 2023 Welsh Grand National 34 lengths off 145 and, for the first time since, races off that mark tomorrow. He underwent wind surgery after being pulled up behind Marble Sands at Cheltenham in November - he has failed to complete in five of his six starts since that Welsh National win.
Not a typical renewal of this mid-season marathon with the emphasis more on quality than quantity. Several like to race prominently including Myretown, Mr Vango, L'Homme Presse and Val Dancer.
To my mind only four of the eight declared are guaranteed to stay; I'm going to chance the lowest rated in the field, Val Dancer, hoping he can lie up with the classier sorts likely to be cutting out the pace.
Val Dancer is the each-way suggestion, 10/1 generally with the bare eight set to go to post.
Finally I thought Green Book worth a second look in the Pertemps Qualifier (3.32) at 20/1 with Paddy Power (four places). Last time at Sandown he jumped nicely in front and ran well up to a point before tiring on his first outing for 996 days. Fourth in the 2023 Pertemps Final off 139, he races off 133 tomorrow, although stable form is the worry with no winner for the past 25 days.
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