Local knowledge is always useful and when it comes to the Coral Welsh National, no-one knows the race or Chepstow better than Halcon Genelardais.

He will be making his fourth successive appearance in the race having won in 2006 and then finishing win second and a third under 11st 12lb in the last two years and has a real chance of winning again this time.

It is true that he has not won since beating Mon Mome (now 17lbs worse off) by four lengths in that 2006 renewal and the Alan King yard has been struggling for winners but King is starting to show some form and Halcon Genelardais, ridden by King’s assistant trainer Noel Williams, pleased connections on a day out hunting recently. “I had the pleasure of trying to anchor him – and I didn’t win,” Williams reported. “He nearly pulled my arms out and he’s really well.”

That lack of a recent victory means that Halcon Genelardais’s handicap rating has dropped 9lb since the start of last season, which makes him 7lb lower in the weights than when finishing seven lengths behind the very well handicapped Notre Pere in this race 12 months ago. Yet his overall form looks rock-solid and his fourth to Kauto Star, albeit beaten 26 lengths, in last month’s Betfair Chase at Haydock would appear to be a decent pipe-opener for this race and he will not be inconvenienced by the heavy ground.

A field of 20 means that there will be no shortage of opposition which is likely to be headed by The Tother One and Le Beau Bai.

The Tother One is an interesting prospect and the rare combination of Paul Nicholls and Tony McCoy have a 34% strike-rate as a partnership in recent seasons but it is the lack of seasoning for the horse – who will be having just his fifth run over fences – that has to be a concern. The lack of experience for Le Beau Bai comes from the saddle with young amateur Oliver

Greenall, but this also represents a major step up in class for the horse.

The was a time when Nicholls-trained runners in juvenile hurdles were rarer than hen’s teeth but his overall runners over timber this season have a 22% strike-rate and Sang Bleu can add to that in the Grade One Coral Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle. Sang Bleu is already high up in the betting for the Triumph Hurdle on the strength of his good form when trained in France by Guillaume Macaire, where he proved that he could handle testing conditions by winning a hurdle at Auteuil.

Nicholls already has a stranglehold on the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, with Kauto Star and Denman, and attempts to add to his reserves when he runs What A Friend in the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.

Ruby Walsh has opted to ride Cooldine for Willie Mullins but, having not run since April, he is surely going to need the run. Barry Geraghty comes in for the on What a Friend, a fast-improving six-year-old. He may not have been able to handle Denman in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury last month – beaten three and a half lengths in receipt of 22lbs – but there is nothing of that calibre in this field.