THERE are several days at around about this time of year to which you can point and say, there, that one, that’s the day on which the National Hunt season really starts.

There is Mercedes Benz day at Chepstow, such as it was, when the BBC cameras used to roll into Wales and you would see horses jumping fences on television for the first time since the Galway Plate.

There’s the November meeting at Cheltenham obviously, the Open meeting, the Murphy’s, the Paddy Power meeting, by which stage you can devote just about all of your discretionary attention to the jumps.

Charlie Hall Chase day at Wetherby, that’s another good starting point, and that’s today.

The 2022 renewal of the Bet365-sponsored contest has been all about Bravemansgame and Ahoy Senor all week.

When this pair met in the Sefton Hurdle at Aintree in April 2021, it was Ahoy Senor, the 66/1 shot, who beat the 13/8 favourite Bravemansgame by seven lengths.

When they met in the Kauto Star Chase at Kempton last December, it was Bravemansgame who emerged on top, seven and a half lengths in front of Lucinda Russell’s horse.

And when they met again in the Mildmay Chase back at Aintree in April, full circle, Ahoy Senor was very good in winning, while Bravemansgame trailed in a below-par fourth of four.

Easy to call

It’s not easy to call it between the pair of them. Bravemansgame is such a fluent jumper of fences, that will always be a big asset for Paul Nicholls’ horse, but he does have to bounce back from that abject performance at Aintree in April the last time we saw him, and there are more positives about Ahoy Senor.

He jumps to his right, but his best form is on left-handed tracks. Also, it appears that he is at his best on flat tracks, and he beat the Grand National winner Noble Yeats in the Grade 2 Towton Chase at Wetherby last February, over today’s course and distance, on his only run to date at the track.

That said, the value of the race may lie with Eldorado Allen. A talented novice chaser, Joe Tizzard’s horse progressed nicely last season, and he put up the best performance of his life when he stepped up to three miles for the first time and beat Royal Pagaille and Clan Des Obeaux in the Denman Chase at Newbury last February.

He kept on well to finish third behind Allaho in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham in March, only just ceding the runner-up spot to Janidil close home, in a race in which he was the only one to give chase to the monstrous winner.

You have to allow him his run at Aintree last April, but you easily can, it was at the end of a long season and it was just three weeks after he had run his lungs out in pursuit of Allaho at Cheltenham.

Joe Tizzard will have him freshened up, no doubt, since then, and we know that he goes well fresh.

He has won on his seasonal debut in each of his three seasons racing in Britain, and he beat Hitman in the Haldon Gold Cup on his debut last season.

He has to concede 3lb to the second-season chasers, but he is rated 1lb superior to both of them, and he still has scope to progress now over staying trips.

He goes well at Cheltenham, but he also goes well at flat tracks, Kempton, Huntingdon, Newbury, and he could have a big say today.

Ascot handicap

Broomfield Burg could also have a big say today in the Bateaux London Handicap Hurdle at Ascot. Nicky Henderson’s horse threatened lots last season, he was sent off as favourite for the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury in February on the back of a seriously impressive performance at Kempton, and he was only a 14/1 shot for the County Hurdle at Cheltenham.

He hasn’t won since he easily landed the odds in that novices’ hurdle at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day, but he put up a good performance in the Silver Trophy at Chepstow on his debut this season.

He travelled well into his race that day, as he usually does, but he had to make his challenge away from the favoured near side, away from the winner Knappers Hill, who raced flush against the stands rail. As well as that, he made an energy-sapping mistake at the final flight.

J.P. McManus’ horse should progress from that run, his seasonal debut. He progressed from defeat on his debut last season. Also, that was his first run since a wind operation, and horses can often improve from their first to their second run back.

He is down to a mark of 130, 4lb lower than the mark off which he raced in the Betfair Hurdle, and that is a mark that he has the potential to surpass this season.

From the family of Maid Of Money and Ten Of Spades, he could step up in distance in time, but he travels so well through his races, two miles is a good trip for him, at least for now.

Broomfield Burg, 2.05 Ascot, 11/2 (generally), 1 point win

Eldorado Allen, 3.35 Wetherby, 9/2 (generally), 1 point win