THIS day last year was a red-letter day for Christian Williams, Coral Trophy/Eider Chase day.

On this day in 2022, the Christian Williams-trained Win My Wings won the Eider Chase at Newcastle and, around 22 minutes later, the trainer had the one-two in the Coral Trophy with Cap Du Nord and Kitty’s Light.

There are a few small differences between last year and this year. For starters, the chronology has been reversed, the Coral Trophy will be run at Kempton today 25 minutes before the Vertem Eider Chase.

And Kitty’s Light, second behind his stable companion Cap Du Nord in the Coral Trophy at Kempton last year, is going to Newcastle this year for the Eider Chase, and he should relish the extra distance.

But there are constants too, like the fact that the trainer is well represented in both races. He only runs one in each race this year, but they have both been put in as favourite. And Cap Du Nord, another constant, winner of the Coral Trophy last year, favourite for the Coral Trophy this year.

You can argue that it’s going to be more difficult for Cap Du Nord to win the Coral Trophy this year than it was last year.

He is higher in the handicap for starters, he has to race off a mark of 135 today, 8lb higher than the mark off which he won the race last year.

Better form

As against that, however, you can argue that he goes into today’s race in better form than last year. He was well beaten in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster on his last run before last year’s race.

This year, he was only just beaten in the Sky Bet Chase, then, last week, he ran out an impressive winner of a premier handicap chase at Ascot.

But he is 10 now, in a race in which only Nacarat has defied a double-digit age since 2006 and, importantly, this year’s renewal is a better race than last year’s. And he had a hard race seven days ago, and he is a shorter price than he was last year. The percentage call is to be against him.

Annsam was tempting, a 7lb hike for his win over course and distance last month was not overly harsh, and Killer Kane was impressive in winning a less competitive contest over the course and distance two weeks ago, but Our Power could be the value of the race.

Sam Thomas’ horse ran well to finish third in this race last year, but there are reasons for believing that he can do better now. That was just his fifth chase last year. As well as that, it was his first time to race over three miles, and he was ridden defensively. He was well back in the field, and he was short of room and appeared to get a little out-paced at the top of the home straight.

He stayed on strongly from the third last fence, however, to take third place behind Cap Du Nord and Kitty’s Light, and that was after stumbling on landing over the last.

On his only run to date this season, Our Power was impressive in winning the London Gold Cup at Ascot in October. It was just his third run over a stayer’s trip, and he kept on well to get the better of Danny Kirwan, with Tea Clipper back in third and the three of them clear.

The handicapper raised him by 5lb for that win, but that was fair. It leaves him on a mark of 141 for today, and that could still under-rate his ability over this trip. He remains unexposed over three miles.

Also, he goes well on good and good to soft ground, he won a valuable handicap hurdle at Kempton on the Saturday after the Cheltenham Festival last March, and he can go well fresh. It is probable that his astute trainer has had this race in mind for him for a little while.

Eider Chase

Kitty’s Light has lots in his favour in the Eider Chase. He is a real stayer who goes well on good ground, and he will have that combination today. But the market knows that well, he is short and, at a much bigger price, Eva’s Oskar may represent better value.

Tim Vaughan’s horse is another who relishes a test of stamina, and he did well to win at Cheltenham over three and a quarter miles in December, when he stayed on well to get home by a half a length from Spiritofthegames.

He has won on heavy ground but, like Kitty’s Light, his best form is on good and good to soft ground. He stays three and a half miles well and he could improve again for the step up to this extreme trip today.

And he is back down to a mark of 142, just 1lb higher than the mark off which he won at Cheltenham’s December meeting, and that is a mark that he has the potential to surpass over this extreme trip.

Our Power, 3.00 Kempton, 13/2 (generally) 1 point win

Eva’s Oskar, 3.25 Newcastle, 10/1 (generally) 1 point win