THE 2016/2017 season was a vintage one for novice chasers – Might Bite, Thistlecrack, Our Duke, Altior and Min to name just five – and this campaign is shaping up quite well, also.

Sceau Royal has pride of place on account of his win in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown in December in a slightly faster time than recorded on the same day by Politologue in taking the Tingle Creek Chase.