Philip Hobbs' stable has started the season in fine form and Monkerhostin is taken to win on his seasonal reappearance for the fourth consecutive season in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on Saturday.
 
A 5/1 chance with the sponsors, the nine-year-old improved dramatically in his second full season over fences last term, the highlight of which was his cracking effort in the King George VI Chase at Sandown on Boxing Day when he failed by a rapidly diminishing neck to catch the mighty Kicking King.
 
Although Monkerhostin now appears to appreciate a reasonable stamina test, he remains one of the most versatile horses around, and demonstrated the requisite speed to beat Kauto Star and Ashley Brook in the Haldon Gold Cup over a trip just short of two and a quarter miles at Exeter on his return to action last season.
 
The three-mile-one-furlong trip of the Charlie Hall over the undulations of the Yorkshire track should suit Monkerhostin down to the ground, and the gelding's sure-footed jumping will be an asset at this track where the stiff fences have been know to cruelly exploit those without springs in their heels.
 
Monkerhostin's stablemate Lacdoudal, winner of the Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown in April on his final start of the 2005/06 campaign. The grey also jumps for fun and, aged just seven, he's open to further improvement this season. However, an honourable sort though he is, I just feel that he lacks the pace of his stable companion and Paul Nicholls' Star de Mohaison, who is the 4/1 favourite for this contest at the time of writing.
 
The last-named benefited from being stepped up to trips in excess of three miles last season, a campaign from which he emerged as the leading staying novice following victories in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and the John Smith's Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree's Grand National meeting a month later.
 
Although he has won under testing conditions, the five-year-old appeared suited by the decent surfaces he encountered in the aforementioned races, so if the going remains as is at Wetherby, good to soft, soft in places, or deteriorates further, the son of Beyssac could be at a disadvantage.
 
Conversely, the David Pipe-trained Our Vic won't mind if there's further rain judged on his victory in the Grade 1 Ascot totesport Chase at Lingfield in February where the going was bottomless. The eight-year-old had Monkerhostin well back in third when hosing up on his final start of the season in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham in April.
 
However, Monkerhostin was below par that day. He had also disappointed on his penultimate start at Aintree, but in those final two races of his campaign, the selection was feeling the effects of a long, hard season and probably hadn't recovered from his Gold Cup exertions, a race in which he finished a fine sixth of 22 behind the brilliant War Of Attrition.
 
Furthermore, Monkerhostin will be 15lb better off which Our Vic on Saturday compared to when beaten 23 lengths behind that rival at Cheltenham. I will be surprised if he doesn't exact revenge.
 
In what is shaping up to be a fascinating contest, the first three homes from last year's renewal, Ollie Magern, Kingscliff and Take The Stand respectively, could all line up, along with Iris's Gift, who has been absent since being pulled up in the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
 
Of that quartet, Take The Stand looks the most dangerous, as he has proved his wellbeing with a victory over timber at Plumpton recently, although further rain would not aid his cause. The other trio mentioned all proved disappointing for the most part last season and have plenty to prove at present.
 
Verdict - 1pt Monkerhostin @ 5/1 (bet365)