The 5yo+ chase at Clairefontaine (3.10pm) features several horses that have had plenty of problems in recent seasons and the top three in the betting have run just nine times between them since the start of 2020.

Hurkhan is clear on ratings and has won his last five completed starts, but I’m not at all sure he really fancies chasing and he made hard work of beating a lower-rated rival over the larger obstacles at Nimes in May (despite being in receipt of 22lbs) before showing what he is capable of over hurdles last time.  He had fallen on his previous start over fences at Pau in 2019 and his form in this sphere has never been as good as it is over hurdles.

With Curieux winless since 2017, I am taking on the favourite with Kap Et Pas Cap.  He had a spin round late last month in a race that was eventually voided at halfway, but that should have blown the cobwebs away and he had shown a good level of form when third over fences at Auteuil in November.  His previous second over hurdles to So French is decent form, and the win at Niort last October was by an eased-down six lengths, rather than the 1L recorded on France Galop.

3.10pm Clairefontaine – 1pt win Kap Et Pas Cap @ 7/2 (all firms)