Bank on Beau to round off his first season over fences in style with victory in the 44th Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown Park tomorrow.
The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding has been a model of consistency since having his attentions turned to chasing this term.
He has completed the course in all his seven starts and has finished out of the first two only once and that was when fourth behind the brilliant but ill-fated Gloria Victis over an inadequate two and a half miles at Newbury in November.
Beau won his first chase the following month when scoring in a novice event at Haydock Park.
He has since added another two successes to his tally.
He made the successful graduation to handicap company with a game two-length win over Niki Dee in the Pertemps Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster and followed up with a comfortable victory in the Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot.
On his only subsequent start he finished a creditable two-and-a-half-length second to Marlborough in the William Hill National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival when in receipt of just 1lb from Nicky Henderson's smart performer.
Beau was then pencilled in for the Scottish Grand National but bypassed the race in favour of Sandown's £115,000 contest.
This can turn out to be a profitable move for connections as Beau would have had all on to peg back the very smart Paris Pike at Ayr.
Tomorrow's opposition will be no pushover for Beau either but this sound jumper can show the benefit of his six-week break by lifting tomorrow's valuable prize off what appears a handy mark.
Pawn Broker can stake his Vodafone Derby claims with a win in the Thresher Classic Trial over 10 furlongs.
David Elsworth's colt showed improved form on his reappearance at Newmarket last week to take a nine-furlong Listed event in good style.
Outpaced three furlongs out the son of Selkirk picked up with quarter of a mile to travel and finished strongly to lead close home to score by three-quarters of a length from his stable companion Island Sound.
Tomorrow's extra furlong should bring out further improvement from Pawn Broker, who looks a good bet to follow up in the Sandown Group Three.
With the likelihood of soft ground at the Esher track Diamond White can open her account for the campaign in the Group Three Marriott Hotels Stakes.
Mick Ryan's five-year-old won on the heavy at Longchamp last October and the wetter the conditions the better for this tough mare.
Leicester and Ripon's abandoned cards have been made up into a seven-race programme at Doncaster and the feature Levy Board Leicestershire Stakes can go to Tumbleweed Ridge.
Brian Meehan's seven-year-old enjoyed a good year in 1999 with three wins - two Group Threes and a Listed event - and with the stable in good form the entire looks worth an interest to make a winning reappearance.
