£290,000 Nicky Henderson star backed to open account at Chepstow

Summer jumps are on the agenda at Chepstow Racecourse on Friday with the Dunraven Bowl meeting at the track.

Racing gets under way at 4.39pm with the maiden hurdle and is the first of eight races on the card, which rounds off 8.15 with a handicap hurdle in class four.

The opener (4.39) sees a field of 16 head to the start for the maiden hurdle in class four and Floating Line, trained by powerhouse trainer Nicky Henderson, should be the one to beat, arriving at Chepstow off the back of a fourth on debut over obstacles and is upped in trip here with top jockey Nico de Boinville on board.

Race two (5.10) is the 3m2f handicap chase and 12 runners will tackle the trip. Lyrical Genius was third when last seen over the marathon distance here when last seen and is taken to go a couple of spots better here providing his jumping is up to standard.

The chief threat is likely to come from No No Maestro, who was building up some fine form for the Fergal O'Brien team before disappointing at Taunton last time out, but can bounce back here.

The third race on the card (5.40) is a handicap hurdle over the 2m trip around Chepstow. 2023 Betfair Hurdle winner Aucunrisque takes his place here, who hasn't really fired since that fine victory but is back down into a more comfortable sphere and can bounce back to form.

However, the selection here is for Matterhorn, trained by 14-time champion trainer Paul Nicholls, who defied a seven-month absence to score at Taunton in November and followed it up with a second there two weeks later.

Race four (6.10) looks all about another Nicholls runner, Diego Du Charmil, in the 2m3f handicap chase, a good second when up in class when last seen and is dropping down into company he should be seeing off.

Roaring Legend should take all the beating in race five (6.40) for trainer Olly Murphy if he can replicate his early season hurdle form having been a useful performer on the Flat for former trainer James Ferguson.

Break My Soul, a £290,000 purchase for the Henderson yard having won a sole Irish point-to-point, sets the standard in race six (7.10) and should open her account in rather weak company, while the penultimate race of the evening (7.40) can go to Gats & Co, who landed four handicap chases in 2022, three of them at Chepstow, and is returning to his clearly favoured track.

Finally, the bumper card comes to a close with the 2m7f handicap hurdle (8.15) and a large field of 16 runners will head to post - the pick on the form of all of them is for Pipers Cross, trained by Robbie Llewellyn, who arrives at the track off the back of a fine course and distance win at Chepstow when last seen earlier this month.

Chepstow selections - Friday (via Punchestown odds) 4.30 - Floating Line 5.10 - Lyrical Genius 5.40 - Matterhorn 6.10 - Diego Du Charmil 6.40 - Roaring Legend 7.10 - Break My Soul 7.40 - Gats & Co 8.15 - Pipers Cross