Alan King's Jaboune sets the standard in the concluding novices' hurdle. Already four times a winner over timber, the five-year-old lost no caste in defeat behind Dermot Weld's useful Mutakarrim in a valuable event at Cheltenham last week. However, the son of Johann Quatz faces no easy task being asked to give weight away to some interesting types especially as this comes so soon after that latest start. Kalca Mome stepped up on his previous effort at Stratford when winning over the brush hurdles at Haydock last time has to be respected as does Nicky Henderson's French import Caracciola. Christie Roache's Kadiskar has shown enough in two starts to suggest he has a future at the winter game, while hurdling debutante Spring Pursuit will be well suited by the testing conditions. The TEAMtalk selection though is another flat recruit, the Ian Balding-trained Dumaran. Rated in the 90s on the level and at his best on a soft surface, as the son of Be My Chief showed when successful in a Newbury handicap over 1m1f last month, he could be a potentially decent novice.
