Bet365 Scottish Champion Chase – Musselburgh – Saturday 1st February

One of the key weekends regarding pointers for the spring festivals (of course I mean Cheltenham, without saying Cheltenham) is nearly upon us, and with Musselburgh, Sandown Park and the two days of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown imminent, it is a time to have the notebooks at the ready.

There will be plenty to dissect, but perhaps the best ante-post opportunity midweek before it all kicks off comes on the opening day of Musselburgh’s Trials weekend, in the Bet365 Scottish Champion Chase at 2.50 at Musselburgh on Saturday.

Harry Derham is set for an important few days. The likes of new recruit Maitre En Science in the Scottish Triumph Hurdle and Balhambar in the Scottish County Hurdle at Musselburgh, both on Saturday, are complimented by perhaps his best and most significant chance of a winner in Queen’s Gamble in the Mares’ Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

However, the most overpriced of his weekend entries has to be Fidelio Vallis to win the Bet365 Scottish Champion Chase, and is worth a 1-star * ante-post bet at 20/1 each-way with Bet365 or Unibet.

Generally priced up at 10/1 or bigger, I’d be keen to acquire any double figure prices about a horse who is absolutely tailor-made for the track, trip and likely ground that he’ll face on Saturday. We know that because he fair skipped around the Edinburgh track in a similar race on New Year’s Day last year.

Perhaps Saturday’s race looks a little deeper, but if you delve far enough into most of the opposition they fall down on one or two factors, whereas Fidelio Vallis has a tick in every box. There may also be a bit of competition for the lead, but I thought that last year, and he still fended them all off so it’s best not to overthink that, and he has won when tucked in behind runners in the past anyway.

Fidelio Vallis went well for a long way in a race won by the upwardly mobile Lowry’s Bar at Chepstow last time, and that looked like a tune-up for this big target, and so the 20/1 is well worth taking ahead of declarations tomorrow.