David Pipe took plenty of succour from Dynaste's first run of the season and believes a return to Kempton for the William Hill King George VI Chase will help his horse turn the tables on Cue Card.
Pipe's grey impressed when winning the Feltham Novices' Chase at the Sunbury track nearly 12 months ago and while he performed well at Cheltenham and won at Aintree, it was his best performance of last season.
His campaign opener in Saturday's Betfair Chase at Haydock pitted him against his elders and he did not disappoint with two Gold Cup winners trailing behind him in Long Run and Bobs Worth. Ultimately, though, he was forced to give way to an on-song Cue Card.
Pipe wrote on his website: "To finish a solid second on his first run of the season in such a strong contest was a great effort and shows that we have a horse to go to war with in all of the top staying chases.
"His next target will be the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and I see no reason why he cannot give Cue Card a good run for his money - the track and trip will suit as he so ably demonstrated when winning the Feltham over course and distance last year."
On the same Haydock card Dynaste's stablemate Gevrey Chambertin gave the yard a third success in four years in the Fixed Brush Hurdle and will now begin a novice chase career.
"Gevrey Chambertin has always looked a potential chaser in the making and the way he jumped these 'mini fences' did nothing to dissuade me from that opinion," said Pipe.
Another highly regarded hurdler with chasing prospects, Nicky Richards's Duke Of Navan, will step up to Grade One company in Saturday's StanJames.com Fighting Fifth at Newcastle. The five-year-old took the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso last February but has not been seen since. His trainer believes a run against the likes of My Tent Or Yours and Melodic Rendezvous will stand him in good stead in later life.
"I half-wanted to run him last week in the intermediate hurdle at Haydock, but he just had a little setback," Richards said. "He's fine now and I think he'll be tip-top for Saturday. He'll come on a lot for it and he'll probably need a little bit of experience against those higher-class horses, but we'll have a bit of an idea where we are."
A similar long-term absentee, Time For Rupert, has been building up his preparation for a comeback in next month's Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
Paul Webber's nine-year-old has not been seen for more than 12 months since the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby after which he was found to be suffering from a growth close to his brain. With the Grand National in Webber's mind he is keen to preserve his current handicap mark of 152.
"He remains on course for the Long Walk, I just felt there were no suitable races over fences at the moment for him," said the trainer.
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