Punters should always try to find the front-runner in chases - but this hold-up horse could be Champion Chase class

Being a big believer in market signals, it was fascinating to monitor the betting in the chase races run last weekend. It seemed pretty clear to me that the ones who shortened in the market just before the off either made the running or raced close to the pace. That's definitely a noteworthy factor.

If you didn't know it already, it's becoming clearer by the day how big an advantage it is to race up with the pace in competitive chases. The advantage of getting out in front is pretty obvious. The leader can get a clear look at the fences and it's so much easier to jump fluently when you're not in and around other horses.

That for me is why the horses who line up at the front or are most likely to make the running are nearly always well backed in the last few minutes before the tapes go down. This also allows the in-running backers to hedge their stakes because you only have to watch the markets as the race is in progress to see that those in the lead are a much shorter price than those out the back.