Find out which runner has the Mandarin as their main target for the season

Wednesday: 2.35 Newbury
Follow @mansionbetrace On Twitter Mandarin Handicap Chase | 3m2f | 4yo+ | ITV4/RTV

The Mandarin is a race with a rich history. Mill House, Night Nurse, Maori Venture, Party Politics and Jodami are all on the roll of honour and, while it may not attract the quality that it once did, it remains a key race in Newbury's calendar and one that some trainers do target.

Take Ben Pauling, for example. When discussing Nestor Park in his Racing Post stable tour in November, the Gloucestershire trainer said: "The main target this season is the Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury over Christmas, when the ground will hopefully be very soft."

The ground probably isn't quite as testing as Pauling hoped it might be, but Nestor Park has been given 59 days to recover following his seasonal reappearance fourth at Lingfield in October, and he is sure to be at his peak here.

He is bidding to go one better than last year, when he was beaten a neck by Amateur and pulled 20 lengths clear of the third. A 2lb higher mark, albeit with rider Luca Morgan claiming 5lb this time and not the 7lb he did last year, doesn’t look beyond Nestor Park.

Venetia Williams is enjoying her traditional December purple patch and she has booked Nico de Boinville to ride Crypto. It will be the first time he has ridden for the Herefordshire trainer.

Williams almost always has her horses in peak condition at this time of the year and, if you had backed all her chasers in the month of December since the turn of the century, you would have found 147 winners from 757 runners (19 per cent strike-rate), for a £1 level-stake profit of £9.56.

Crypto goes up five and a half furlongs in trip, but that might eke out the progress required.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

What they say

Ben Pauling, trainer of Nestor Park
He's in the best form I've had him in a long time and he ran well in this last year when just run out of it by a well-handicapped horse. He should handle the ground and we go there full of hope.

Jonjo O'Neill, trainer of Cobolobo
He's come on since his comeback in the Becher Chase and would have a sporting each-way chance at big odds.

Philip Hobbs, trainer of Truckin Away
The ground was a bit quick for him on his comeback at Haydock when he pulled up. He's come on for that and hopefully this surface should see him in a better light.

Victor Dartnall, trainer of Run To Milan
The ground looks as if it should suit him as it wasn't soft enough for him at Chepstow last time when they got away from him in the straight. That wasn't a bad bit of form as it was won by the subsequent Welsh National winner and with a bit of luck he has a decent each-way shout.

David Pipe, trainer of Gericault Roque
He ran very well to be second to Pats Fancy at Chepstow last time and the winner franked the form when scoring there again on Monday. He's up in trip but should get it okay and he'll like the ground. He goes there with a decent shout.

Richard Bandey, trainer of Saint Palais
This looks the right race for him after his win at Wetherby last time, which has done plenty for his confidence at home, and he's worked well since. He's only a four-year-old, so hopefully he's got a big future ahead of him.

Grace Harris, trainer of On Call
Hopefully it's proper soft ground that they can get through as he ran poorly on a sticky surface at Exeter last time. He's down in trip which should help and this will tell us whether we need to put him away for a month until the ground dries out a little or not.
Reporting by David Milnes

Upping The Ante star Gavin Lynch joins the Racing Post roster for a weekly Saturday column throughout the jumps season. He'll offer a guide to the weekend action, highlight the horses and races to watch and share his punting wisdom. Read it every Saturday in the Racing Post or online from 4pm every Friday, exclusively for Members' Club subscribers. Sign up to Members' Club here for more top jumps season insight.