'He has risen 23lb in the handicap this season and he's still improving. I hope he'll stay all day'

Oliver Signy has more than doubled his best total of winners this season and now hopes to put his Lambourn yard firmly on the map by landing a £150,000 race.

French Paradoxe has assisted with two of the 11 victories secured this term by a trainer who was assistant to Oliver Sherwood during the Many Clouds era and also spent time with Jonathan Sheppard in America before taking out a licence in 2019.

Signy, whose best previous tally was five winners in 2020-21, said: "If he were to win it would be a tremendous boost for everyone in the yard and for the Mick Fitzgerald racing club, and hopefully help attract more owners.

"French Paradoxe has risen 23lb in the handicap this season and he's still improving. In his last five runs he's either won or fallen – the falls were at Ffos Las and that's clearly not his track."

The trainer does not believe this step up to 4m2f on ground that is likely to be soft is a cause for concern and said: "The rain that has come means the ground will be in his favour and I hope he'll stay all day.

"He was easing down on soft ground at Newcastle, he wasn't flat out, so I'm hopeful."

Will he do it again?

Sam Thomas is no stranger to big-race success and Iwilldoit has won the Welsh Grand National and Classic Chase on his last two starts, albeit 13 months apart.

Iwilldoit defied a long lay-off to win the Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase at WarwickCredit: Getty Images

"He's been a star for us and we're looking forward to it," said the trainer, whose stayer must defy another 8lb rise in the handicap and topweight of 12st.

"He's in good order but the question is whether he can carry all that weight," Thomas said. "He stays and he jumps but this will be his hardest test yet."

What they say

Ben Clarke, trainer of The Galloping Bear
He was put up 5lb for Newcastle but that was a good effort behind a well-handicapped winner. I've been happy with him since, he's one of the proven stayers in the field and the ground is right so we're hopeful of a good run.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Truckers Lodge
The ground has come right for him and he wouldn't mind any more rain. He ran well in the Welsh National then the ground was too quick for him at Musselburgh – if he came back to his Chepstow form, he should run well.

Charlie Longsdon, trainer of Guetapan Collonges
He's got to reverse the form with Iwilldoit and Notachance from Warwick but he's progressing and won at Uttoxeter, beating the horse who finished third in the National Hunt Chase. The only negative is this may come too soon but he'll be up to wining a race like this, whether it is this year or next.

Alan King, trainer of Notachance & Major Dundee
Notachance was a fine third in the Classic Chase at Warwick and was then outpaced round Haydock. This should suit him much better. I'd expect Major Dundee to do better than on his last outing at Kempton as he's better going left-handed.

Nicky Martin, trainer of The Two Amigos
I hope it keeps raining. He's ground dependent and it was too quick when he ran in this before. He's 12lb lower than he was then and has no weight on his back, just 10st with the 5lb claim. He's in the same sort of order as he was before the Welsh National and I don't think the trip will be a problem.

Evan Williams, trainer of Secret Reprieve
He needs to recover the form of his Welsh National win and hasn't run near that since but there were signs he was going the right way last time.

Phil Kirby: ' His last two performances were good and I hope he's on an upward curve again'Credit: David Carr

Phil Kirby, trainer of Bushypark
He's in good form and came out of his win at Catterick well. The Eider was the plan but the ground was too quick — this is Plan B and the ground is coming right for him. His last two performances were good and I hope he's on an upward curve again.
Reporting by David Carr

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