'He's been working nicely' - find out who is expecting a big Silver Trophy run

Saturday: 4.02 Chepstow
Wasdell Group Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle | 2m3½f | 4yo+ | Sky

Second-season hurdlers have had plenty of success in recent runnings and the market is headlined by a pair of unexposed types who fit that description.

Since 2012, six winners of the race were in their second season, including last year's scorer Orbys Legend, who gave trainer Philip Hobbs a fourth win in the race.

He relies on Masters Legacy, who has fallen to his last winning mark after ending last season with below-par runs at Cheltenham and Kempton.

That win came at Chepstow in this grade on good ground, which makes him a strong each-way prospect.

Zabeel Champion is a prime example of the type of horse who tends to do well in this race. He has won two of his four starts, latterly the Two Mile Hurdle Series Final at Haydock.

He was well held in a pair of competitive Flat handicaps when last seen in the spring, but he has a fair record fresh and remains exceptionally well treated when his hurdles marked is compared with a Flat rating of 99.

Winner of a Grade 2 bumper at Aintree, Knappers Hill made light work of the Novices' Championship Final at Sandown in April and he has the scope to be much better in his second season over hurdles.

Only two runners come into this race with a previous run this season, the first being Broomfield Burg, who was not suited by a tactical small-field affair at Market Rasen in July and has undergone wind surgery since.

This type of scenario will be much more to his liking and there is little stopping Nicky Henderson's hurdlers at present, with three of his last five scoring.

The second is topweight and last year's fifth Proschema, who would need a very strong pace and is perhaps high enough in the weights.
Race analysis by Owen Goulding

Nicholls: Knappers Hill can be right in the mix

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls always intends to kick off the core part of the jumps season with a big two days at Chepstow and Knappers Hill will bid to do just that for a third time.

Carrying the Frodon silks of Paul Vogt who owns him with Paul Barber, Knappers Hill burst on to the scene with a seven-length bumper win in 2020 and returned the following season with a fine hurdling debut over two miles.

After some disappointments the six-year-old finished his campaign in the same winning form he began it. He qualified for Sandown's Novices' Championship Final with success at Newton Abbot just a week before and subsequently landed the big race in emphatic style.

Knappers Hill is now up in trip and faces a 7lb rise from the handicapper but his trainer is optimistic for the hat-trick bid.

Knappers Hill: won four times last seasonCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Nicholls said: "He's great on the good ground and at the track. The last time at Sandown he won well and he's gone up 7lb for that, so [a mark of] 141 is new territory but he's fit, well and ready to go. I'd like to think he'd be right in the mix with a big chance.

"It was heavyish ground at Sandown and this trip on good ground is exactly what he wants. It's a question mark because we haven't won over the distance but the key to him is better ground."

Zabeel Champion looks his biggest danger and the Jonjo O'Neill-trained runner brings the added interest of being owned by the race sponsors. The five-year-old, officially running for Martin Tedham and Wasdell Properties Ltd, rallied well to win at Haydock when last seen over hurdles.

What they say

Philip Hobbs, trainer of Masters Legacy
He won at this Chepstow meeting last season over two miles but he certainly looks now that further would suit. He was a bit disappointing towards the end of last season and I'm not too sure why. He's had his wind done, which hopefully could be a help. The ground will be no problem at all, he doesn't want it too soft.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Broomfield Burg
He's in very good form and I think the race should suit him. We tended to his wind over the summer and he's been working nicely since. I don't think the ground will be too bad on the hurdles course.

Chris Gordon, trainer of Unanswered Prayers and Lord Baddesley
We stepped Lord Baddesley up in trip at Plumpton at the end of last season and he was travelling very strongly before falling, admittedly a long way from home. He has always looked like a step up in trip would help him. It might be slightly tight on the trip side for Unanswered Prayers but I expect they’ll go a real good gallop which would help him. I’d love it if either could run into a place.
Reporting by James Stevens

Read our Saturday previews:

1.50 Newmarket: 'It can play to his strengths' – Zetland test expected to suit Flying Honours

2.25 Newmarket: can Appleby and Buick springboard another star in the Autumn Stakes?

3.00 Newmarket: 'This has always been the plan' – trainers on the day's Group 1

3.15 York: 'This is a nice prize' – key trainer quotes for valuable sprint handicap at York

3.40 Newmarket: 'She's had the exact same programme as Buzz' – can Henderson win the Ces again?

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