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Emma Lavelle is confident Shotgun Paddy can put his Welsh Grand National flop behind him as he turns out just a fortnight later to defend his crown in the Betfred Classic Chase at Warwick.
The eight-year-old was a facile winner of the Grade Three contest 12 months ago and came agonisingly close to Cheltenham Festival glory on his next start when going down by just a neck to Midnight Prayer in the National Hunt Chase.
After blowing away the cobwebs on his seasonal return in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, Shotgun Paddy was expected to play a leading role in Chepstow's Christmas highlight, but an early mistake put paid to his chance and he was pulled up after jumping just six fences.
"He missed the break the second time at Chepstow and galloped straight into the second fence. He only jumped a few more fences and didn't have a race at all, which was somewhat frustrating," said the Andover-based trainer.
"On the upside he's come out of it well and seems in very good order and this now becomes his main aim for the season, rather than the Welsh National.
"It's a competitive race, as all these staying handicap chases are, but he's only 2lb higher than last year and everything looks good. He goes there with as good a chance as any."
Return Spring heads the betting for the formidable combination of Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson. The eight-year-old is a novice over fences having only had the three starts, but he is therefore unexposed, particularly over this gruelling three-mile-five-furlong distance.
He was a determined winner in the mud at Exeter on his penultimate start before finishing third behind the high-class Kings Palace at Cheltenham.
"He's very well indeed," Hobbs told At The Races. "He's now had three runs over fences, which qualifies him for this class one chase. I think the longer trip will suit him well, so that's got to be a positive."
Benbane Head bounced back to form in some style last month, making every yard of the running at Cheltenham in the hands of top conditional Conor Shoemark. Trainer Martin Keighley is keeping his fingers crossed there is no further deterioration of ground conditions at Warwick.
He said: "It was a great performance at Cheltenham and he's come out of the race in fantastic order. He's in really good form and I think the win boosted his confidence.
"My only worry would be the ground. He's an older horse now and handles cut in the ground better than he used to, but he wouldn't want it really bad. If it got very heavy, we'd have to think about taking him out, but we'll see.
"I think the trip will suit him and he and Conor really clicked at Cheltenham. If the ground isn't too bad and he can reproduce his Cheltenham run, he must have every chance."
The Oliver Sherwood-trained Global Power has filled the runner-up spot on each of his two starts this season before narrowly missing the cut in the Welsh National. The Upper Lambourn handler is hoping compensation awaits this weekend.
Sherwood said: "He missed the cut by one in the Welsh National, which was a bit of a bore. He'll love the ground on Saturday - the heavier the better - and he has a nice racing weight.
"It's a competitive race, as you would expect for the money, but hopefully he'll run very well. I'd rather be carrying our weight than those up the top of the weights in this ground, that's for sure."
Theatrical Star turns out just nine days after unseating Brendan Powell at Cheltenham. Trainer Colin Tizzard, who won this race in 2012 with Hey Big Spender, is hopeful of a bold show.
He said: "He was travelling well at Cheltenham when he hit the top of the fence and Brendan fell off him. I know he'd only gone about two miles at the time, but I was expecting him to run a big race that day and hopefully he will on Saturday.
"I think the race will suit him as he stays well and he jumped well when we schooled him the other morning. He has a chance, definitely."
Paul Webber's Sixty Something won by a long way at Doncaster last month, with a couple of his major rivals failing to complete the course.
Webber said: "If all had gone to plan earlier in the season we'd have probably aimed towards the Welsh National, but he fell at Exeter and unseated at Haydock and we ran out of time with him.
"I don't know about the value of the form at Doncaster, but he could do no more than he did and I think he's ready for a step up into a race like this. Hopefully this is the right spot for him and if we get a bucket load of luck, which we haven't had recently, I hope he'll run very well."
Cadeau George was an impressive winner at Ffos Las on his penultimate start before failing to fire at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.
Trainer Ben Pauling said: "The ground was a bit quick for him at Cheltenham and I think the course beat him as much as anything. He's not a horse you would normally turn out so quickly, but he seems well and it's too good an opportunity to miss.
"He loves heavy ground and it will definitely be soft, if not heavy. He seems very well in himself and he's run well at Warwick before, so we're keeping our fingers crossed for a bold show."
