National Hunt 2011/12 Kicks Off: JNWine Champion Chase

We're finally set for a proper Grade 1 over fences this season and all eyes will be on Down Royal in two weeks time as the JNwine.com Champion Chase sees a number of top-quality contenders set to battle it out over a full three mile distance. At this stage there are twenty runners in the mix and we should see a few withdrawals based on ground preference in the build-up to the contest. It should be tough going for the favourite's position due to the fact that there is just so much talent on display in this race – complicated even further thanks to the majority using this one as their seasonal debut.

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The winner of the RSA Chase at last year's Cheltenham Festival, Bostons Angel, will be looking to make a big statement in this one but he'll be forced to tangle with champion chaser Sizing Europe – who was the pick of the festival for many in his swashbuckling performance in the Queen Mother. He was then collared by just under a length at Punchestown in a full-on revenge mission from his worthy adversary Big Zeb.

Sir Alex Ferguson's highly-rated jumper What A Friend uses this as his kick-off after being pulled up last April in the National, just a few fences from the line. The eight-year-old son of Cadoudal remains one of the most promising stars in the Nicholls stable but he's going to have to start really stringing them together this year as he looks to contest multiple Grade 1's in an effort to solidify his credentials ahead of another kick at the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.

Nicholls also saddles The Nightingale and he's been laid off for nearly eleven months at this point with his last effort having come in the rescheduled King George at Kempton in January. He had opened the season well, capturing the Grade 2 Ladbrokes.com Chase – his first graded victory outside of the novice circuit before hitting the treatment table for the better part of a year.

Fan-favourite Forpadydeplasterer will line up in this one and he disappointed in what looked to finally be his opportunity to progress from his always-a-bridesmaid status just last week in a three-horse race at Punchestown. He looked a tired horse towards the end and was beaten 16 lengths by Roi Du Mee in a breakout performance for Gordon Elliott's six-year-old bay. You'll find Roi Dy Mee in this one as well and he'll be another one carrying a solid price and able to deliver an outsized performance. Whether he can beat the likes of Sizing Europe is another matter but he certainly looked fantastic in his last outing.