For me it’s all about the old boys today at Sandown Park with the final of the veterans chase at 3.00 and several of these wily old campaigners are now very well treated – but none more so than LE REVE who has an excellent course record at the Esher track.

His ante-post price has steadily dropped from 16/1 into half of those odds since a promising comeback run at Warwick in November and, if Lucy Wadham has him within 10lbs of his best form when he was winning off the high 140s, then he has to be a massive player here.

Of course the conundrum of a race series like this is trying to work out which of the old timers is holding their form best of all and it is amazing that former winner Pete the Feat is set to line up again at the age of 15. He still seems to retain all of his ability judged on his unlucky third here last time out and would receive an almighty roar if landing this valuable contest again.

Top-weight Exitas, Band of Blood and the front running duo Loose Chips ad Tenor Nivernais all have claims in what looks another wide open renewal.

At the other age of the racing spectrum the novice hurdlers will do battle for the prestigious Tolworth Hurdle at 2.25 and I have been most impressed by ELIXIR DE NUTZ who looks like the value option for Colin Tizzard over his market rivals Rathhill and Southfield Stone.

He kept up a sustained gallop when beating Jarveys Plate at Cheltenham and has bundles of improvement to come having taken a blow after the race.

The Unibet Mares Hurdle at 1.50 looks at the mercy of LAURINA who surely needs to win this well to justify a place in the Champion Hurdle line-up in two months’ time, while DARIUS DES BOIS will surely be very hard to beat for Henderson in the final of the middle distance chase series at 1.20.

The other decent jumps’ card is at Wincanton and the staying hurdle a 2.40 from top-weight Bhutan down to those at the bottom of the pile Dark Episode and Tight Call, but the one to be on here has to be EARLOFTHECOTSWOLDS (NAP) who showed great tenacity to get back up at Carlisle last time out and will relish this step up to 2m 5f despite the sharper nature of the track and indeed the faster ground.

Elsewhere on the card, WORKING CLASS should go close to doubling up in the opener at 12.30 while CALIPTO may continue the brilliant run of Venetia Williams in the feature chase event at 3.15.

There are some interesting races on the level as well this weekend, none more so than the staying contest at Kempton Park due off at 6.15.

Top-weight Lord George is one of three course and distance winners in the field and despite his high mark of 104 he has to be respected having recently run well over a mile-and-a-half.

But further down the weights, the likes of Cayirli and ADDICTED TO YOU (nb) look much better treated.

The last named unseated Harry Bentley at Newmarket in June and then pulled up lame last time out in France, but he has reportedly come back and worked well since and he certainly wouldn’t be running down south unless he was ready to do himself justice.

At Lingfield Park have a second look at the likes of the Alan King trained LEXINGTON LAW in the 1.15. Not suited to the rigours of hurdling he bounced back with an easy win on the level at Kempton and despite his penalty this looks a really good opening to follow up.

Later on, DUTCH UNCLE may well defy top weight in the mile-and-a-half handicap at 1.45.