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AFTER the season highlight of the Cheltenham Festival (although many would say that the Grand National meeting at Aintree more than matches it) we go back to the norm with the Midlands Grand National, the big betting race of the day at Uttoxeter.

The two upwardly mobile staying chasers for this four-and-a-quarter mile event are the Irish raider J’Arrive De L’est and Nick Gifford’s Aworkinprogress.

The former has run two cracking races over the Cheltenham Cross Country course and the big question with the Emmet Mullins-trained runner is whether he will stay this marathon trip on a more conventional track. 

As for the JP McManus trained runner, staying is not the problem, it is whether he can defy the handicapper having won off marks of 121 and 125 and is now set to race off a rating of 130. To be fair, that is not too harsh a penalty when you consider the way he travelled through the race at Lingfield Park last time out before finding himself under pressure inside the final 150 yards.

Both will surely make their presence felt but I think the market place has well and truly found them, so the best each-way value among the 17 entries could well be ALCEDO (3.00). For the most part of this season trainer Venetia Williams has quite frankly had a shocking time, but she bounced back with a winner at the Cheltenham Festival albeit with 66/1 shot Martator in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase.

This eight-year-old will probably go off at less than half those mammoth odds and could well improve for this big step up to a lung-bursting trip for the very first time in his career. The former Kim Muir runner-up Git Maker could well be the biggest danger now that he is down to an attractive rating of 129, having been off a high of 138.

Although rain is expected at the Potteries’ track, I doubt whether we will get the deep mud scenario we normally get at this meeting. Twig is an interesting runner, returning to hurdles in the staying event at 2.25 and with Beau Morgan taking 5lbs off his back, this former course and distance winner looks sure to run his normal honest race off a rating of 134. 

I make the 11-year-old the probable biggest danger to HARTINGTON. The selection ran an absolute blinder last time out when he was third at Sandown to the course specialist Henri The Second. I suspect this easier course will be much more up his street.

I was hugely disappointed by ELYSIAN KNIGHT (3.35) when he ran over three miles for the first time at Newbury last time out, dropping away badly from the cross fence. I think that he is way better than that run suggests and could be worth another chance in this extended three-mile event.

There is a disappointing turnout of just seven runners for the two-and-a-half-mile Handicap Chase at 4.45 and this could leave this nice prize at the mercy of KELIJOE. 

The Stuart Edmunds-trained youngster was unable to defy a 7lbs penalty last time out at Catterick Bridge, but there were mitigating circumstances as he pulled way too hard through the first half of that contest before weakening on the run down to the final fence. Dropped a single pound for that defeat, I think that he can bounce back here if managing to settle early on and take care of the likes of Jasmin De Cotte and top weight Kalista Love.

The opening Handicap Hurdle looks a wide open event but I’M A LUMBERJACK (1.50) looks as though he has been laid out for this contest. The Alan King-trained runner looked as though he just needed the outing when third of five to Huffin An A Puffin at Doncaster. On that occasion the tip looked a big player between the final two flights before weakening on the run to the last and that run should have put an edge on him.

There are some nice prizes post-Cheltenham up for grabs at Kempton Park and LE TIEP’S SACRE (2.40) can make the most of the massive 22lbs he is set to receive from top weight Royal Infantry. The last-named ran a huge race when narrowly beaten by the hugely progressive Hold The Serve at the previous meeting at the Sunbury-on-Thames track.

However, the selection is totally unexposed and impressed me immensely when making all at Fontwell Park to land a maiden hurdle over a year ago. The runner-up that day went on to chalk up a hat-trick of wins and there is little doubt that if he is ready to go, the Moore charge will be plenty hard to catch around this front runners course.

Etalon has a good record at the course, but will need to take another step forward if he is to defy 12 stone and a mark of 144 in the feature Handicap Chase at 3.18. I fancy that TEDDY BLUE could well have his number in receipt of 12lbs following his solid effort when third to Heltenham in the Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury last time out.

On the flat, Southwell will host a seven race card on the Tapeta surface under the lights and I fancy big runs from both NEYVA’S ANGEL (6.00) and DON SIMON (8.00).

The last named has his first start over two miles after just failing to get up over a mile and three-quarters at Chelmsford last year. Since then he has raced exclusively over middle distances, but this test of stamina should suit him and he is taken to make the most of the weight he is set to receive from the returning to action and classy Artisan Dancer.

Neyva’s Angel showed that seven furlongs is well within his remit when running well for the first time over that trip at Kempton Park and with the first time hood fitted, he looks set to lose that maiden tag at the eighth time of asking.