Front-running Lord Transcend can leave the rest trailing in his wake

The dashing grey has always been the apple of trainer Howard Johnson's eye, a feeling which can only have been further enhanced when Lord Transcend ran the race of his life to finish fourth in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup on only his second start over fences.

Considering Howard's young star had been absent for precisely one year prior to his thrilling Newbury comeback, that outstanding performance can rightly be considered even more meritorious.

Add to this the fact he's sure to be a shade sharper for the outing, combined with the advantage of dropping back a furlong-and-a-half in trip, then the net effect might well seal the fate of his rivals come the climax of the valuable showpiece.

In the opening Channel 295 Novices' Hurdle, Beamish Prince (12.45) is strongly fancied to atone for his race losing blunder over course and distance in November.

George Moore's useful four-year-old was at the head of affairs and had the opposition strung out like sausages on that occasion, only to toss away certain victory with a stomach-churning mistake at the second flight from the finish.

Peter Beaumont could do with a decent staying chaser to put him back on the map, and Flight Command may just be the one to answer to his prayers.

Beaumont's greatest hour came in 1993 when he sent out Jodami to famously plunder the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Peter's subsequently harvested the 2002 Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Festival with Hussard Collonges, an ideal target for Flight Command (1.50), provided the latter picks up the Sky Vegas Novices' Chase.

Any doubts about the ability of the North Yorkshire trained gelding were swept aside with a superb exhibition of fencing-from-the-front at Bangor 11 days ago, a feat which had many National Hunt devotees positively purring with delight.

No trainer has his team in finer fettle than Ferdy Muphy, tipped to mop up Market Rasen's Clugston Lincolnshire National courtesy of the gallant ten-year-old, Granit d'Estruval (1.25).

Granit d'Estruval, the winner of this year's Irish Grand National, looks head-and-shoulders above his opponents, therefore if he does manage to stay off the deck, success in the three-and-half-mile marathon is well within his powers.

Chris Bealby's string normally go well at Towcester, opening up the possibility of a double via Dalus Park (1.45) and Moustique de L'Isle (2.20) for the likeable handler at the Northamptonshire venue.

Neither performed with any distinction at Uttoxeter last time out, however I'd be inclined to forgive that brace of below-par efforts on account of Bealby's yard being under a mini-cloud.

Better then to judge the pair on their preceding runs when Dalus Park was not beaten far into the runners-up spot, while Moustiique de L'Isle created an extremely favourable impression by producing a turbo-charged late surge to open his account.

The supporting races to the King George at Kempton are worthy of intense scrutiny, most notably the appearance of the current ante-post favourite for the 2005 champion hurdle, Harchibald (1.35).

With no Intersky Falcon to defend the prize he has claimed for the previous two years in succession, plus Rooster Booster seemingly beginning to slip from grace, Harchibald, a scintillating winner of the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, will likely hold all of the aces in the much-hyped two-miler.

For the closing Telebetting Handicap Hurdle, Lord Of Beauty (3.45) is well worth the wait from a punting point of view.

Noel Chance's lightly campaigned four-year-old hasn't got many miles on the clock, which means he should turn up as fresh as a daisy for the two-mile-and-furlong contest.

The record book also gives Lord Of Beauty a rock-solid vote of confidence, because the horse he beat not so long ago into third place at Doncaster, King Revo, subsequently went on to hammer a hugely competitive field of experienced handicappers at Cheltenham.

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