Janidil bids to escape the clutches of some of Ireland’s best chasers when he pays a visit to Huntingdon for the TrustATrader Peterborough Chase.

Willie Mullins’ raider is a regular in Grade One events on home soil and was handed the formidable task of facing Allaho on his seasonal return in the Clonmel Oil Chase.

However, connections now hope to have found the nine-year-old the perfect opportunity to register a seventh victory of his highly-respectable career when he crosses the Irish Sea for this Grade Two contest.

“It looked a nice race for him and there wasn’t going to be too many runners,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus.

“He’s in good form and this looked the ideal race for him. He’s ran into a few good horses in the last few seasons, but Willie is happy with him and we’re looking for a good run.”

With Edwardstone headed to the Tingle Creek, with this race only an emergency option in case of weather woes, Janidil’s chief threat could be provided by First Flow, who won the 2021 renewal before finishing third 12 months ago.

Kim Bailey’s 11-year-old chased home the high-class Boothill at Ascot on his return and his handler feels conditions are ideal for a bold bid.

He said: “I’m very happy with him and David (Bass, jockey) has schooled him this week and was happy. He will get his ground, which will be a big difference for him this time and hopefully he will run a big race.

“I would have to say it was probably as good a run as he’s ever done (behind Boothill at Ascot). It might sound stupid at the age of 11, but I thought it was a phenomenal run.”

Paul Nicholls won this with Pic D’Orhy in 2022 and attempts to repeat the dose with Solo, another likeable contender in the same colours of Johnny de la Hey.

The seven-year-old went some way to justifying his lofty reputation when downing Coral Gold Cup winner Datsalrightgino in the Pendil Novices’ Chase last term and was runner-up in the Haldon Gold Cup on his return to action.

Aintree’s Old Roan Chase form will be put to the test with Ryan Potter’s Jetoile attempting to confirm his victory over Sam Thomas’ Al Dancer, who was four and a half lengths back in third.

Jetoile has won his last three chasing starts but now faces the acid test which will inform connections whether they have a performer of real top-quality on their hands.

Potter said: “He’s won his last three and obviously the Old Roan was a massive step forward that has put him in with the class of horse we know he is.

“There’s only a small field but it’s a hot race, for sure. He’ll have to improve again from the Old Roan, but there’s no reason why he won’t.

“He’s not the best work horse in the world, so I thought it was very impressive the way he got stuck in up the home straight at Aintree, because that wouldn’t normally be his asset.

“Usually, it’s his jumping and travelling, but the fact that the race probably didn’t suit, I thought he was really good.

“We’ll know where we will stand after Sunday and it will be unbelievable if he went and won on Sunday, then you know you have a Grade One horse.

“We’re realistic, we had him tuned up for the Old Roan and that was our target, so anything after that is a bonus this season.”

Al Dancer is unlikely to defend his Boylesports Grand Sefton title at Aintree later this month, with Sam Thomas instead eyeing up a shot at the Trustatrader Peterborough Chase.

Having outbattled Gesskille to claim the Grand Sefton last season, he again showed his liking for the Merseyside venue when a staying-on third off a career-high mark in the Old Roan Chase – a race in which all the fences up the home straight were omitted.

The in-form 10-year-old, who kicked off his season with a commanding win at Chepstow, is as short as 7-1 in places to go back-to-back in the season’s first race over the National fences on November 11.

However, his handler believes the contest may come to soon for the thriving grey and is keen to wait an extra month for Grade Two action at Huntingdon on December 10.

“I was absolutely delighted with him and he put in another very solid run in what was a very competitive race I thought,” said Thomas.

“I don’t actually know if it helped or hindered him having the fences taken out, but it was just lovely to see him staying on again and run a really nice race off a career-high mark. We were absolutely thrilled.

“I think realistically the Grand Sefton will come a bit too soon. The reasoning behind going for the Old Roan was we felt he was in the form of his life and it is a very prestigious Grade Two race. We took our chance there and I would say it is fairly unlikely we will go to Aintree again now.

“Potentially the Peterborough maybe, going the other way round, will suit him. He does jump out a bit to his right and lugs a bit right so that would certainly help him. I think that might be on the calendar, providing he’s in good shape to go there.”

Thomas has made a blistering start to the winter with his string and another of his Chepstow scorers, Stolen Silver, is set to bypass another crack at Cheltenham’s Paddy Power Gold Cup in favour of remaining at three miles and a shot at Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup on December 2.

“We chucked him in the Paddy Power in case it was going to go absolutely bottomless there, but realistically the plan is to go to the Coral Gold Cup,” added Thomas.

“I think he certainly enjoyed himself over that trip and has a bit more to offer maybe. It certainly opens a few more doors for us and the fact he was a lot more settled in his race gives us a few more options really.

“You are dictated to what trip you can run a horse over by how they sort of conduct themselves in a race, but now he’s settling I think we have to step him up.”