It’s a big day for Anthony Honeyball on Saturday as he has a quartet of interesting runners, including Sojourn in the William Hill Grand National Trial at Haydock and course specialist Regal Encore in the Swinley Chase at Ascot.

Those two could go well but are relatively well-fancied, so the one of his that I want to back the most is KID COMMANDO in the Betfair Cheltenham Free Bet Pot Builder Handicap Hurdle at 16/1 (bet365, BetVictor, 14s General) at Ascot at 3.00.

That looks a really good bit of business as I don’t think there’s a better handicapped horse in the race and we should start seeing the best of him now he’s tackling trips in excess of two miles, with the 2m3f at Ascot this weekend a perfect stepping stone.

A point-to-point winner who is related to several horses who excelled over intermediate trips, the only time he has tried a similar distance was when he was sixth at Haydock in November, but he did too much too soon that day off top weight in tough conditions after being taken on for the lead.

It wasn’t a bad run in the context and there was no shame in failing to give weight and a beating to talented horses like Umbrigado and Shakem Up’Arry, and while things didn’t pan out for him that day it is not evidence that he doesn’t stay.

On the contrary, we should see improvement from him at this trip, and we know he likes Ascot following his comfortable success over two miles here back on October 31 off just a 4lb lower mark.

He beat a course and distance winner in Malaya by almost five lengths that day and if he’d come straight to this race from that he’d be around 4/1 favourite, from just 4lb higher, such was the impression he made.

We’re getting four times that price because of his Haydock run and also his last appearance, here at Ascot, where he was pulled up in the Betfair Exhange Trophy after racing too keenly up front in the early part of the race over two.

He’s miles better than that, though, and he’s had a break and wind surgery since then, so I’m well prepared to chance him now at rewarding odds.