Catfish Keith can underline the depth of chasing talent at Henrietta Knight's disposal by winning at Kempton today. Their trainer currently has a number of stars in her Wantage stable, where last season's Cheltenham Festival winners Edredon Bleu and Lord Noelie rub shoulders with the highly-promising Best Mate.
Though Catfish Keith is unlikely ever to match the exploits of those Grade One performers he is a progressive young chaser who looks just the sort to land a decent handicap this term.
The six-year-old won at Ascot and Towcester in his first season over fences, doing particularly well to hand a four-length beating to the useful Lord York on the former course.
He signed off with a fine effort in a valuable novice handicap at Sandown, leading until after the final fence only to weaken up the hill into third place behind subsequent Thomas Pink Gold Cup second Exit Swinger.
The easier Kempton track will be more suitable for Catfish Keith, who looks favourably weighted in today's High Haven Stables We Support The Children Chase, racing off a 1lb lower mark than at Sandown.
He should be fit for his return, having been set to run last month only to be pulled out on the day when the ground was deemed unsuitable.
Stable-companion Tribal King will be a popular choice for the Darren Mercer NSPCC EBF `National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle after victory in a similar event at Wincanton last month.
But he has a stiff task conceding 10lb to Razer Blade, who looked smart when winning a National Hunt Flat race at Ayr on Scottish Grand National day.
Bright November looks set to complete a hat-trick in the Igroup Children Are Our Future Novices' Chase. He made all in a handicap at Hereford last month and front-running tactics paid off again last time out on this track, where he took a novice event by no less than 19 lengths.
Though Red Blazer might have beaten him but for falling at the final fence, that opponent was receiving 5lb. Bright November faces nothing of his calibre today and should be hard to catch.
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