Hansard will tune-up for a tilt at the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle by running on the Flat at Nottingham on Wednesday.

Owned by Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates, the five-year-old won his first two starts for trainer Gary Moore in taking fashion last term before leaving a disappointment in Kempton’s Dovecote Hurdle behind when a commendable fourth in an Aintree Grade One in the spring.

He now returns on the level over 14 furlongs at Colwick Park with Tom Queally taking the ride in the Racing TV Club Novice Stakes.

It is a contest his handler sees as the perfect spot to clear the lungs ahead of Cheltenham action on November 19 and a race for which he is currently 12-1 with the sponsors.

“He’s a nice horse and it is kind of a prep run before he runs in the Greatwood Hurdle – that’s the plan,” said Moore.

“I always think it’s a good thing to sharpen them up on the Flat if you can do. I think it always bodes well and is something I’ve done before and also seen other people do it. He doesn’t have to have a hard race and doesn’t have eight flights of hurdles to jump, so you have less chance of injury and also I think it is a good way forward for the horse.

“Hopefully he is quite a nice horse and one we can look forward to.”

The John Durkan Memorial Chase is shaping up to be a race to savour with Martin Brassil adding Punchestown Gold Cup winner Fastorslow to the list of names that could reappear in the all-star contest.

Willie Mullins has already stated his intention to start Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs in the race he claimed in emphatic style 12 months ago, but lying in wait will be the only horse to lower his colours during a fine 2022-23 campaign.

Fastorslow had both the Closutton star and Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame behind him when striking at Grade One level for the first time in the spring and it is fitting that the seven-year-old – who is as short as 8-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup next March – returns to the scene of his finest hour for his reappearance.

“He’s about four weeks (away) and we hope to run him on November 26 at Punchestown,” said Brassil.

“He’s done very well (over the summer), he’s good and healthy and well and all seems good with him. It’s nice to have a horse of his calibre.”

On the prospect of meeting Galopin Des Champs again, he added: “I would say the second and third had a hard race at Cheltenham and they are going to be fresher horses starting the season out again.”

Fastorslow was beaten a neck by Grand National hero Corach Rambler at the Cheltenham Festival earlier in the year but is likely to have Gold Cup aspirations when he returns to Prestbury Park next March.

His route to the blue riband is still to be inked in, but Leopardstown’s Savills Chase at Christmas appears the next stepping stone following his Punchestown comeback.

Brassil continued: “It would probably be on to Leopardstown at Christmas and then we will decide after that if he’s going to have another run before Cheltenham. You will have an idea of where you are going then.

“We hope he has a big year ahead of him, if he can maintain what he did there (in the Punchestown Gold Cup) or even progress from it, then he’s going to be running in those type of races.”

Last year’s winner Bravemansgame is one of eight entries for the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on Saturday.

The eight-year-old provided trainer Paul Nicholls with his fifth victory in the West Yorkshire highlight last season before going on to lift the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

He subsequently finished second to Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup before rounding off his campaign with a third-placed finish in the Punchestown Gold Cup.

With a defence of his King George crown nominated as his primary objective, Bravemansgame could again make his comeback at Wetherby on Saturday, although his participation is likely to be ground dependent.

Nicholls has also entered Pic D’Orhy, last seen winning the Grade One Melling Chase at Aintree.

Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senor disappointed in last year’s Charlie Hall, but has the option of contesting the Grade Two feature again, while he has also been entered in the bet365 Hurdle on the same card.

The sole Irish contender is Gentlemansgame, trained by Mouse Morris. Aye Right (Harriet Graham), Dashel Drasher (Jeremy Scott) and Dan Skelton’s pair of Midnight River and Sail Away are the other contenders.

With significant rain forecast for the coming days, Wetherby’s clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson expects conditions to be testing for the track’s two-day fixture.

He said: “We had six millimetres of rain overnight and I’d say ground is probably slightly nearer soft than good to soft.

“The weather forecast is mixed, to say the least. They’re saying we might get 5mm overnight tonight, 4mm overnight tomorrow night and then this storm is brewing.

“From Thursday into Friday it looks like being a wet 24 to 30 hours, so we’ll see what happens. At the moment they’re saying something between 15mm and 20mm of rain through that period.

“The track will take that, I would hope. Our issue is when we get heavy rain in a short period of time, the dykes lift up and you get water pooling on the track, as opposed to the track being waterlogged.

“I don’t think 20mm will cause that, it would be more like 40mm or 50mm. There’s nothing in the forecast at the moment that would give us concern, but if we get what’s on the horizon, the chances are we’re going to be soft ground Friday/Saturday.”

Bill Baxter is reported in “A1” condition ahead of a proposed return to action in the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle on November 5.

The seven-year-old was last seen prevailing in the Topham at Aintree, which made it four wins from five outings since a wind operation, and the long-term plan is to go for Grand National glory over the same fences in April.

Bill Baxter is also entered in the Each Way Extra At bet365 Handicap Chase at Wetherby on Friday, but Carlisle appears to be the preferred option.

“He’s done everything well, he’s summered well,” said trainer Warren Greatrex. “He’s back in and he’s been all good. I think he’s probably improved a little bit from last season, which he has to, but he seems A1.

“The main plan is to go to Carlisle, that will be his start-off point. We’ll aim him there, it’s a nice place to start off again, and then he does have an entry for the Hennessy (Coral Gold Cup).

“We’ll look at that, we’ll see how Carlisle goes and go from there, but I couldn’t be happier with him.”

Tackling Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup over three miles and two furlongs would represent a significant step up in trip compared to Bill Baxter’s successful exploits during a first campaign over fences.

However, he was second at Catterick over a distance only slightly shorter during his hurdling days the previous campaign.

Greatrex added: “It will hold him in good stead that we didn’t really over-race him, especially over that trip – there’ll be plenty in the tank and he will definitely get the trip.”

With regards the ultimate aim of mounting a Grand National challenge, Greatrex is determined to dream big.

“That is the plan, I would love to go to the Grand National,” declared the trainer. “That would be the main aim so we are working backwards from there.”

The Colin Parker has drawn an initial seven-strong entry, with The Real Whacker, winner of last season’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, the headline act.

Champion jockey William Buick is to become an ambassador for Autism in Racing.

Buick, who landed the final Group One of the season at Doncaster on Saturday on Ancient Wisdom, recently highlighted that his son, Thomas, is autistic.

When approached by Autism in Racing founder Bobby Beevers regarding getting involved, he was delighted to accept the role.

Buick said: “I’m delighted to be an ambassador for Autism in Racing. It is something which is very personal to me and my family and it is very close to my heart.

“I am naturally very supportive of what Autism in Racing is doing across our courses with autism-friendly racedays. They are raising autism awareness across the industry which is brilliant.”

Beevers said: “We are deeply honoured to welcome William as an ambassador and have assured him that this will in no way interfere with his riding commitments. His agreement will provide a tremendous fillip to all those involved.”

Via Sistina is bound for the December Mare Sale at Tattersalls following her fantastic effort in defeat in the Qipco Champion Stakes.

A Group One winner in the Pretty Polly in Ireland earlier in the year, George Boughey’s stable star came very close to doubling her top-level tally when beaten a nose by Mqse De Sevigne in the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville in August.

Connections considered a return to France for the Prix de l’Opera on Arc weekend, but decided to sit tight for Qipco Champions Day and were very nearly rewarded in the grandest manner, with Via Sistina looking the likely winner before being mowed down by King Of Steel under an inspired Frankie Dettori.

With the winning margin just three-quarters of a length, and Via Sistina’s rider Oisin Murphy dropping his whip with over a furlong still to race, there is a sense of what might have been, but Boughey is nevertheless proud of his filly’s achievements this term.

“She’s been a star for us this year, not finishing out of the first three in four Group Ones,” he said.

“She was very impressive in the Dahlia, she arguably could have won the France in France, having been the winner of the Pretty Polly, and the target behind closed doors all year was the Champion Stakes.

“The way things fell this year the ground was always likely to be softer at Ascot than it was at Longchamp, luckily we got that rain and she’s obviously very good on that very soft ground.

“It was gutting to get beaten, but we’re very proud of her. We’ll never know what would have happened (if Murphy had not dropped his whip), we both wondered whether it might have made a difference, but these things happen, we move on and we’ve got to try to find the next one.”

The five-year-old will now go through the sales ring, but Boughey believes she is more than capable of racing on next year and would be thrilled if a new owner was to keep her in his care.

He added: “She’s got her date at the mares’ sale and I think she goes there as certainly the highest-rated filly in training, a filly who very nearly won the Champion Stakes and arguably should have won the Champion Stakes.

“She’s a huge racing prospect as well as a breeding prospect. I see no reason why she couldn’t race on next year – looking at her in the yard this morning, she looks physically better than ever and you could very easily go on and work back from the Champion Stakes next year, if she was to remain in training for a new owner.”

Willie Mullins considers the Arkle Trophy as the logical long-term target for Facile Vega, who will be part of a formidable team of novice chasers for the champion trainer this season.

A son of the mighty racemare Quevega, the six-year-old carried all before him as a bumper horse, winning each of his four starts including Grade One wins at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

He made an excellent start to his hurdling career last season, winning on his debut at Fairyhouse before striking at the top level at Leopardstown over Christmas, but a disappointing run at the Dublin Racing Festival meant he returned to Cheltenham in March with something to prove.

Facile Vega had to make do with the runner-up spot behind Marine Nationale in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but did end his campaign on a high when winning another Grade One at Punchestown and Mullins believes we may still not have seen the best of a horse who is clearly held in the highest regard.

“He probably didn’t do everything I expected last year, some things just didn’t go right for him during the season,” said the Closutton handler.

“I’m very happy with him coming back this season, he looked in particular good shape on the gallops on Wednesday morning I thought.

“He will start off over fences, the way he gallops and jumps I imagine he will be over the shortest trip and he looks an Arkle horse, but there is plenty of stamina in his pedigree if he has to go out in trip.

“I’ll be looking to start him off maybe next month then head to Leopardstown at Christmas, hopefully back there for the Dublin Racing Festival and then March.”

Another novice chase prospect Mullins is particularly excited about is Mister Policeman, a French recruit who won a small-field conditions hurdle at Cork on his only start in Ireland to date.

Mullins added: “Mister Policeman does fantastic work at home. He won his race well at Cork but I thought on his homework he would do it a lot better.

“He’s a horse I think has huge ability and will go novice chasing. He can always go back hurdling if things don’t work out but he jumps well.

“I think he will improve a lot on what you saw that day at Cork.”

Klassical Dream, a seven-time Grade One winner over hurdles, is set to belatedly embark on a career over the larger obstacles this term.

Sharjah has won six Grade Ones, a Galway Hurdle and finished second in two Champion Hurdles. He is already two from two over fences this year.

“I’m very happy with Sharjah and the obvious target is the Drinmore at Fairyhouse, but he’s had a hard summer – I don’t think he’s had a break,” Mullins continued.

“I’m toying with the idea of maybe giving him a break and keeping him for Christmas and the spring. I’ve got to make up my mind, I imagine he’ll get an entry in the Drinmore.”

Last season’s Champion Bumper runner-up Fact To File is an interesting recruit to fences, having not yet even run over hurdles.

Mullins memorably sent the popular Florida Pearl straight over fences from the bumper sphere and is keen to do the same with this JP McManus-owned six-year-old.

He said: “We sort of had a choice last term whether to stay bumpering or go novice hurdling and I elected to go bumpering with him. We thought if we did stay bumpering, then we would go novice chasing this year and cut out the hurdles because he looks like a chaser.

“He’s a beautiful horse, he’s got a temperament and he’s got everything. He’s a horse I think we will see at the top end of the novice chasing scene.

“I felt it was worth going down the bumper route with him and he was just beat at Cheltenham by A Dream To Share, so that was good enough. I think with the size and scope of the horse I want to go off chasing with him.”

Gaelic Warrior, second to esteemed stablemate Impaire Et Passe at Cheltenham before going one better in a Grade One novice hurdle at Punchestown, will also be on the novice chasing team, with Mullins identifying the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham as a potential goal.

Willie Mullins considers the Arkle Trophy as the logical long-term target for Facile Vega, who will be part of a formidable team of novice chasers for the champion trainer this season.

A son of the mighty racemare Quevega, the six-year-old carried all before him as a bumper horse, winning each of his four starts including Grade One wins at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

He made an excellent start to his hurdling career last season, winning on his debut at Fairyhouse before striking at the top level at Leopardstown over Christmas, but a disappointing run at the Dublin Racing Festival meant he returned to Cheltenham in March with something to prove.

Facile Vega had to make do with the runner-up spot behind Marine Nationale in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but did end his campaign on a high when winning another Grade One at Punchestown and Mullins believes we may still not have seen the best of a horse who is clearly held in the highest regard.

“He probably didn’t do everything I expected last year, some things just didn’t go right for him during the season,” said the Closutton handler.

“I’m very happy with him coming back this season, he looked in particular good shape on the gallops on Wednesday morning I thought.

“He will start off over fences, the way he gallops and jumps I imagine he will be over the shortest trip and he looks an Arkle horse, but there is plenty of stamina in his pedigree if he has to go out in trip.

“I’ll be looking to start him off maybe next month then head to Leopardstown at Christmas, hopefully back there for the Dublin Racing Festival and then March.”

Another novice chase prospect Mullins is particularly excited about is Mister Policeman, a French recruit who won a small-field conditions hurdle at Cork on his only start in Ireland to date.

Mullins added: “Mister Policeman does fantastic work at home. He won his race well at Cork but I thought on his homework he would do it a lot better.

“He’s a horse I think has huge ability and will go novice chasing. He can always go back hurdling if things don’t work out but he jumps well.

“I think he will improve a lot on what you saw that day at Cork.”

Klassical Dream, a seven-time Grade One winner over hurdles, is set to belatedly embark on a career over the larger obstacles this term.

Sharjah has won six Grade Ones, a Galway Hurdle and finished second in two Champion Hurdles. He is already two from two over fences this year.

“I’m very happy with Sharjah and the obvious target is the Drinmore at Fairyhouse, but he’s had a hard summer – I don’t think he’s had a break,” Mullins continued.

“I’m toying with the idea of maybe giving him a break and keeping him for Christmas and the spring. I’ve got to make up my mind, I imagine he’ll get an entry in the Drinmore.”

Last season’s Champion Bumper runner-up Fact To File is an interesting recruit to fences, having not yet even run over hurdles.

Mullins memorably sent the popular Florida Pearl straight over fences from the bumper sphere and is keen to do the same with this JP McManus-owned six-year-old.

He said: “We sort of had a choice last term whether to stay bumpering or go novice hurdling and I elected to go bumpering with him. We thought if we did stay bumpering, then we would go novice chasing this year and cut out the hurdles because he looks like a chaser.

“He’s a beautiful horse, he’s got a temperament and he’s got everything. He’s a horse I think we will see at the top end of the novice chasing scene.

“I felt it was worth going down the bumper route with him and he was just beat at Cheltenham by A Dream To Share, so that was good enough. I think with the size and scope of the horse I want to go off chasing with him.”

Gaelic Warrior, second to esteemed stablemate Impaire Et Passe at Cheltenham before going one better in a Grade One novice hurdle at Punchestown, will also be on the novice chasing team, with Mullins identifying the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham as a potential goal.