Twist Magic is one of the hottest favourites at this year’s Cheltenham Festival  - 7/4 with Boylesports for the Queen Mother Champion Chase - and he’s an even shorter price for this Saturday's Victor Chandler Chase at Sandown, for which the sponsors go a best-priced 8/13.

This is the first year that the Victor Chandler will be run as a Grade 1 non-handicap and, although it has arguably gained prestige as a result, it has also lost much of it’s competitiveness - Twist Magic would be giving lumps of weight away if it were a handicap. Still, his appearance is a real treat for racing fans and, if he is at his best, Paul Nicholls’ six-year-old only needs to put in a clear round of jumping to collect the prize. Having said that, the suspicion remains that he is better on a sound surface going left-handed.

Finding a serious form rival isn’t easy, however. His closest rival in the ratings is Tamarinbleu, but judging by his price of 74 on Betfair at the time of writing he‘s unlikely to run. Hoo La Baloo, a stablemate of the favourite, deserves his place in the race after running well in the Tingle Creek - Ladbrokes go 16/1. He won’t mind the forecast soft ground either, but the main challenge to the favourite is likely to come from Ireland in the shape of Arthur Moore’s progressive Mansony.

This former classy hurdler has looked a natural over fences, forging himself a 50 per cent strike rate over the larger obstacles against some of the best chasers in Ireland. He signed off last season on a real high when grinding out a sixth win over fences at the Punchestown Festival in April. On his return to action last month, he got left behind by an awesome The Listener in the John Durkan Chase, but he would have needed that run.  On his next (and latest) start, he travelled much better when beating Nickname, with Schindler’s Hunt (who re-opposes on Saturday) back in third, in another decent chase at Leopardstown over Christmas - arguably, a career best effort.

Listening to what his trainer had to say after that race, it was clear that connections have had this race in mind for some time and, unlike the favourite, he is said to be better going right-handed. At 4/1 with Totesport, he should at least give the favourite a race and at the same time throw his hat into the ring for the Champion Chase, for which he is a best-priced 14/1 with Paddy Power.

Recommended Bets:

Mansony 2pt @ 4/1 Totesport
Twist Magic to beat Mansony 1pt straight forecast