Hot To Trot: Envisaging landmark prize money haul for Fanshawe

Jumps trainer - Harry Fry

Harry Fry enjoyed the best season of his short training career to date in 2015/16, recording a half-century of winners for the first time in a single campaign and doing so at an impressive strike rate of 23%. Unowhatimeanharry's victory in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival - a first at the meeting for the trainer - was the undoubted highlight and he looks a staying hurdler to follow having returned with an impressive victory in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury. He now heads for the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot next Saturday and will be attempting to continue his trainer's fine form of late. Indeed, Fry has saddled three winners and five placed horses from his last 13 runners and the Seaborough handler will be hoping to add to his tally in the days leading up to Unowhatimeanharry's eagerly anticipated appearance. Fletchers Flyer produced a smart effort when winning his most recent outing at the Punchestown Festival in April and could make his return to action in a graduation chase at Newbury on Wednesday. He is worth watching at the start of a campaign that could end with a Grand National tilt at Aintree, while Bags Groove made a promising start to his hurdling career when chasing home the exciting Jenkins at the Berkshire track last month and is one to follow on the same card.

Flat trainer - James Fanshawe

James Fanshawe has enjoyed success at the highest level with Speedy Boarding and The Tin Man this season and their exploits are in no small part responsible for the impressive prize money haul Fanshawe has amassed in 2016. He is now within £31,000 of breaking through the £1 million barrier for the calendar year and, while the prize money available on the all-weather is very rarely anything to get excited about, the trainer should have ample opportunity to reach that target before the year is out and currently has three horses entered on Wednesday's card at Kempton. Envisaging has improved with each of his three runs to date and shaped well when third on his most recent outing at Newcastle. He weakened close home having looked the likeliest winner for the majority of that contest, but is entitled to improve with that first run for three months under his belt and sets a fair standard among those to have run so far in the seven-furlong maiden. Noble Star made the most of a good opening when opening his account at Newcastle and could make his handicap debut from what looks a fair opening mark. Finally, Tegara failed to meet market expectations when third on her own handicap bow at Newcastle, but still didn't look the finished article and could be worth another chance for her in-form yard.

Under the radar - Michael Scudamore

Michael Scudamore recorded one of the biggest victories of his training career to date when winning the 2013 Welsh Grand National with Monbeg Dude and currently has three entries in the Christmas highlight at Chepstow this time round. Mysteree is shortest of that trio in the betting at a general 25/1 and - a dominant winner on debut for the yard at Haydock last month - he looks set to relish the stiff test of stamina that that race presents and would have to be of interest if sneaking in at the bottom of the weights. Mysteree's Haydock success was one of four winners from his trainers last 14 runners and the yard could hardly be in better form as the busy Christmas period approaches. Twenty Eight Guns only narrowly failed to improve that record further when a short-head second on her most recent outing at Ffos Las, going like the best horse at the weights for most of the way and producing a career-best despite being headed close home. She has a choice of engagements back at Ffos Las (Monday) and Towcester (Thursday) next week and is expected to remain competitive from 4 lb higher in the weights.