Hot To Trot: Kion can be king at Wolves

Jumps trainer: Paul Nicholls

Paul Nicholls had his string in terrific form before the ‘Beast of the East’ took hold, with eight winners from his last 18 runners, and the Ditcheat handler will be hoping to pick up where he left off should the action resume as normal next week. At the time of writing, Nicholls has a huge 18-strong entry on the ‘jumpers’ bumpers’ card at Kempton on Monday, with useful performers Peter The Mayo Man and Tommy Silver among those that could be in action. The former shaped as if still in top form when falling four out at Musselburgh last time, and his high cruising speed will stand him in good stead should he take up one of his three engagements here (also entered in a novice chase at Catterick on Wednesday), while Tommy Silver holds three entries at the Cheltenham Festival, and it is entirely possible that he could have a pipe-opener after two months off on the all-weather. Meanwhile, Moabit is one of those to have contributed to Nicholls' good run of late, having won a Chepstow handicap in decisive fashion late last month. He is entered again at Wincanton on Thursday and should give another good account despite a 6 lb rise in the weights.

Flat trainer: Jamie Osborne

Jamie Osborne has trained three winners from 17 runners in the last 14 days, and many of the others have acquitted themselves well in defeat, too. Indeed, it would be no surprise if the yard’s fine form translated itself into more winners in the coming days, starting with Kion at Wolverhampton on Monday. He showed a fairly useful level of form in two starts for Michael O’Callaghan in Ireland, including when second at the Curragh when last seen in August, and was bought for 35,000 guineas at Tattersalls in October. He remains with potential and should be thereabouts on his stable debut in the six-furlong novice stakes. Meanwhile, Alifax shaped well when third on his most recent outing at Kempton, travelling well and perhaps delivering his challenge a bit sooner than ideal. He is entitled to improve with that first start for five months under his belt, and is one to follow from the same mark back at Kempton on Thursday. Sea Ess Seas, on the other hand, was disappointing on his handicap debut at the same track last time, but the weight of money behind him that day suggests he is clearly thought capable of better, so he could be worth another chance at Lingfield on Wednesday.

Under the radar: Rose Dobbin

With 23 winners already on the board in 2017/18, Rose Dobbin is well on the way to the best season of her training career to date. Attention Please, Coole Hall and Final Fling have been the most prolific members of the team, with three wins apiece, and the former has the opportunity to take the lead outright at Newcastle on Tuesday. He proved better than ever when recording his latest victory at Musselburgh, going on early in the straight and keeping on strongly to score by two and a half lengths. He has a further 7 lb rise in the weights to contend with here, but remains one to keep onside in his current mood, the partnership with Ryan Day clearly blossoming this term. Finally, Boudry failed to trouble the judge in five starts for Gordon Elliott, including when well held at Thurles last time. He was not given anything like a hard time there, though, and looks sure to do better somewhere down the line, previously a fairly useful bumper performer for Warren Greatrex, after all. He is worth a market check on his stable debut, also at Newcastle on Tuesday.