The fact that Gordon Elliott has decided to declare both Down Memory Land and Touch Me Not has added much more interest to this Grade 1 Novices’ Chase.

Throw in L’Eau du Sud, who has been nothing but spectacular in his two chase starts, and we are in for one of the races of the weekend.

Here, I will give you the rundown of all five runners and the one who may be about to book their ticket to the Cheltenham Festival.

As well as my runner-by-runner betting guide, you can get all the best online horse racing bookmakers to make your next bet a winning one.

Grade 1 Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase runner by runner betting guide

Now it’s time to take a in-depth look into runners of the Grade 1 Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase and the best horse racing bookmakers to help you make a winning bet.

2 L’Eau du Sud

• Age: 6
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 225-11
• Rating: 151
• Jockey: Harry Skelton
• Trainer: Dan Skelton
• Odds: 1/1

L’Eau du Sud, a high-level hurdler in his own right, finished second in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and has now surpassed everyone’s expectations over fences.

After a spectacular chase debut win, with an equally spectacular mistake thrown in for good measure, L’Eau du Sud then mocked his rivals in the Arkle Trial at the Cheltenham November Meeting.

That performance made him a leading player in the two-mile novice chase division.

After travelling behind the leader for most of the journey at Cheltenham, he turned in for home under a motionless Harry Skelton.

They took it up before the second last and skipped clear up the Cheltenham hill to win by 11 lengths.

There is something about grey jumping fences that gets people talking, but this grey could be something special.

Has been spectacular since sent chasing
A strong traveller
Quickly on the upgrade
Goes on any ground

A mistake like his debut one would be costly here

Star rating:

Bet on L’Eau du Sud with talkSPORT BET

1 Down Memory Lane

• Age: 6
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 1/13-1
• Rating: 149
• Jockey: Mark Walsh
• Trainer: Gordon Elliott
• Odds: 11/4

Down memory lane is precisely where Down Memory Lane brought us when he cost to victory on his chase debut on the back of a 325-day layoff. It was like a mirror image of the ease with which he won on his hurdles debut last season.

The form of his chase debut win will work out well.

The second King Of Kingsfield was second to Brighterdaysahead the run before. The third Nurburgring ring has since been seen finishing third in a Grade 2 novices’ chase, with an eye of a festival handicap, and the fourth Birdie Or Bust was a massive eyecatcher and one to keep in your tracker.

Down Memory Lane led from the drop of the flag and jumped well throughout. When faced with a challenge, he picked up and went away to win with ease.

The second King Of Kingsfield doesn’t find much off the bridle, and the winning distance may flatter him, but still, it was a perfect start to life over fences.

That was his first start of over 300 days, and he is more than entitled to come forward for that run.

The only slight worry is that he has only raced four times under rules, failed to back up a spectacular hurdles debut last season, and has been out with an injury since that run until making his chase debut.

If he can show that will not be the case this time around, then he is a massive danger to L’Eau du Sud.

He has shown he can front run, but that may be left to his stable mate today.

Impressive on chase debut
Huge engine

Injury prone

Star rating:

Bet on Down Memory Lane with Sky Bet

5 Touch Me Not

• Age: 5
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 441-21
• Rating: 147
• Jockey: Jordan Gainford
• Trainer: Gordon Elliott
• Odds: 6/1

Having been a big eyecatcher on chase debut at Punchestown when just failing to get back up to beat Facile Mode, Touch Me Not made no mistake in the Grade 2 BetVictor Craddockstown Novice Chase on his latest start.

After taking up the lead after the second, Touch Me Not was not for passing.

Having wandered around on the approach to the fourth last, he got a reminder to keep his mind on the job, and from the home bend, he turned a length lead into a three-length lead on the landing side of two out.

By the time he got to the finishing line, Touch Me Not opened up a six-length lead, beating some good opposition in behind.

After his last performance, he has earned the right to have a crack at Grade 1 level, and with him being the likely pace angle, if he gets into a rhythm like he did at Punchestown, his rivals may find it hard to get past this strong, staying two-mile chaser.

Of the two Elliott runners, he would be the one that interests me the most.

Impressive last time out
Likely to be left alone in front

Takes on much better opposition here

Star rating:

Bet on Touch Me Not with Paddy Power

3 Rubaud

• Age: 6
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 456-11
• Rating: 149
• Jockey: Harry Cobden
• Trainer: Paul Nicholls
• Odds: 7/1

Having your chase debut in a Grade 1 is a massive negative for me.

I am so against it I don’t even consider a chase debutant in a Grade 1 chase as a betting proposition, and the same goes for Rubaud here.

He’s a top-level Grade 2 performing hurdler who comes in here after yet another Grade 2 win but has yet to crack it at Grade 1 level.

He needs to be a superstar to win this on chase debut, and he’s not.

High-level Grade 2 hurdler
Confidence will be sky high

Chase debut in a Grade 1
Wouldn’t want the ground to get heavy

Star rating:

Bet on Rubaud with Midnite

4 Soul Icon

• Age: 7
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 22-222
• Rating: 140
• Jockey: Gavin Sheehan
• Trainer: Keiran Burke
• Odds: 28/1

If ever there was a horse who deserves a change of luck, it’s Soul Icon.

Having been touched off by a neck in the Summer Plate and the Grade 2 Rising Stars Novices’ Chase, making it his fifth consecutive second, he takes his chance at Grade 1 level.

If his change of luck were to come here, it would be a massive shock to everyone inside and outside Sandown Park this Saturday.

Very consistent

Looks out of his depth here
Still a maiden over fences

Star rating:

Bet on Soul Icon with bet365

Grade 1 Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase verdict

Down Memory Lane and Touch Me Not add a lot more depth to this, but it’s still hard to get away from L’EAU DU SUD.

He has been nothing but spectacular in his two chase wins to date, and if he can take another step forward today, he can make it three on the bounce and cement his place as a leading player in the Arkle Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Touch Me Not may prove the best of the two Irish raiders.

• Current Betting: L’Eau du Sud 1/1, Down Memory Lane 11/4, Touch Me Not 6/1, Rubaud 7/1, Soul Icon 28/1.

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.