Five to look out for at the weekend: Pick this Prize at 6-1

Unowhatimeanharry – 2.50 Aintree (Saturday):

Three-time Grade One-winning stayer Unowhatimeanharry is relatively lightly-raced for a nine-year-old and there is every chance Harry Fry’s stable star can emulate last season’s heroics if staying sound.

He is a horse that needs some space between his races and he produced an almighty effort to narrowly reverse Stayers’ Hurdle form with Nichols Canyon in the Punchestown equivalent.

He bolted up on seasonal return 12 months ago and if he is in that sort of form again then he will take some stopping with conditions likely to be no worse that soft come the day.

Charbel, who fell when half a length up on Altior in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, could take some stopping off a mark of 149 over the smaller obstacles in the Unibet Elite Hurdle.

He will do well, however, to concede 15lb to London Prize, who posted a career-best effort on the Flat when second (five lengths clear of the third) to handicap ‘good thing’ Withhold in last month’s Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket.

His Flat rating surged up to 102 on the back of that crackerjack effort, making him of major interest back over hurdles off 134.

The son of Teofilo is well attuned to the demands of a competitive handicap hurdle, having won last season’s Imperial Cup at Sandown, and recent schooling reports from the Ian Williams yard suggest he goes into the weekend at the top of his game.

He will not mind if the ground turns soft and his shrewd stable had a winner over hurdles at Huntingdon on Sunday, so everything looks in place for a big run despite the competitive nature of this £60,000 contest. Betfair and Paddy Power offer 6-1.

Southfield Theatre – 3.35 Wincanton (Saturday):

Southfield Theatre would have gone very close to winning the Badger Ales Trophy 12 months ago had he not capsized at the last when half a length up on eventual winner Gentleman Jon, and Paul Nicholls’ talented chaser is handicapped to go very well once again off just a 3lb higher mark.

He has not been seen since disappointing at Cheltenham the following month, which is an obvious concern, but he has a decent record fresh, he has got a really good record at this track (three wins from five starts) and his trainer will surely have him cherry ripe for this return. BetVictor quote him at a standout 14-1.

Countister – 1.50 Sandown (Sunday):

Nicky Henderson won this maiden hurdle with Khezerabad last year and although that horse did not go on to be as good as he looked likely initially, the master of Seven Barrows has probably had his sights set on this contest with one of his better youngsters once again and French recruit Countister could be anything.

This five-year-old mare was only beaten a neck in a Grade One bumper at Saint-Cloud last September and she made the most of the drop in to Grade Two company to win both subsequent starts, including when a very easy winner at Maisons-Lafitte when last seen. She looks another potentially top-class recruit to hurdles for JP McManus.

Might Bite – 2.20 Sandown (Sunday):

All eyes will be on the hugely talented Might Bite if he takes up his entry in the 188bet Future Stars Intermediate Chase at Sandown, a race won by Coneygree in his Gold Cup-winning season of 2015.

Whether Might Bite can go on to replicate Coneygree’s exploits remains to be seen but last season’s RSA Chase winner has immense potential and this contest over three miles has long been on the agenda. Nicky Henderson is preparing the eight-year-old for his big early season target, the 32Red King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, for which he is the general 7-2 favourite.

If the ground turns testing then his participation could be in doubt (never won on worse than good to soft) and, although connections report him to be bang on schedule, punters need no reminding that he was turned over at 1-2 on his first run last season.