However, a novice chase career was shelved before he had even jumped a fence in public and in two runs over hurdles this season he has failed to pull up any trees.

“I hope he’ll run all right,” said McCoy in The Independent.

“He has had problems all winter, and I’m kind of wondering if maybe the flat track will suit him.

“He did run very well at Cheltenham and I had been hoping that he would go on from there the way Menorah and Oscar Whisky have. You would certainly fancy either of them in this race, off 150, on what they have done since.

“But perhaps the other horses have just made a lot of improvement. They can do, sometimes. Just look at Grands Crus, he started off rated 126 and is now up to 169.”

Nicky Henderson has three big chances with all the money in recent days for his French import Solix, despite carrying top weight.

However, Henderson believes it will take a special performance to win on his British debut.

“He’s a lovely horse.” said the Seven Barrows handler.

“But to win a race like that under top weight on his first run here would seem pretty unlikely.

“If it were just between Solix, Soldatino and Eradicate, I’m not sure I’d want to throw my hat at any of them. And that’s without the other 21 to worry about.”