The 10-year-old was a high-class hurdler when trained by Paul Nicholls and he developed into a useful chaser, winning the 2003 Aon Chase at Newbury.

Graham Wylie bought the Step Together gelding later that year but he failed to show much in five outings for Wylie and trainer Howard Johnson, pulling up on his last run at the Cheltenham Festival.

Gurney stepped in to buy Valley Henry over the summer and he is hoping the change of scenery combined with treatment for a back problem will reinvigorate his acquisition.

“I’ve known Howard years and years and we bought Valley Henry after the Cheltenham Festival in March. We specialise in point-to-pointing and hunter chases but we’ve taken out a permit this year,” he said.

“The plan is to run him on Sunday as long as it doesn’t bucket down. He’s very well and seems to have loved being one of only eight horses in the yard.

“We’ve had the backman have a look at him and there was a small problem but that seems to have come good now and he’s 100 per cent.

“He couldn’t have done any more at home and I think he deserves to be in the line-up on Sunday.

“He was only a length and a half behind Seebald at Aintree last year giving him 4lb but he will be getting 11lb from that horse this time so it should be interesting.

“Robert Lucey-Butler has been doing all his schooling and he gets on so well with him. He’ll be riding on Sunday and with his 7lb claim, Valley Henry will hardly know he has a jockey on his back.”

Gurney, who also runs a rock and pop memorabilia auction company, is set to have his first runner as a permit holder when another ex-Nicholls inmate, Galapiat Du Mesnil, runs in the Rex Carter Memorial Handicap Chase at Fakenham on Friday.

“Valley Henry is the best horse we’ve had and he’s been working with Galapiat du Mesnil, who also used to be with Paul Nicholls and the two seem to be working very well.”