LIGHTNING can strike in the same place twice at Wetherby on Boxing Day when DOLATULO is napped to repeat his success of 12 months ago in the featured Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase.

The £40,000 centrepiece, sponsored by 188Bet, has attracted a smart field, but Dolatulo makes sizeable appeal to complete a notable double.

Trained at Lambourn by Warren Greatrex – whose horses could not be in better form – Dolatulo made a smashing reappearance at Aintree three weeks ago when finishing third to Highland Lodge over the Grand National fences in the Becher Chase.

That outing should have teed him up perfectly for this race in which he beat Cape Tribulation last season.

He is now set to race off a 7lb higher mark, but there is every chance he can shrug off that extra burden in the hands of Gavin Sheehan, who is riding out of his skin this season and who recently notched his 200th career success.

Dan Skelton, who offers a potent threat to Dolatulo with What A Good Night, a Bangor winner last month, can lift the 188bet.co.uk Handicap Hurdle with ABRICOT DE L'OASIS.

A fluent winner at Aintree over two and a half miles on his penultimate outing, the gelding has since finished a creditable third over an inadequate two miles at Wincanton.

He now steps up to almost two and three-quarter miles and is taken to return to the winning groove.

Norton trainer Malcolm Jefferson has good prospects of enjoying some Christmas cheer with both FIRTH OF THE CLYDE and RENOYR, mounts of Brian Hughes.

Firth Of The Clyde is fitted with blinkers for the first time in the Asian Handicaps At 188bet Handicap Chase.

A respectable runner-up at Kelso last time, he is a previous winner on this course and has every chance of obliging again if the headgear brings about the desired effect.

Renoyr goes for the Free Bets At 188bet Handicap Hurdle.

A winner at Market Rasen recently on only his third start since returning from a lengthy absence, Renoyr still has scope for further improvement. He is fancied to defy a 7lb higher mark.

Irish eyes are expected to be smiling at Kempton where the two showpiece races are fancied to be won by runners from across the water.

DON COSSACK promises to be hard to beat in the King George V1 Chase. Trained by Gordon Elliott, the gelding is three-from-three this season and his latest success was an easy success in the Grade 1 Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Last term, Don Cossack's high spots included a runaway win from Cue Card in the Grade 1 Melling Chase at Aintree in April.

Cue Card, given a breathing operation since, looks a different horse this season, but he still has plenty on his plate if he is to turn the tables on Don Cossack, with Bryan Cooper in the saddle.

Vautour represents fellow Irish trainer Willie Mullins, but the worry about last season's impressive JLT Chase winner at Cheltenham is whether he will be as effective going right-handed.

He certainly looked ill-at-ease racing in a clockwise direction when winning at Ascot last season and still has something to prove to underline his versatility. He may find Don Cossack too strong.

Mullins, however, can win the £100,000 williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle with FAUGHEEN, triumphant in the same race last year.

Sensational last season when he included the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham to his impressive record of ten straight wins, Faugheen suffered the first defeat of his career on his reappearance at Punchestown last month when he was beaten into second place by stablemate Nicols Canyon.

It might well be that Faugheen needed that outing more than was expected.

He is selected to bounce back to his best here, in which case, his rivals, including The New One, have a stiff challenge on their hands.

ALTIOR, winner of a Grade 2 race at Cheltenham last time out, promises to be hard to beat for Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville in the opening William Hill On Your Mobile Novices' Hurdle, while Neil Mulholland has a fine chance of striking it rich with SOUTHFIELD ROYALE in the £70,000 Kauto Star Novices' Chase.

A smart hurdler last season, Southfield Royale has since developed into a high-class young chaser.

He won by 13 lengths at Doncaster last time and by 20 lengths on his penultimate start at Wetherby. The five-year-old is fancied to complete his hat-trick away from Yorkshire.