Emma Lavelle's exciting prospect Crack Away Jack makes his first start over fences in the Mick Core 50th Birthday Beginners' Chase at Sandown.

The five-year-old took on the best in two-mile hurdle races last season and showed he was not far short of them when fourth in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Lavelle has always maintained her charge would not be seen at his best until tackling the larger obstacles and feels he is ready to roll ahead of his first chasing assignment.

"He's schooled very well at home and is very athletic, so we're looking forward to getting started with him," she said. "It's a nice race to start him off in and he does seem in really, really good order.

"A drop more rain would be great and I think there is a bit forecast, but I've spoken to the clerk of the course and they have done plenty so it should be fine.

"You expect them to improve a fair bit for their first run of the season but having said that, he is bang-on ready to go. It's a big track to jump round, but he has been very good at home, so hopefully he'll run very well."

Crack Away Jack faces just two rivals in Mister Matt and Calusa Crystal.

The trainer admits Kangaroo Court's participation in the Rising Stars Novices' Chase at Wincanton is ground-dependant.

She said: "We'll have a walk of the course and if a band of rain were to hit the track and the going starts being good to soft or soft, he wouldn't run.

"He's a very decent horse and definitely deserves a crack at a race like this. Whatever happens I would imagine the ground would have gone for him after this weekend until the spring, so it would be nice to win a race like this and then put him away for a bit."