No Drama This End and Talk To The Man head four-runner Rising Stars Chase at Aintree

No Drama This End makes his chasing debut in the Grade 2 Boodles Rising Stars Novices' Chase at Aintree this afternoon (2:25), one of the feature races moved from Wincanton after the West Country weekend was called off because of firm ground.

Six were declared for the two-and-a-half-mile contest, but Gordon Elliott's Chanceawetmorning and Mickey Bowen's Off The Jury have been taken out, leaving four runners. All four carry 11st 4lb. The going is good to soft, good in places.

Nicholls v Skelton

No Drama This End, a six-year-old grey gelding trained by Paul Nicholls, is the highest-rated runner on 144. He won the Grade 1 Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury last December and ended last season with a Listed win over three miles at Perth. Sam Twiston-Davies rides.

Owner Max McNeill told Sporting Life earlier this week that the gelding was "the most exciting horse I have ever gone chasing with".

Talk To The Man, who was with Nicholls until April, now runs for Dan Skelton. The six-year-old gelding, rated 143, is the only runner in the field with chase experience: he won a beginners' chase at Worcester on 21 October. Harry Skelton rides.

The rest of the field

Alan King's Favour And Fortune, an eight-year-old gelding rated 142, is having his first run since April and is ridden by Tom Bellamy. Ben Pauling's five-year-old Taurus Bay, rated 135, has not run since March. Ben Jones takes the ride.

The race follows the Grade 2 Molyneux Hurdle at 1:45 on a seven-race card. Over the next month, novice chasers can look to Sandown's Esher Novices' Chase and Kempton's Kauto Star Novices' Chase, both mentioned as possible targets for No Drama This End. See the calendar for upcoming big meetings.