GOOD TO BE OUT IN THE COLD AGAIN

Robert Cooper Sky Sports Racing’s roving reporter has his winter coat on and is armed with his jumpers to follow list

The joy of seeing jumpers sloshing through the mud defies all the logic that keeps us groaning incessantly about the whims of our weather. Every morning without fail before I embark on the day's key tasks, specifically 'Wordle' and/ or 'Nerdle', I also take a peek at my weather app to see what lies in store.

Will it be a waterproof trouser day at Wolverhampton? Will the biting northerly gnaw through my thermals at Chepstow? I'm on a bit of a high after watching Luke Harvey get drenched at Chepstow's jumps season curtain raiser meeting last month. It was a dismal day weather-wise but goodness it was great to some of the top yards unleashing some potential stars.

It's early days with some November feasts awaiting us; the Paddy Power Gold Cup (November 18) and the Betfair Chase (November 25) provide just two highlights, and BRAVEMANSGAME is a possible for Haydock's showpiece unless the ground becomes bottomless, but there are alternatives; we could see Paul Nicholls' star chaser earlier in the month either in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby (November 4) or Down Royal's Champion Chase the same day. The King George on Boxing Day will again be his prime mid-season target before he has another crack at the Gold Cup in March. It's a shame neither GALOPIN DES CHAMPS and BRAVEMANSGAME couldn't conjure heroics up a repeat their Cheltenham at Punchestown but possibly that is underestimating FASTORSLOW, winner of their Gold Cup. Martin Brassil's chaser had previously gone down by a neck to the subsequent Grand National winner CORACH RAMBLER, so it was no fluke and he'd be likely contender for the Savills at Leopardstown over Christmas.