Mart Lane set for Sky Bet Chase @DoncaseterRaces @Skybet

The Paul Nicholls-trained pair of Unioniste (11st 12lb, 14/1 with Sky Bet) and The Minack (11st 11lb, 20/1) head the weights for the £75,000 Listed Sky Bet Chase over three miles at Doncaster on Saturday, January 25.

Nicholls is also responsible for improving novice Sam Winner (11st 6lb), who is the 12/1 favourite with Sky Bet, course scorer Harry The Viking (10st 2lb, 20/1), who is part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, French import Mon Parrain (11st 4lb, 25/1) and Pacha Du Polder (11st 7lb, 33/1).

Grade One-winning hurdler Walkon (11st 10lb, 20/1), one of three entries for Alan King, is also near the top of weights along with Grand National third Teaforthree (11st 10lb, 20/1) and Roberto Goldback (11st 9lb, 33/1).

Dr Richard Newland is likely to be represented by Mart Lane (11st 1lb, 16/1), who scored decisively by seven lengths over the course and distance on December 29. The nine-year-old had previously chased home Keith Reveley's Night In Milan (10st 11lb, 16/1) and De Boitron (11st 4lb, 33/1) in another course and distance event on December 14.

Newland's other entry is Night Alliance (10st 7lb, 16/1), who has won three of his last four starts, including a valuable contest at Haydock Park by 11 lengths on December 21.

Newland reported: "It will depend on the ground, but I would say Mart Lane is a probable runner in the Sky Bet Chase.

"He has come out of his win there very well and is in good order. It was a decent run last time and definitely an improved performance I thought.

"I put the blinkers on because I thought he was keeping a little bit back for himself and they seem to have proved that was the case.

"Night Alliance is also improving and will probably run in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock on Saturday (January 18). He won there last time and it looks like the obvious place to go, but he is a bit out of the handicap."

Hadrian's Approach (11st 5lb, 14/1) headlines four Sky Bet Chase entries for champion trainer Nicky Henderson following a narrow victory over Super Duty (11st 4lb, 16/1) in a graduation chase at Newbury on December 18. The Lambourn handler could also run Roberto Goldback, Ma Filleule (11st 2lb, 25/1) and Giorgio Quercus (10st 8lb, 20/1).

Donald McCain's three entries are dual Kelso scorer Kruzhlinin (11st 3lb, 16/1), Super Duty and Our Mick (10st 13lb, 20/1) while Emma Lavelle could saddle the Nick Mustoe-owned pair of Gullinbursti (11st 3lb, 20/1) and Court By Surprise (10st 7lb, 16/1).

Other notables include Chepstow runner-up The Druids Nephew (10st 8lb, 16/1), Grade One-winning novice Annacotty (11st 3lb, 20/1) and Paddy Power Gold Cup fourth Attaglance (10st 10lb, 20/1).

Michael Shinners, Racing PR Manager Sky Bet, said: "The Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster is always a hugely-competitive contest and this year is certainly no different with 48 of the 50 entries set to race from in the handicap proper.

"It will be fascinating to see what the big guns aim at the race and the picture should become clearer when the five-day confirmations are made on January 20.

"Sky Bet has a longstanding relationship with Doncaster and once again will sponsor races on both days of the Sky Bet Chase Meeting, Friday and Saturday, January 24 and 25."

Sky Bet Chase, Sky Bet: 12/1 Sam Winner, 14/1 Hadrian's Approach, Unioniste, 16/1 The Druids Nephew, Kruzhlinin, Court By Surprise, Night Alliance, Night In Milan, Mart Lane, Super Duty, Vintage Star, 20/1 Harry The Viking, Baile Anrai, Annacotty, The Minack, Walkon, Time For Rupert, Gullinbursti, Teaforthree, Our Mick, Attaglance, Muldoon's Picnic, Quartz de Thaix, Loch Ba, Storm Survivor, Giorgio Quercus, 25/1 Ma Filleule, Niceonefrankie, Midnight Appeal, Zaru, Mon Parrain, Tullamore Dew, Fruity O'Rooney, Big Fella Thanks, 33/1 Kumbeshwar, De Boitron, According To Trev, Lost Glory, Roberto Goldback, The Rainbow Hunter, Noble Legend, Solix, Native Gallery, Wiesentraum, Pacha du Polder, Faultless Feelings, Trustan Times, Auroras Encore, 40/1 Relax, Major Malarkey

About Sky Bet

Sky Bet is the sports betting division of Sky Betting and Gaming, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Sky Broadcasting Group plc. (Sky). One of the country's leading betting and gaming companies, Sky Bet is based in Leeds, West Yorkshire and fully licensed and regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC). Sky Bet offers an online sports betting service www.skybet.com and a mobile platform. The Sky Bet app is free to download from the iTunes App store. Customers can also bet through their TV or by telephone.

The Sky Bet Chase

Class 1, Listed Race, £75,000 Total Prize Fund. 3.15pm, Doncaster, Saturday, January 25, 2014. For five-year-olds and upwards, three miles. Penalties: after January 12, a winner of a chase 5lb. Entries closed January 7, entries revealed January 8 (50 entries), weights revealed January 15, five-day confirmation stage January 20, final declaration stage 10.00am, January 23.

Form    Horse       Age/Wt  Owner        Trainer

114-310  UNIONISTE (FR)    6-11-12  John Hales       Paul Nicholls

13P/11F/-  THE MINACK (IRE)    10-11-11  Graham Roach      Paul Nicholls

06203-0  TEAFORTHREE (IRE)   10-11-10  Conyers, O'Reilly, Roddis, Zeffman  Rebecca Curtis

22P52-U  WALKON (FR)     9-11-10  McNeill Family      Alan King

355U-40  ROBERTO GOLDBACK (IRE)  12-11-09  Simon Munir       Nicky Henderson

12U5-00  BIG FELLA THANKS    12-11-08  Crossed Fingers Partnership   Tom George

P2P10-6  PACHA DU POLDER (FR)  7-11-07  The Stewart & Wylie Families   Paul Nicholls

5(1)03-31  SAM WINNER (FR)    7-11-06  Angela Yeoman     Paul Nicholls

5F51P-5  AURORAS ENCORE (IRE)  12-11-05 Douglas Pryde,Jim Beaumont & D P van der Hoeven  Sue Smith

235-2U1  HADRIAN'S APPROACH (IRE) 7-11-05  Richard & Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes Nicky Henderson

12/034/-P  MON PARRAIN (FR)    8-11-04  John & Barbara Cotton    Paul Nicholls

1224-P2  SUPER DUTY (IRE)    8-11-04  Brannon, Dick, Hernon & Holden Donald McCain

5-126120  DE BOITRON (FR)    10-11-04  Mrs J Morgan & Lindsey Shaw   Sue Smith

551621   ANNACOTTY (IRE)    6-11-03  Mrs Peter Prowting     Martin Keighley

52F-153  GULLINBURSTI (IRE)   8-11-03  Nick Mustoe       Emma Lavelle

P2-4411  KRUZHLININ (GER)    7-11-03  Paul & Clare Rooney     Donald McCain

102-3P1  MA FILLEULE (FR)    6-11-02  Simon Munir       Nicky Henderson

5145/4-4  TIME FOR RUPERT (IRE)  10-11-02 Littlecote Racing Partnership   Paul Webber

5F-0403  KUMBESHWAR    7-11-02  McNeill Family & Nigel Bunter   Alan King

F0P-5P2  QUARTZ DE THAIX (FR)  10-11-01  ROA Arkle Partnership    Venetia Williams

1-01631  MART LANE (IRE)    9-11-01  Jim Stewart       Dr Richard Newland

12P-126  VINTAGE STAR (IRE)    8-11-00  Trevor Hemmings     Sue Smith

3/U2P-P3  OUR MICK      8-10-13  K & Mrs E Benson     Donald McCain

352-515  NICEONEFRANKIE    8-10-13  Old Carthusian Racing Society  Venetia Williams

1P-130P  LOST GLORY (NZ)    9-10-12  J P McManus      Jonjo O'Neill

421-010  MIDNIGHT APPEAL    9-10-12  David Sewell       Alan King

F1-2301  NIGHT IN MILAN (IRE)   8-10-11  Richard Collins      Keith Reveley

2521-65  FRUITY O'ROONEY    11-10-10  Heart of the South Racing   Gary Moore

132-403  TRUSTAN TIMES (IRE)  8-10-10  Mrs M E & Peter Armitage   Tim Easterby

30-P240  ATTAGLANCE     8-10-10  H Young, G Eifert, R Snyder   Malcolm Jefferson

P4UP-26  THE RAINBOW HUNTER  10-10-09  May We Never Be Found Out Partnership Kim Bailey

0/32-1113  MULDOON'S PICNIC (IRE)  8-10-09  Clive Washbourn     Kim Bailey

50U-031  GIORGIO QUERCUS (FR)  9-10-08  Seasons Holidays     Nicky Henderson

166-4F2  THE DRUIDS NEPHEW (IRE)  7-10-08  The Stonehenge Druids    Andy Turnell

311-0P1P  NOBLE LEGEND    7-10-07  P Dixon Smith      Caroline Bailey

6311F1  NIGHT ALLIANCE (IRE)  9-10-07  Dr Richard Newland     Dr Richard Newland

1P0-332 COURT BY SURPRISE (IRE)  9-10-07  Nick Mustoe       Emma Lavelle

6-1133F  ACCORDING TO TREV (IRE)  8-10-06  Fred Mills & Wayne Mills   Nigel Twiston-Davies

3313F6  STORM SURVIVOR (IRE)  8-10-05  J P McManus      Jonjo O'Neill

12PP-P15  RELAX (FR)      9-10-05  The Bellamy Partnership   Venetia Williams

0F-0465  SOLIX (FR)      8-10-04  Paul Vogt       Ian Williams

103-0403  NATIVE GALLERY (IRE)  9-10-04  William Tyrer      Ben De Haan

2-5101P  WIESENTRAUM (GER)  8-10-03  G Pascoe & S Brewer     Lucy Wadham

P-316P2  FAULTLESS FEELINGS (IRE)  8-10-03  Mrs Peter Prowting     Martin Keighley

1FF-612  ZARU (FR)      8-10-03  Humbert, Drew      James Ewart

1U5-2024  LOCH BA (IRE)    8-10-03  Camilla Radford     Mick Channon

P/P00P-0  HARRY THE VIKING    9-10-02 Sir Alex Ferguson,Ged Mason,R Wood & Peter Done Paul Nicholls

40-3341  BAILE ANRAI (IRE) 10-10-00  Massive       Dan Skelton

44U0-32  TULLAMORE DEW (IRE)  12-9-13  Give Every Man His Due   Nick Gifford

P0-5F01P  MAJOR MALARKEY (IRE)  11-9-13  Baker Dodd & Cooke     Nigel Twiston-Davies

50 entries