Slate Lane will bid for an imperious four-timer in the Betfair “Serial Winners” Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle, as Emmet Mullins attempts to get his hands on another major handicap prize at Haydock on Saturday.

Unbeaten since joining the Grand National-winning trainer in the summer, the five-year-old has been no stranger to British shores, making three successful raids at some of the minor tracks.

He now steps up in class for his toughest assignment to date in a race won by some fine operators over the years.

“He’s been good and won three out of three. He’s doing everything right,” said Mullins.

“It’s a big ask to win four on the bounce, but hopefully he can run well at least.

“We’re very hopeful, we’ve not done much at home with him (since his last run) and we even gave him a run in a charity race in between to keep him ticking over and all is good.”

Disputing favouritism for the £125,000 contest is Fergal O’Brien’s Crambo, who won a competitive renewal of the EBF Final at Sandown in March and got the better of the reopposing Santos Blue when making a successful return at Aintree last month.

Always held in high regard, this event will give a decent indication of what calibre of performer Crambo really is.

“We’re excited to go to Haydock,” said O’Brien. “He finished very well last year, winning the EBF Final, and although it didn’t happen for him at Aintree in the spring, he came back out at Aintree and ran a lovely race there.

“It’s a step up to three miles and it will answer a lot of questions and tell us where to go from there.

“He’s got a lot of weight on Saturday, so if he runs well off that, we know he’s a good horse, it is just whether he is a handicapper or a Graded horse. Hopefully, Saturday will tell us.”

Little separated Alan King’s Emitom and Nicky Henderson’s Bold Endeavour when they finished second and third at Newbury recently and both are consistent performers in these contests, while Willie Mullins will also saddle a raider from Ireland in the form of the reappearing Fine Margin.

Meanwhile, Dubrovnik Harry will attempt to leave a disappointing 2022-23 season well behind and build on his encouraging comeback fourth at Cheltenham last month.

“We were pleased with his reappearance and he gets to go again off the same mark,” said trainer Harry Fry.

“It’s a competitive field, as you would expect for the prize-money on offer.

“Last year didn’t happen for him, but we’re hoping he can go and give a good account of himself.”

The likes of Politologue, Clan Des Obeaux and Bravemansgame have all previously won the Betfair Exchange Graduation Chase and there could be another high-class winner with a top-quality field of five assembled for action.

Cheltenham Festival winner and Grand National third Gaillard Du Mesnil is the proven performer over fences, but there are some unknown quantities full of potential amongst the opposition, none more so than Lucinda Russell’s Apple Away.

The Old Gold Racing-owned mare scooped Grade One honours at Aintree in the spring and has now been pitched in at the deep-end for her chasing bow, with connections dreaming she will make an immediate impression in her new discipline.

“We’re very much looking forward to it and the confidence coming from Lucinda and Scu (Peter Scudamore) is heartening,” said James Day, chief operating officer and co-founder of Old Gold Racing.

“You can really see their confidence in her, given the race she has been declared for, which is a pretty big one for going over fences for the first time.

“She’s had a few entries over the last few weeks and they’ve been very sensible with their approach to make sure she gets off on the right foot, that’s really important.

“Winning the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle was amazing and she is showing in her training that she has all the makings of a proper chaser, although the proof is always in the pudding.”

Dan Skelton also has high hopes for Grey Dawning, who strung a three-race winning sequence together over hurdles last term and was not disgraced on his chasing bow when bumping into Paul Nicholls’ Stay Away Fay.

“We’re happy with him and obviously he is coming back quickly (after Exeter), but I don’t think that will be a problem,” said Skelton.

“He needed the run a little bit at Exeter and I was very happy with the way he jumped and did everything that day. He just took a little bit of a blow and Stay Away Fay and the other horse got the better of him late on, which is an acceptable first run.

“It’s quite a competitive race, but it wants to be for £50,000 at the end of the day. It would be very easy to go for a standard novice chase somewhere and maybe he does that later in the season if he needs to.

“We would just prefer to take on some bigger and better races and see where we get to – and he will be getting some experience under his belt.”

The action on Merseyside begins with the Grade Two Betfair Racing Podcasts Newton Novices’ Hurdle, where Henry Daly’s Bowenspark could enhance his burgeoning reputation.

“He did it nicely at Stratford and let’s hope he can do it again,” said Daly.

“Like when you start with all these things, you have got to find out as you go along how you are getting on.

“He won a couple of bumpers and was probably a bit unlucky at Aintree. The form looks very solid, so hopefully he continues to progress.”