Colonial Empire made a winning bumper debut last year, but he took his time to find his feet over hurdles.  However, everything seems to have clicked this autumn, as he finished second on his first two starts back from a break, before shedding his maiden tag over timber with a comfortable win at Leicester at the beginning of December.

Upped 4lbs in the handicap, he made light of the rise with a facile success at Ffos Las yesterday, coming clear under Alan Johns and leading home stablemate Weaver’s Answer in second, who shaped with plenty of promise on his handicap debut.

We’ll wait to see what the handicapper does before making any plans for him, but he looks very progressive and should make a bold bid for the hat-trick for his owners Steve Grys and Mick O’Boyle.