12/15/12 - The highly progressive Scottish chaser, Bold Sir Brian, looks set to take a serious step up in class to see just how far he can go this season when tackling the Grade 2 Argento Chase at Newbury on January 26, writes Elliot Slater.

The winner of the Grade 2 Kelso Hurdle in 2011, Bold Sir Brian has proved to be an even better chaser aboard whom Peter Buchanan has forged a seriously successful partnership with the gelded son of Ballydoyle’s Brian Boru.

Trained by Lucinda Russell near Perth in central Scotland, Bold Sir Brian rattled off a hattrick of successes in novice chases last season having hit the bar on his first two outings when runner-up on both visits to Carlisle.

After breaking his chasing duck at Hexham, the six-year-old then followed up at Kelso and Musselburgh before finishing  fourth at Haydock, where something appeared to go amiss when the horse was in the lead between the final two fences and he finished distressed.

Not seen again until November, Russell’s rising star made a winning return to action when easily accounting for Rival d’Estruval in the Colin Parker Intermediate Chase on heavy ground at Carlisle.

He then proved the long journey south well worthwhile in slamming Pacha Du Polder by 16 lengths at Sandown earlier this month in the listed Sportingbet Future Stars Chase, a performance that made plenty of people betting on horses sit up and take notice.

Russell now feels the time is right to see just how far Bold Sir Brian can go and is hoping that the improving chaser will give a very good account of himself against smart performers from the cream of the southern yards.

Although it is not seriously on the radar at the moment, an entry will be given to the Scottish chaser in the Cheltenham Gold Cup just in case he continues his steep upward curve into the early months of 2013.