Jamie Snowden is looking forward to giving Buche De Noel her British debut in the £20,000 Weatherbys Hamilton Graduation Chase at Market Rasen on Friday.
The five-year-old mare has won both over hurdles and fences in her native France and how she fares is likely to determine plans for the rest of the campaign.
Snowden reports Buche De Noel to have settled in well at his Lambourn base and is hoping she will be good enough to run at the Cheltenham Festival.
"She's won two novice chases in France as well as two novice hurdles. She looks a smart recruit, she jumps very nicely," he said.
"We'll start her out and see which route we should be taking with her. She's a novice over hurdles and a novice over fences.
"We'll see whether to aim her for the new mares' novice hurdle at the Festival, one of the handicaps or the novice handicap chase.
"We bought her privately after she won her last race in November.
"She's got a great attitude and is a nice-moving horse. she's working well and jumping nicely."
Trainer Ian Williams is hoping Ballyalton can return to the form he showed as a novice hurdler when he was runner-up to Faugheen in the Neptune at the Festival.
The nine-year-old has had no luck in two races over fences since returning from a long layoff.
"It is not the ideal race for Ballyalton, but he gets in there quite well having not won a chase before," said the Alvechurch handler.
"He would not want the ground to be too soft, while Richard Johnson will ride him for the first time.
"He has not shown it yet since coming back. He is in good form, though, and it would be nice to see him get back to how he was."
Sue Smith's Straidnahanna has to give his rivals upwards of 11lb after winning two novice chases last season, while Aso will be looking to go one better for trainer Venetia Williams after finishing second in his first three starts over the bigger obstacles.
A fascinating five-strong line-up is completed by Kalane, who was re-routed to the Lincolnshire track after Thursday's meeting at Ludlow was abandoned.
The Charlie Longsdon-trained mare made a successful debut over fences at Huntingdon in early December but then fell four out in the race won by Ma Filleule at Doncaster later that month.