With the arrival of autumn, thoughts turn to the National Hunt season and expectations are no higher than at Henrietta Knight's West Lockinge stables near Wantage, writes Russell Smith.

Now in her 11th season of training, Knight believes she has the most powerful string yet with which to go to war.

And it comes after she enjoyed a memorable 1999-2000 campaign with a never-to-be forgotten Cheltenham Festival double courtesy of Edredon Bleu in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Lord Noelie in the Royal And SunAlliance Chase.

That dream double has had the spin-off of owners wanting to join Knight's success story with the West Lockinge trainer's phone being red hot with requests to train their charges as well as with orders for new horses.

Knight, who puts much of her stable's rise down to the contribution of her husband Terry Biddlecombe, the three-times National Hunt champion jockey, said: "Since about early July we have been inundated with calls to take horses some older horses that have already raced from other yards. We have been quite selective, which we can be, and not taken them all and then we have had some lovely orders for young horses and they are still coming in."

Knight has had five new boxes built, but despite her success last season she sent out 40 winners accumulating 510,533 in win and place prize money she doesn't want to handle more than 65-68 horses.

Heading the new arrivals is Southern Star, a five-year-old gelding from Mark Pitman's Upper Lambourn stables. "We are very excited by him to put it mildly," said Knight.

Interesting recruits from other stables also include the nine-year-old grey mare Slavica, who was trained in Ireland last season to win the Ulster National, and No More Hassle, who won three hurdles and four chases for Mary Reveley.

Jim Lewis, who owns Edredon Bleu, Knight's stable star for the past three seasons, and the highly-regarded novice chase prospect Best Mate, has just added to his string by buying French bumper winner Impek for 170,000.

The four-year-old, who was trained by Francois Doumen to win three bumper races in France, was purchased at leading owner JD Martin's dispersal sale at Saint-Cloud. Meanwhile, Knight reports Edredon Bleu to be in tremendous shape.

"He seems stronger and perkier than ever," she said. "The plan is to follow exactly the same course with him as we did last year, starting in the Haldon Chase at Exeter on October 31."

Lord Noelie, who has the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury on November 25 as a possible early season target, may start off in the Charlie Hall Memorial Chase at Wetherby on October 28 or the Badger Beer Chase at Wincanton on November 4.

And all eyes will be on Best Mate, who has the Arkle Trophy as a long term target this season, when he makes his chasing debut at Exeter next Tuesday.

Jim Culloty, who is based at Uffington, is the stable jockey again and Mattie Batchelor is also expected to come in for rides, while it's hoped Biddlecombe's son, Robert, will be the stable's amateur jockey.

With the firepower at her disposal, Knight should be providing West Lockinge with plenty more winners this season.