MONDAY
The week starts with a trio of jump meetings, with the pick of the action coming from across the water at Punchestown. Willie Mullins is currently operating at a 47% strike-rate over the past two week and has three runners on the card:
- Anotherway (1.10)
- Paggane (2.10)
- Billericay Dickie (2.40)
There’s also flat racing on the all-weather in the late afternoon/evening at Wolverhampton, where James Doyle heads for one ride on the card (Race The Wind – 6pm).
TUESDAY
There’s a classy looking card at Chepstow, which includes a competitive four-runner Handicap Chase (3.20pm), where Issuing Authority will bid to follow up his easy win at Haydock last time out.
Further jumps action is at Limerick and Newcastle, whilst there’s another evening all-weather meeting to look forward to, this time at Southwell.
WEDNESDAY
The 3m novice handicap chase at Exeter looks to be the pick of the action, with the likes of Walking On Air and The Carpenter set to line up. There’s also an excellent novice hurdle at Leicester that features plenty of promising runners, including Josh The Boss, Awaythelad and Jingko Blue.
Flat racing enthusiasts have two meetings to look forward to, with action at Dundalk and Kempton.
THURSDAY
A quiet day of racing on Thursday, with just three meetings to look forward to, partly due to the break in Irish racing before the Dublin Racing Festival. Paul Nicholls’ Take Your Time has won his last two races, including an impressive win at Wincanton last time out, and returns to the same venue in his hat-trick bid (3.45pm). Lalor is a notable entry in the Hunter Chase on the same card (4.15pm), having previously been a Grade 1 winner in the past.
There is also further jumps action at Ffos Las, whilst the sole flat meeting comes from Chelmsford.
FRIDAY
The calm before the storm! Four meetings as we head into one of the biggest weekends of the year, with the pick of the action coming from Catterick. The feature on the card is the Mares’ Handicap Chase, which could see Venetia Williams’ Eleanor Bob drop back in class to regain winning ways.
Elsewhere, there’s jumps action at Southwell, plus flat racing on the all-weather at Lingfield and Newcastle.
SATURDAY
The Dublin Racing Festival kicks off with a bang, with FOUR Grade 1’s on the card. Galopin Des Champs bids to win back to back renewals of the Irish Gold Cup (3.35pm), whilst current Arkle ante-post favourite Marine Nationale could take on Willie Mullins’ Gaelic Warrior in the Irish Arkle (2.25pm).
The opening race (1.20pm) could feature the likes of High Class Hero and Reading Tommy Wrong, whilst the Juvenile Hurdle (1.50pm) market is currently headed by Storm Heart, who won as he likes on debut at Punchestown.
The Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase (2.35pm) is the pick of the action back in England, whilst there’s also a Premier Handicap on the same card (3.10pm). Elsewhere, Musselburgh hosts the Edinburgh National (2.15pm), plus there’s further action at Wetherby, Kempton and Wolverhampton.
SUNDAY
Day two of the Dublin Racing Festival includes another four Grade 1’s, headed by the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (2.10pm), where El Fabiolo bids to give Willie Mullins a seventh successive victory in the race.
Irish leading two-miler State Man will bid to enhance his reputation in the Irish Champion Hurdle (2.45pm), before heading to Cheltenham to take on Constitution Hill at the Cheltenham Festival. Elsewhere, we could see Ballyburn, Mystical Power and Farren Glory in action in the Grade 1 Novice Hurdle (1.40pm), whilst Fact To File and Grangeclare West currently head the betting for the Grade 1 Novice Chase (1.10pm).
Over in Scotland, there’s plenty of Cheltenham trials on the card, including the Triumph Hurdle (1.20pm), Supreme (2.25pm) and Champion Chase (3.35pm). There’s further action on the all-weather at Lingfield and Newcastle.
