Author: Paul Davidson

The Duke Of Cambridge is a hot looking renewal with it difficult to rule out many with confidence. Michael Stoute has two potential Shamardal-sired improvers in the shape of Jubiloso and Queen Power, with the latter marginally preferred having run a career best on her reappearance to Terebellum (second favourite…

16:40 2m4f Ascot Stakes (A Handicap) (Class 2) (4yo+ 0-100) National Hunt trainers have had a dab hand in the Ascot Stakes over the last couple of decades, but with no Willie Mullins or Irish entries it looks like it could go to a flat trainer this season. Verdana Blue…

The Pretty Polly Stakes serves up a cracking appetiser to the 1000 Guineas later on the card. An Oaks trial in its own right, it’s difficult to know at this stage whether this crop will be good enough to compete at Epsom in July. One man who knows a thing…

2m4f (2m3f168y) (New) Marsh Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (Registered As The Golden Miller) (Class 1) (5yo+) The market doesn’t know who should be favourite for the Marsh Novices Chase with four essentially within a point of each other at the top of the market. Faugheen would be the story of…

2m½f Betfair Hurdle (Handicap) (Grade 3) (Class 1) (4yo+) Another excellent looking renewal of the Betfair Hurdle which is set to be run on unusually quick conditions for this time of year. Not So Sleepy looked very impressive on his second start over hurdles when making all at Ascot on…

2m2f Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) (4yo+) A very hot looking renewal of this Mares Handicap hurdle. Jeremys Flame brings Grade 1 Novice form into this with a Tolworth second behind leading Supreme Novice contender, Fiddlerontheroof. Jeremys Flame is a general 5/1 and looks…

The betting for the Irish Arkle (and indeed the Cheltenham equivalent) is currently dominated by two horses, and one piece of form that separated Notebook from the re-opposing Fakir D’Oudairies in a two mile chase at Leopardstown over the Christmas period. Notebook created a bit of a shock that day…

2m4½f (New) Paddy Power 45 Sleeps To Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (Class 1) (5yo+) The 45 Sleeps To Cheltenham Trophy Handicap is a big one to win. And the market is currently wide-open with a three-way tie for favouritism with it being hard to rule out many with…

2m5f bet365 Handicap Chase (Class 2) (5yo+) Venetia Williams has been in ruthless form over the winter and she has another promising sort in the shape of Espoir De Guye. He was put up a stone for his success here last month in a handicap chase and looks smart. But…

3m6½f Coral Welsh Grand National Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (Class 1) The complexion of this race changed materially over the last week with Colin Tizzard deciding that former champion, Native River, will have just one more run before another tilt at the Gold Cup in March. This therefore doesn’t appear…