Five highlights of the racing week...
A WEIGHTY DEBATE
THE weights for the Cheltenham Festival handicaps will be revealed on Wednesday and given the recent debate surrounding the marks awarded to Irish-trained runners in the Grand National, there could be more fireworks in the offing at a launch event at the track. Punters will doubtless welcome the facts and figures being close to hand though, with two weeks to crunch the numbers before the Festival kicks off.
WORKOUT WONDERS
ALL eyes will be on Leopardstown on Sunday, not for what is a perfectly respectable card, but for the traditional post-racing gallops for possible Festival contenders. Some of the great names in Cheltenham history have faced their moments of truth in the gathering gloom – indeed last year’s Gold Cup hero Don Cossack was put through his paces at the track before going on to Festival glory. Willie Mullins usually takes a handful of contenders, so have your notebook to hand in case of final clues.
NEWBURY GOLD
WITH Cheltenham a matter of mere days away now, it is no surprise the action kicks down a gear, but Newbury still offers an excellent two-day card. Saturday’s second day features the Greatwood Gold Cup, a Grade Three affair over two and a half miles. Paul Nicholls has farmed the race in recent years, saddling seven of the last 10 winners, so watch out for whatever he sends.
PREMIER PRIZES
KELSO enjoys its biggest day of the year with the Premier Kelso Hurdle and the Premier Chase, as the dual features. The Premier Hurdle boasts Grade Two honours, while the chase has been used as a Grand National prep by some, with the ill-fated Many Clouds taking the prize last term before unsuccessfully trying to defend his Aintree title.
TRULY A SUPER SATURDAY
MEYDAN hosts its Super Saturday card which is, in effect, a dress rehearsal for the Dubai World Cup fixture at the end of the month. The Group Two Dubai City of Gold was won by Postponed last year and Roger Varian’s charge is on course to line up again on the way to his Sheema Classic defence. There are trial events for the two World Cup night sprints and the Dubai Duty Free, while the third round of the Al Maktoum Challenge offers a Group One opportunity for World Cup-bound runners. FIXTURES (FLAT in capitals) Monday: Ayr, Plumpton, WOLVERHAMPTON. Tuesday: Catterick, Leicester, LINGFIELD. Wednesday: Ffos Las, Musselburgh, NEWCASTLE, Wincanton. Thursday: CHELMSFORD, Ludlow, NEWCASTLE, Taunton. Friday: Doncaster, LINGFIELD, Newbury, NEWCASTLE. Saturday: Doncaster (ITV4), Kelso, LINGFIELD, Newbury (ITV), NEWCASTLE. Sunday: Huntingdon, Sedgefield.