Inspired Forest will be boosted by conditions

Heavy going at Haydock favours Lucinda Russell’s seven-year-old

FOREST DES AIGLES’ fondness for a ruck in the muck should serve him very well in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock.

Lucinda Russell’s seven-year-old has plenty to find on the ratings but has won his last three races over fences.

The expectancy, too, is that he is still progressing ahead of what will be just his ninth start since thoughts turned to chasing.

Forest Des Aigles has gone up 21lb since his winning spree began at Hexham in October, but above all else with this race in mind is his expertise on heavy ground.

Conditions are likely to be pretty desperate on Merseyside, which must be a worry for a good chunk of the field.

Not so Forest Des Aigles, who cannot have it wet enough.

GUITAR PETE was an unheralded winner of the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup and deserves a day in the spotlight when he runs in the bet365 Handicap Chase at Ascot.

The grey’s big-race success at Cheltenham was rightly shuffled into the background following the demise of Starchitect, who appeared to have the Grade Three handicap in safekeeping.

Guitar Pete tidily outmanoeuvred a better field than this and has only gone up 5lb, which seems fairly generous.

One blip in the Betvictor Gold Cup aside – and even then he was victim of fate – Nicky Richards’ inmate has been in cracking form this season.

There seems very little reason to suggest his hot streak will be coming to an end any time soon.

UN DE SCEAUX is expected to put the novice Brain Power firmly in his place when he goes for a third consecutive victory in the Clarence House Chase. SELECTIONS:

ASCOT: 12.40 Nayati, 1.15 Drumcliff, 1.50 La Bague Au Roi, 2.25 Night Of Sin, 3.00 GUITAR PETE (NAP), 3.35 Un De Sceaux, 4.05 Santini.

HAYDOCK: 12.55 Le Frank, 1.30 Testify, 2.05 Lostintranslation, 2.40 The New One, 3.15 Forest Des Aigles, 3.45 Lake Field, 4.15 Southfield Royale. DOUBLE: Guitar Pete and La Bague

Au Roi.