One Horse, Trainer, Jockey And Race To Follow This Weekend

Our horse to follow this weekend come on the Sunday at Naas in the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle where the Gavin Cromwell trained Espoir D'Allen runs for the third time this season and is looking to make it a hat trick of victories.

Last season as a novice hurdler he showed a lot of potential landing some really nice contests in Ireland and this season he has truly taken from where he left off.

On his seasonal debut he landed the Grade 3 Fishery Lane Hurdle beating some useful hurdlers from last season and showing that he is a horse to be taken seriously this season.

Next time out he stepped things up in the Grade 3 Irish Independent Hurdle landing this race in good style again fending off highly talented competitors making him a talented gelding.

This time out he is back in a Grade 3 and again against smart individuals but for how progressive he has been this season and the overall target from his trainer is to head to the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle, he is a horse to be feared this weekend.

With plenty of high class Graded races taking place this weekend the one we think stands out and is worth watching for the indications it could give for the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival is the Grade 2 Cotswald Chase.

The Caspian Caviar Gold Cup victor Frodon is back at Cheltenham once again, this time stepping back into Grade Two company for the Betbright Trial Cotswold Chase.Paul Nicholls' charge has been on a roll this term, with two victories from three, but also ran a cracker at Prestbury Park when finishing runner-up to Baron Alco in the BetVictor - again off top weight back in November.

The 7yo owned by Paul Vogt began this season with victory in this category in the Old Roan at Aintree, and a bold display once again will back-up his already strong market support for a second crack at the Ryanair Chase at the Festival back here in under six weeks time.

The challengers look very dangerous however, and Elegant Escape - crowned the Welsh Grand National winner over Christmas, arrives here with all guns blazing.

After his seasonal return at Sandown began with a win, the 7yo was not disgraced when finishing a good second in a messy Ladbrokes Trophy behind Sizing Tennessee, before achieving top handicap success at Chepstow.

Colin Tizzard's runner looks destined to continue over this staying distance at the upcoming Festival, by launching a crack at the Magners Gold Cup.

On his first start of the campaign, he finished a long way clear of Nicky Henderson's grey Terrefort, who we will be seeing for the first time since that major letdown.

The 6yo will be looking to relight that spark that saw him produce several glittering performances - most notably in last season's JLT, finishing best of the British candidates and only seven lengths behind Irish winner Shattered Love, who held the advantage with the mares allowance.He has only raced five times in Britain; all over fences - three of which were wins; two in Grade One company.

Valtor - like Terrefort, sports the two-tone green colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, and will be looking to back up his one and only start in Britain to date - which was a victory in the Listed Garrard Silver Cup three days before Christmas.The 10yo binned his entries last weekend for a shot at Grade Two glory, whilst Minella Rocco makes his long awaited return for Philip Hobbs.

The 2017 Gold Cup runner-up - who finished a shorthead in front of subsequent 2018 winner Native River, has been blighted by injury problems for the best part of a year, but is looking to make a late surge towards the big prizes between now and the end of the season.

Perhaps a tilt at the Grand National is on the horizon, but a useful runaround will be required here.American has more P's in his form guide than numbers in the last twelve months, and faces a tough ask, whilst Black Corton - without the assistance of Bryony Frost, is also looking to get back to winning ways for the former Champion Trainer.Allysson Monterg looks the outsider of the field for Richard Hobson.

Most of the top class jockeys in the sport are on show over the weekend but the rider we think has picked up some decent rides is Daryl Jacob, who has a handful of chances to land the spoils at Cheltenham this Saturday.

Jacob is the number one rider for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and they are at the top of the game when it comes to owning top class individuals and some of them are having an outing this weekend.

The Irish jockey starts on board the clear favourite Adjali in the Triumph Hurdle Trial and he looks the stand out ride in this contests and can get the jockey off to a flying start.

Another ride he has of some interest is Janika, he is at the head of the market for the Grade 3 contest and the Nicky Henderson looks like he will be a nice prospect off the back of his second on his British debut.

Terrefort is back on a racecourse since his horrific seasonal debut at Sandown back in November but if there is a jockey who could squeeze the best out of this horse it is Daryl Jacob.

With other rides on the card there is a great chance for the rider to add to his growing tally this season.

The final person to follow this weekend but by no means least is the female trainer Emma Lavelle and for this smaller stable it is a huge day at Cheltenham where she see's her stable star of the season Paisley Park go for the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices Hurdle.

Lavelle has had a really good season so far picking up wins around the UK in the week and through this horse has picked up some nice prize money aswell.

Paisley Park has landed a hat trick this season with his first win coming back in October at Aintree in a Class 2 contests. From there he stepped things up and won the Grade 3 Stayers Handicap Hurdle at Haydock really showing how good a horse he is.

Last time out he landed his first Grade 1 and gave Emma Lavelle her first ever black type win aswell which for a small yard means everything. He landed the JLT Hurdle (Long Walk Hurdle) and this has put him on the map as a horse to be feared heading into this weekend.