What's On This Week In Racing - 07/01/2019

No racing in England this afternoon, as the action takes place from Chepstow in Wales and Musselburgh in Scotland - both of those meetings involve jumping obstacles.

Chepstow’s card is dominated with Class 4’s, with the pick of the action; the interbet.com Happy New Year Novices Hurdle featuring Dashel Drasher, who will look to boost the form with both Rathhill and Bright Forecast - the latter who beat Severano at Newbury back in November, who is also involved earlier on the day in a maiden.

An eight-race All-weather card completes proceedings at Wolverhampton in the evening.

Once again we go jumping in Wales and Scotland – and not in England, this time at both Bangor-on-dee and Ayr.

Game of Thrones fans might want to have a look at the Bangor card, as two of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons are taking a break from the Great War in Westeros.

Rhaegar carries top weight in a Class 4 Handicap Chase over three miles, whilst the younger Viserion - who looks well handicapped on his best form, runs over a shorter trip of two miles in a Class 4 Handicap hurdle.

Another eight-race All-weather card ends the day, this time taking place at Newcastle.

We could see Nicky Henderson’s Ok Corral make his second start of the season at Doncaster midweek, after striking on his chasing debut at Plumpton last month.

Despite one bad blunder, last season’s Albert Bartlett runner-up looks a serious contender for the RSA at Cheltenham or even perhaps the four-miler on the opening day, and can boost his claims for either of those with a win at Town Moor.

There is also a six-race jumping card at Taunton, with two cards on the polytrack taking place at Lingfield and Kempton.

On Thursday afternoon in the UK, we go to Catterick, Leicester and Southwell.

At Catterick, the feature contest is the North Yorkshire Grand National Handicap Chase – for the Denys Smith Memorial Trophy, over a distance of three-and-three-quarter-miles.

There are currently thirteen entrees, currently headed by Neil Mulholland’s Carole’s Destrier, who scored over Christmas at Newbury over just four furlongs less.

He has had the ideal preparation, as has Ben Haslam’s Rock On Fruity – in the colours of JP McManus, who scored at odds as big as 40/1 prior to Christmas at Newcastle, and all of a sudden looks a major danger here.

Chelmsford closes the day with an eight-race twilight card commencing at 4:15, but there is also a seven-race jumps card in the afternoon at Clonmel in Ireland.

Mistress Massini could make it five wins in six, should her trainer Anthony Honeyball send her to Huntingdon on Friday to fulfil her entry in the Weatherbys Hamilton Handicap Chase.

Honeyball – who has plenty of good mares in his yard, most notably last year’s Cheltenham Festival National Hunt Chase runner-up Ms Parfois, has enjoyed much success with this 8yo in the last six months, most recently scoring at Ludlow a few days ago.

We also go jumping at Sedgefield, before three all-weather cards at Lingfield once more, along with Dundalk and Wolverhampton at twilight.

An ever-present busy Saturday takes us to Kempton for the Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle, currently featuring several names hoping to move up the class ladder such as Kloud Gate, Doux Pretender and Erick Le Rouge – who scored on Boxing Day in the finale here.

Warwick has some fantastic racing featuring a Grade Two, and a Pertemps Network Qualifier, where the unbeaten Court Liability could clash with Blaklion – who returned in the Becher Chase back in December and could be tried back over hurdles.

We also have seven-race card over jumps at Wetherby and Fairyhouse in Ireland, with action at Lingfield and Newcastle on the flat.

Two cards in Britain and Ireland on a somewhat quiet Sunday.

There is a Mares Handicap Hurdle headlining the seven races at Kelso, along with a Class Two Handicap Chase, where the Trevor Hemmings duo of Testify and Mount Mews can try and get their respective careers back on track after disappointing performances in their most recent runs.

Alabaster has not been seen since June of 2017 for Sir Mark Prescott – who has three winners from seven runners in the last fortnight, and he could return at Southwell on Sunday in the Betway Casino Handicap.