N.H. racing at Towcester, Wincanton and Thurles (Ireland)

The going will be very heavy at today´s 3 N.H. meetings, indeed both Towcester and Wincanton have had to survive an early morning inspection and the latter track is staging an all-hurdles card. Wincanton is Paul Nicholls´local track and he is always to be followed here. Today he can land a hat-trick with Smuglin in the novice hurdle at 15.10 CET, Pride of Dulcot in a better grade novice hurdle half an hour later, and Play on Words in the buimper that closes the card at 17.40, all partnered by Sam Thomas. In each case the danger comes from the Alan King/ Choc Thornton team. The 2 mile handicap hurdle at 16.10 looks wide open. Tony McCoy has his only ride of the day here on Jonjo O´Neill´s top-weight Stradbrook, while Darstardly Dick ( Vic Dartnall/ Christian Williams) is going for a hat-trick - but his stable is not in form. Black Jacari (King/ Choc) has been runner-up 4 times running and may have to settle for a place again. Our tentative suggestion is Tender Falcon (Ron Hid ges/ Timmy Murphy), who can reverse recent CD form with German-bred White on Black. Penalised Princeful (Venetia Williams/ Sam Thomas) can complete a fruitful day for the jockey, although David Pipe´s Spirit of Man could be a big danger despite his long layoff. The programme at Towcester is less exciting, but Silk Affair (Mick Quinlan/ Tom O´Brien) looks a good thing to win the maiden hurdle at 16.30, and the jockey can follow up on Philip Hobbs´ Mark the Book , another one coming off a long break, in the beginners chase half an hour later. Easily thr best -and most valuable- race of the day is the Grade Two Kinloch Brae Chase over 2 1/2 miles at Thurles. Willie Mullins continues in irresistable form, and his Cork winner Scotsirish (Ruby Walsh) is the likely favourite, even though he meets Cailinn Ailinn (Charlie Byrnes/ Niall Madden) on 13 lbs worse terms now. One Cool Cookie (Charlie Swan/ Davy Russell) and Knight Legend (Jessica Harrington/ Andrew Leigh) are anther pair whio finished first ad second last time out, and there should be little in it today, but our selection is Glenfinn Captain (Tom Taaffe/ Barry Geraghty), who was well behind Exotic Dancer in the Lexus Case at Christmas, but meets nothing of that calibre here.