Leicester, Newcastle and Down Royal

There is still an inspection to come at Leicester today, and although the hurdles races seem certain to go ahead, there is a possibility that the steeplechases may be cancelled. The novice hurdle here at 15.00 CET looks quite open.Barbatos (Ian Williams/ Dougie Costello) and Safran de Cotte (Henry Daly/ Richard Johnson) have both finished a long way behind the smart Bobs Worth and will be more at home in this company, while Global Power (Oliver Sherwood/ Leighton Aspell) fell last time after showing decent form; we narrowly prefer Mic´s Delight (Vic Dartnall/ Denis O´Regan), who won at Exeter last time and whose stable is in good form. The hndocp urdle over 2 1/2 ils t 17.00 is evn trickier. Mannlichen (Venetia Williams/ Aidan Coleman) is múch improved and was an easy winner on Sunday, but must concede a lot of weight. Ostland (Charlie Longsdon/ Kielan Woods) was runner-up in the 2008 German Derby, and possibly the best of all German-breds sold to go N.H. racing, but he has been consistently disppointing and has been off for 10 months. We prefer two runners from lower down in the weights - Snake Charmer (Milton Harris/ David Crosse) and Apache Chant (Tony Carroll/ Lee Edwards), who scored his first ever win under this jockey at Market Rasen last time and gets in here with bottom weight; this race is much tougher, but he could still have a live chance.

At Newcastle, Dark Gentleman (Evelyn Slack/ Ryan Mania) and Mighty Magnus (Mike Todhunter/ James Reveley) meet again in the 2 1/2 mile handicap chase at 14.50. They finished first and second over this CD last time and it should again be a close thing between them. The novice hurdle at 15.20 is another interesting event. Storm Brig (Alastair Whillans/ Brian Harding) looks a good recruit but has to concede 7lbs or more all round. Music of the Moor (Tom Tate/ Reveley),one of 3 4yo´s in the large field, won at Sandown last time, while the Easterby family are strongly represented with Bollin Felix and Shadows Lengthen, but we hope that Storm Brig will be good enough.

There are the usual huge fields at Down Royal. The handicap hurdle at 15.15 looks wide open, but we hope that German-bred Quartetto (Mervyn Torrens/ Mark Darcy), wearing first-time blinkers, can take this. The beginners chase at 16.15 should go to Gates of Rome (Colm Murphy/ Davy Russell), disappointing last time but who had run well enough in top company earlier. Willie Mullins can continue his winnihg run by taking the two divisions of the maiden hurdle with Des Res at 14.15 and Allee Garde half an hour later.