Ruby Walsh back

Ruby Walsh is back in England today for the first time this jumps season. He has 3 rides at Newton Abbot, two of them for champion Paul Nicholls: ex-French Edgardo Sol making his U.K. debut in the handicap chase at 15.55 CET, and German-bred King of the Night in the best race on the card, a handicap hurdle over 2 3/4 miles at 16.30. Edgardo Sol has been set a very stiff task in our view, but King of the Night must have a chance in his race. Another German-bred, the consistent Salontyre (Bernard Llewellyn/ MJ Quinlan) looks the danger. York races today and tomorrow, its final meeting of 2011, with Richard Fahey hoping to confirm his position a the track´s leading trainer, as he has been for the past 6 years. His best chances today are probably Prime Exhibit (Paul Hanagan) in the mile handicap at 16.05 and Lisiere (Tony Hamilton) in the 2yo maiden at 16.40, but these are all very tricky races.

There is more N.H. racing at Carlisle, and two more German-breds with chances here are Quicuyo (James Ewart/ Barry Hughes, a brother to Quijano, who runs in the handicap chase at 17.30 and Andorn (Peter Kirby/ Kyle James), who has top weight in the handicap hurdle for conditional jockeys half an hour later. There is all-weather racing this evening at Wolverhampton and Sundalk. At the former track, two recent course winners who can go in again under a penalty and top weight, are Titus Gent (Jeremy Gask/ Raul da Silva) at 20.15 and Come On Blue Chip (Paul d´Arcy/ Paul Hanagan) half an hour later. The standard is much higher at the Irish track, where the best event is the Star Appeal Stakes (remember him? he won the Arc for Germany in 1975!) for 2yo´s at 20.30. Aidan O´Brien holds a strong hand here with East meets West (Seamus Heffernan) and Vault, ridden by son Joseph. We prefer the latter, who has been running in top races.