5 meetings today

Plenty of action today, but nothing of high quality. At Hereford, Tour d´ Argent (Nicky Henderson/ David Bass) and Destroyer Deployed (Tim Vaughan/ Richard Johnson) will be odds-on to win the 2 hurdle races that open the card at 14.30 and15.00 respectively. They will probably win, the well-bred Albertus Pictor (Venetia Williams/ Aidan Coleman) and Gospel Preacher (Alan King/ Wayne Hutchinson) are possibly each-way alternatives. German-bred Alpha Way (Tom Symons/ Felix de GIles) has shown tremendous improvement this winter and has won 3 of his last 4 starts, twice here, and athough he is up in grade can take the handicap chase at 15.30. Another German-bred who could run well here is Home Run (David Pipe/ Tom Scudamore), who makes his handicap debut at 16.30 after finishing 9th on all 3 U.K. starts so far; bred by Gestüt Ammerland, he is a close relation to Hurricane Run and his mark appears very lenient.

Leopold (Derek Thompson/Adam Nicol) was bred in Slovakia but also has a German pedigree, and we expect him to run well at 15.10 at Musselburgh. Irish trainer Gordon Elliott always does well with his runners here, and his best chance today is Mae´s Choice (Jason Maguire) in the mares novice hurdle at 14.40. Red Tanber (Brian McTaggart/ Lucy Alexander) is another improver and has won his last 3 races, all here and all with this rider; he can continue his winning run at 16.40.

There is also N.H. racing in Ireland at Limerick, with some huge fields. Ruby Walsh has two rides here and it is quite possible that he will win on them both - Castlerock Rose (D.Rohan) at 14.05 and Catleen (Willie Mullins) an hour later.

Lingfield stages all-weather racing this afternoon and Kempton this evening, with quite a few jockeys riding at both meetings. Richard Fahey and Paul Hanagan can land a double at the former fixture with Aquarian Spirit at 15.50 and Podgie´s Boy an hour later, both last-time-out winners. Two German-breds who should be in the money at Kempton are Querido (Paddy Butler/ Robert Lucey-Butler) - the Acatenango gelding has top weight in the mile handicap at 18.40 - and Sovento (Steve and Martin Harley) over a mile and a half at 20.10; he is not always the most reliable but his record over this CD reads 212.