3 jumps meetings today

racing is off at Fairyhouse in Ireland, but there are 3 jumps meetings in the U.K. today with some very competitive racing. Unusually for a Saturday, there are only two graded races, both novice chases; there are only 6 runners in the race over an extended 3 miles at Wetherby over an extended 3 miles at 16.20 CET at Wetherby, but they are all in good form; Goulanes (David Pipe/ Tom Scudamore) is the favourite, but is very inexperienced and actually running for the first time over fences. We much prefer horses with more routine, and go for local hope Fill the Power (Sue Smith/ Ryan Mania), whose trainer has an excellent record here. She also has a good chance in the handicap hurdle at 15.45 with bottom weight Herdsman (Mania), moving up in grade and in distance after winning here last month, while she has two runners in the handicap chase at 16.55: Gansey (Mania) and Cloudy Too (Timmy Murphy). Gansey is at a shorter price, but he has gone up by 8 pounds for twice finishing run ner-up, which we think is rather unfair, so choose the less reliable but possibly better handicapped Cloudy Too.
The Welsh Champion Hurdle at 15.05 is the main event at Ffos Las´ biggest fixture of bthe year and obviously racecourse boss Dai Walters would like to win it again. He owns the likely favourite, the much improved Tanerko Emery (David Pipe/ Conor O´Farrell), who has won 3 races this season, all on heavy and all with this jockey.Nicky Henderson saddles Oscar Dara (Tony McCoy), who won a similar race at Kempton last time, but he has been put up 14 lbs and faces a stiff task with his huge weight. Local trainer Rebecca Curtis has 3 runners and on this ground and at the weights we just prefer Boyfromnowhere (Tom O´Brien), while the German-bred El Dancer (Lucy Wadham/ Leighton Aspell), but we think he probably needs better ground. This is not the case with Wadham´s other German-bred runner Dawn Twister at 16.45,as the Monsun gelding loves it heavy; he has not been totally convincing over hurdles so far, but seems very well handicapped and must have a solid each-way chance in another very open race.
Sandown often takes centre stage but today´s card is only the third best on the programme, and with small fields on very testing ground is not punter-friendly. Once again there is a small fiueld fpor the Grade One npovoce chase at 15.25 which looks between Captain Conan (Henderson/ Barry Geraghty) and Houblon des Obeaux (Venetia Williams/ Aidan Coleman). The former has never run over today´s distance of 2 1/2 miles, so we give slight preference to the latter, who stays well and comes from a stable in top form. Venetia is having a great run and has further good prospects with Plein Pouvoir at 16.00, Summery Justice at 16.35, Kapga de Cerisy at 17.10 and Shangani in the last race at 17.40, all with the stable jockey on board.