Leicester and Wincanton

There should be no weather Problems at Leicester and Wincanton, but the standard of racing is low at both tracks. Paul Nicholls is usually the trainer to follow at Wincanton, and we certainly expect his Lumpy´s Gold (Daryl Jacob) to win the novices handicap hurdle at 14.40 CET after twice finishing runner-up. He also has fancied runners in the two maiden hurdles that open the Card, but here he could be outtrumped by Nicky Henderson, whose Stand to Reason at 13.40 and Mayfair Music half an hour later, both partnered by Barry Geraghty, could have a slight edge. The fact that Geraghty is here for this relatively minor meeting is surely significant; his mount in the final bumper is a non-runner, but a more serious non-runner for the Henderson stable is Sprinter Sacre, who it has now been announced, will miss Saturday´s Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.

At Leicester, Smart Catch (Tony Carroll/ Lee Edwards) can follow up his CD win last month in the novices handicap chase at 16.00. He only won by a neck, but the handicapper has only put him up 3 Pounds and we think that this is very reasonable, as the first two finished well clear.

There is also N.H. racing in Ireland, with some large fields at Clonmel. Willie Mullins has an amazing strike rate at present and we would not be at all surprised to see him with all 3 of his runners here - Pink Hat at 13.45 and Turnandgo at 16.45, both ridden by his son Paddy, and Kaimann in the beginners chase at 15.15 with Ruby Walsh in the saddle, his only mount of the day.