5 good cards today

Despite the miserable weather, there is N.H. racing of a high standard at Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton, as well as Gowran Park in Ireland, though obviousy the going is heavy everywhere. As is so often the case, there are very small fields in the top races, with only 4 facing the starter in the two feature races in Ireland. Un de Sceaux (Willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh) looks a near certainly in the Grade Two Red Hills Trial Hurdle at 16.35 CET, but will be at unbackable odds. He is a leading fancy for the Champion Hurdle and it will be a shock if he loses here. Mullins and Walsh can also take the Grade Two Red Mills Chase at 15.25 with Turban, though this race looks trickier.

At Ascot, the Ascot Chase at 16.50 is the top event and looks a match between Captain Chris (Philip Hobbs/ Richard Johnson) and Riverside Theatre (Nicky Henderson/ Barry Geraghty). They have already met 4 times and threscore is 2-2. The latter won the Peterborough Chase before Christmas with the Hobbs runner a close third, but the latter is now 10 lbs better off and can take his revenge. Rolling Aces (Noel Fehily) looks the better of the 2 Paul Nicholls runners and could be the main danger. Hobbs and Johnson can follow up in the novice hurdle half an hour later with Mountain King, who looks a smart prospect, although Wadswick Court (Charlie Longsdon/ Fehily), also unbeaten over hurdles, is a big threat. Gevrey Chambertin(David Pipe/ Tom Scudamore) is an interesting chasing debutant at 15.05, but this is a hot race, and we think that Baby Shine (Lucy Wadham/ Johnson), up in grade after two easy wins, might be able to spring a surprise here. Pipe also has a strong hand in the handicap hurdle at 16.15, where Scu rides the likely favourite Heath Hunter, but we think Dan Breen (Tom Bellamy) might run well at a big price, while Bourne (Donald McCain/ AP Lane) won this race 2 years ago off the same rating and is a big danger.

At Haydock, Celestial Hero (Nicholls/ Sam Twiston-Davies) should win the Grade Two hurdle at 15.20; he is being aimed at Cheltenham´s World Hurdle and is clear top-rated here. The handicaps here look very difficult, but we fancy Emperors Choice (Venetia Williams/ Aidan Coleman) to continue the stable´s good run in the Grand National Trial at 15.55, while The Knoxs (Sue Smith/ Ryan Mania) is our selection in the hurdle race at 16.30. German-trained Cafe Au Lait (Christian von der Recke/ Paul Moloney) runs here in the opener 14.45 and has an each-way chance in our view.

Paul Nicholls has runners all ovet today and sends his main jockey Daryl Jacob to his local track at Wincanton, where he can take the main event, the Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle, on Zarkandar, who won it last year and is 2 from 2 here. Melodic Rendezvous (Jeremy Scott/ Nick Scholfield) is the obvious danger. They can also take ther Mares listed hgurdle at 14.55 with Tagrota, while we hope that Jacobs can also win the handicap hurdle at 16.05 on Charlie Mann´s German-bred Seventh Sky, a half-brother to Samum.