5 poor meetings today

There is some great racing later in the week, but today´s 5 cards are of only minor interest. Chepstow stages its first jumps races of the new season, a sure sign that autumn is here. The best event here is the novices handicap chase at 16.40 CET; this is tricky as the two best horses in the field on hurdling form, Carole´s Destrier and Creepy, are making their debuts over fences, while Barton Stacey (David Pipe/ Tony McCoy) is clearly much better over fences than he was over sticks and has won all his 3 starts in this discipline. This experience can help him to win again here, as the newcomers are impossible to assess.

There is also jumping at Sedgefield, where German-bred Sacred Square (Donald McCain/ Jason Maguire), a recent winner on the flat, can take the novice hurdle at 15.450; he is no star but this looks a very weak race. Another German-bred with a chance today is A Southside Boy (Jim Goldie/ Graham Lee) at 16.15 at Ayr. He usually runs well at this track, as does Jinky (Linda Perratt/ Joe Fanning) who runs in the 6 furlongs handicap at 18.00. The mile handicap half an hour later is the most valuable race of the day, but looks almost impossible.

Dermot Weld continues in great form and should have another successful afternoon at the Irish meeting at Fairyhouse. He should certainly take the maiden at 16.55 with Katimavik (Pat Smullen) and also has chances of beating two Aidan O´Brien hotpots with Tango Alpha at 15.15 and Aklliyna at 18.35.