Derby entries, an equine welfare review and a Gold Cup to look forward to

A week without a Grade 1 after all the excitement of the last three weekends but there is still plenty to look forward to with Grade 2 events at Cheltenham and Doncaster on Saturday and Navan on Sunday.

Monday

A low-key start to the week with the jumpers at Lingfield for once amid the Polytrack action, although there is a bumper on the all-weather to start the card. Musselburgh is the other meeting over jumps before Wolverhampton's twilight fixture on the Flat.

More excitement at lunchtime with an update on the Saturday feature that is the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham and entries for Doncaster's two Grade 2s, the bet365-sponsored December Novices' Chase and Summit Juvenile Hurdle, which ironically used to be held at Lingfield.

Tuesday

Three more afternoon meetings, with Uttoxeter and Fontwell over jumps and Southwell's Fibresand on the Flat.

It is also the annual Gimcrack dinner at York so a good excuse to relive the Gimcrack Stakes won by Emaraaty Ana in August.

Wednesday

More happening off the course than on today as the young entries for the 2020 Investec Derby are revealed.

The BHA is due to release its review of the fatalities at this year's Cheltenham Festival.

Hexham and Leicester provide the jumping and Lingfield and Kempton race on the Flat on the all-weather.

The Retraining of Racehorses (ROR) annual awards evening takes place in the Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket, hosted by Clare Balding and Luke Harvey.

Thursday

The line-up for the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday will be known and whether the BetVictor Gold Cup winner Baron Alco will be going for the famous Cup double.

Newcastle, Taunton and Warwick in Britain and Tramore in Ireland take racing up a notch ahead of the weekend with Chelmsford chipping in later with an evening card under the lights.

Friday

The first day of Cheltenham's International meeting features the latest Glenfarclas Cross-Country Handicap Chase, which could bring two of the previous festival race winners back for more.

Tiger Roll prefaced his Grand National win at Aintree with Cheltenham success last March, and Josies Order won the 2016 feature.

Josies Orders (Mark Walsh, right) beats Fact Of The Matter in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham last monthCredit: Mark Cranham

They met in the first cross-country handicap chase of Cheltenham's season last month with Josies Order adding a fourth win over the course.

Bangor and Doncaster also race over jumps before the floodlights come on for racing at Kempton and Dundalk in the evening.

Saturday

Cheltenham and Doncaster share the limelight in front of the ITV4 cameras with their Grade 2 contests.

The Unibet International Hurdle, won three times by The New One, will not be the same without last year's winner My Tent Or Yours, who was retired on Sunday, but there are sure to be plenty more festival clues on show in that Grade 2 and the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, registered as the Bristol Novices' Hurdle.

Doncaster's bet365 Summit Juvenile Hurdle has Champion Hurdle winner Hors La Loi, the winner 20 years ago, and Triumph Hurdle winner Oh So Risky when the race was run at Lingfield, among its alumni.

Bangor and Fairyhouse also race and if that were not enough Newcastle hosts the latest fast-track qualifier for the Good Friday finals with the Betway Stayers' Conditions Stakes (12.55).

Sunday

The Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle and Listed Future Champions bumper are the day's features at Navan.

Southwell stages jumping on the turf, hosting its Gentlemen's Day, and Carlisle has its Christmas Jumpers day, featuring a Pertemps Network qualifier for the Cheltenham Festival final next March.

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