Festival clues aplenty with stars Native River and Kalashnikov set for action

Following a weekend full of clues for the Cheltenham Festival, pointers for the big meeting keep on coming this week. Here we highlight what to look out for as we build to the big weekend action at Newbury

Monday

Weekend entries will arrive at the five-day stage for highlight races including the Betfair Hurdle and the similarly sponsored Denman Chase and Game Spirit Chase at Newbury on Saturday, as well as the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick.

Four of the five runners in the feature £19,000 1m½f conditions stakes (5.55) at Wolverhampton have triple-figure official ratings, including Oh This Is Us, the mount of Ryan Moore, who boasts a 33 per cent strike-rate at the track in the last five years with five winners from 15 rides.

Newmarket trainer Luke McJannet, a former pupil assistant to James Tate, has enjoyed three winners from seven runners this year. Those victories have been courtesy of sprint handicapper Foreign Legion (3.30), who bids for a quickfire four-timer at Chelmsford.

Tuesday

There will be interest in the reassessed mark of convincing 888Sport Heroes Handicap Hurdle winner Lord Napier on Tuesday morning as the Peter Bowen-trained six-year-old could potentially be an each-way contender for the Sun Racing Stayers’ Hurdle, should he be supplemented.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Galvin is unbeaten in four starts, including two hurdle wins, and a general 33-1 shot for the Supreme, Ballymore and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He is an intriguing entry at Sedgefield (3.45) on Tuesday and Ayr (2.00) on Wednesday.

Wednesday

Cheltenham Festival pointers could be found at Ludlow with a 2m novice chase at the Shropshire course attracting some high-quality entries.

Clondaw Castle (2.10), who trainer Tom George described as “tailormade” for the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase after a recent win at Leicester, and Whatswrongwithyou, a general 20-1 chance for the Grand Annual, are among seven entries.

Tom Dascombe has celebrated three winners from six recent runners and Sha La La La Lee (6.45), who defeated 95-rated Honey Man and 109-rated Masaarr in a 7f novice stakes at Wolverhampton last year, catches the eye at Dunstall Park in the evening.

Thursday

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite Angels Breath (2.00) is set for his second start over hurdles in the Listed Mansionbet Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon, in which his rivals could include Tolworth runner-up Grand Sancy and Grade 2 scorer Coolanly.

Anytime Will Do and Emitom are unbeaten under rules and also among the entries in a race with an illustrious honour roll, which includes Nick The Brief, French Holly, Time For Rupert and Vinndication.

Smart dual Listed winner Clon Coulis (6.55) could make her reappearance in the feature mile conditions stakes at Chelmsford in the evening.

Friday

Punters can begin their research for the weekend’s action from 11am as declarations will be confirmed for Saturday and Sunday's racing.

Two-time Foxhunter hero Pacha Du Polder (4.55) could return to action in the concluding hunter chase at Bangor, a race he won in 2017 on his seasonal reppearance before scoring at Cheltenham the following month. The Paul Nicholls-trained 12-year-old is also entered at Ffos Las (4.45) on Thursday.

Saturday

Last year’s Gold Cup winner Native River is likely to bid for a hat-trick in the Denman Chase at Newbury, where King George VI Chase scorer Clan Des Obeaux could be among his rivals, and the similarly Colin Tizzard-trained Fox Norton will be among the Game Spirit Chase market principals.

The big handicap hurdle of the day is the Betfair Hurdle, last year landed by subsequent Supreme second Kalashnikov, and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Al Dancer (3.35) is well fancied to continue the fantastic record of novices, who have landed seven of the last eight renewals.

Racing fans are likely to get another chance to see popular Arkle hope Kalashnikov in action in the Kingmaker Novice Chase at Warwick. He should prove a spectacular sight on the back straight stretch of fences.

Sunday

The €100,000 BoyleSports Grand National trial (3.45) is the race of the day at Punchestown with possible runners including last year’s winner Folsom Blue, Thyestes Chase runner-up Alpha Des Obeaux and third Up For Review, Auvergnat and Raz De Maree.

There is a good quality seven-race card at Exeter, including a 2m1f Listed novice hurdle, Pertemps qualifier over 2m7f and a 3m mares’ Listed chase.

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