A Joseph O'Brien dark horse at Dundalk and a class act at Catterick - Friday's punting pointers

Catterick: Icare's strong chance

Icare Allen finished fourth behind Vauban in the 2022 Triumph Hurdle but now finds himself in the much calmer waters of this 3m1½f handicap hurdle (3.35).

A four-time winner and rated 146 at his peak, Icare Allen is now with Jonjo and AJ O'Neill and showed he retained some of his old ability when successful at Uttoxeter on his penultimate start in November.

He gave a comprehensive beating to 2023 Topham winner Bill Baxter and last weekend's Great Yorkshire Chase winner Docpickedme and, although he was disappointing last time, he now benefits from the 7lb claim of Benjamin Macey. All six of the rider's career wins have come for the O'Neill yard.

Icare Allen15:35 Catterick

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Jky: Benjamin Macey (7lb)Tnr: Jonjo & A J O'Neill

Catterick stat: 100 per cent strike-rate

Johnny Burke has a perfect record at the track this season, winning on both of his rides. He has just one mount, on Zenato in the 1m7½f maiden hurdle (2.05).

Zenato14:05 Catterick

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Jky: Jonathan Burke Tnr: Fergal O'Brien

Dundalk: Percussionist one to note

Joseph O'Brien has a strong record in the mile maiden (5.15) and he bids for a third victory in the last five years with Percussionist.

The trainer took it last year with Nerano, which followed Mr Mooj's 2020 success, and he's represented this time by a three-year-old debutant.

Percussionist is worth watching, since he is owned by Joseph's mother Anne-Marie O'Brien. The son of Australia is related to Group 1 winner Fleeting Spirit.

Percussionist is out of the unraced mare Pearl Spirit, who may not have made the track but showed sufficient promise to sell for 185,000gns as a yearling, and is a half-sister to three winners.

Percussionist17:15 Dundalk (A.W)

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Jky: Nathan Crosse Tnr: Joseph Patrick O'Brien

Lingfield: promising Pierrot

Olly Murphy expects dual Cheltenham Festival entrant Pierrot Jaguen to build on his debut for the yard when he tackles the 2m7f maiden hurdle (1.15).

He bought the Irish point-to-point winner for £200,000 at the Festival Sale last March and was encouraged by his run when third in a 2m4½f contest at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

Murphy said: "I was delighted with him, he took a right good blow but he kept going well and in another 100 yards there might have been a completely different result.

"He got a nice bit of experience, he's come forward for it and I'm looking forward to running him."

Pierrot Jaguen is entered in the Turners and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle and Murphy added: "That's a long way off but if you're not in you can't win and if he happened to win well we might look at it.

"He's a nice, big horse, a staying chaser in the making, and will appreciate the step up in trip and soft ground."

Pierrot Jaguen13:15 Lingfield

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Jky: Sean Bowen Tnr: Olly Murphy

Newcastle: veteran double?

Muscika has been a wonderful campaigner for connections over the years, winning 17 of his 121 starts, and he goes in search of another success in the 6f handicap (3.28).

The most recent of those successes came when beating Wee Fat Mac over this course and distance last time, when he made all and held on gallantly by a neck.

The handicapper has chosen to raise him just 1lb to a mark of 71 for that brave success, and it hasn't been long since he was competing off much higher marks.

Muscika15:28 Newcastle (A.W)

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Jky: Ben Robinson Tnr: David O'Meara

Southwell: Chapple-Hyam well represented

Claymore was a Royal Ascot winner in 2022 when successful in the Hampton Court Stakes and he now finds himself competing in a Derby Trial – albeit the Winter one (6.30) – at the age of six.

He will come up against his stablemate and favourite Champagne Prince, who comes here off the back of a win in the Listed Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton last month.

Champagne Prince had another of today's runners Eydon – fourth in the 2,000 Guineas in 2022 – behind him then and is progressing into a very smart four-year-old colt on the all-weather scene. As well as more immediate glory, trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam already has her eyes on possible big-race summer targets.

"Champagne Prince had a little break after his Listed win and this'll hopefully be a stepping stone to the Winter Derby," she said. "I think he's a mile-and-a-half horse but, because he's got such good stats on the all-weather, we wanted to give him an opportunity in these races. He's not done much wrong on turf either, and in time he could be an Ebor horse.

"Horses can have an off day and Claymore certainly did at Newcastle. I think he can bounce back as he's trained well since."

Claymore18:30 Southwell (A.W)

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Jky: Jonny Peate Tnr: Jane Chapple-Hyam

Champagne Prince18:30 Southwell (A.W)

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Jky: Daniel Muscutt Tnr: Jane Chapple-Hyam

Southwell stat: trainer to follow

If you backed Michael Herrington's runners at the track this year to £1 level stakes you would have made a profit of £43. He runs Bay Of Naples (7.00) and Legal Reform (8.30).