What's on this week: all roads lead to Sandown's Tingle Creek for Defi Du Seuil

MONDAY

After the pulsating weekend action on both sides of the Irish Sea, it is a somewhat low-key start to the week with meetings at Musselburgh and Plumpton over jumps and Wolverhampton on the all-weather.

The main race of the day is the novice chase at Plumpton (1.00) which was won 12 months ago by Kalashnikov, who was sent off at prohibitive odds of 1-7 before going on to score in Grade 1 company at Aintree.

It might be asking a lot for any of the five runners in this year’s renewal to repeat that feat but the protagonists this time around are Alan King’s Lisp and De Plotting Shed, trained by Suzi Best.

TUESDAY

Afternoon jumping action from Lingfield and Southwell, with Dundalk also staging a six-race card on the Polytrack, and a tea-time meeting at Wolverhampton under the floodlights.

Conditions are bound to be testing at Lingfield and Donald McCain is anything but a regular visitor to the venue but he could send Ubaltique south from his Cheshire base. The 11-year-old holds entries in the 2m handicap hurdle and the 2m4f veterans' chase and he may well take up the latter option with stable conditional Lorcan Murtagh already jocked up.

WEDNESDAY

Competitive jumps cards at Haydock and Ludlow are supported by an all-weather double at Lingfield and later by a twilight card at Kempton, with plenty of riders likely to take in both.

Good Boy Bobby (leading): entered at Haydock on WednesdayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Haydock’s £20,000 novice chase (1.55) promises to be an informative affair if they all turn up with last-time-out winners Champagne Mystery, Good Boy Bobby and Two For Gold among the nine entries.

THURSDAY

The Leicester team will hope the weather gods are smiling on the East Midlands course as they were forced to pull the plug on last Sunday’s card. But with a dry week in the forecast hopes are high that they race with the opener scheduled for 12.10.

They will be joined by Wincanton and Market Rasen with Clonmel hosting a seven-race card and the nightcap will be provided by Fibresand action at Southwell.

Wincanton is always a happy hunting ground for Paul Nicholls and he is likely to be well represented again. If the rain stays away and the ground is close to good the Malcolm Denmark-owned Scaramanga is worth a look in the handicap hurdle (2.05).

FRIDAY

Pride of place goes to Sandown as they get underway with a classy two-day meeting and the feature on the first day will be the Grade 2 novice hurdle (2.25). The race has thrown up some classy types in the past and Olly Murphy will be hoping the well regarded Overthetop can build on his recent Carlisle victory.

Back up under the jumping code is provided by meetings at Exeter and Sedgefield while an all-weather card at Newcastle signs the day off.

SATURDAY

The Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase looks likely to serve up another cracker as Defi Du Seuil is due to take on two previous winners in Politologue and Un De Sceaux.

Sprinter Sacre: the brilliant chaser won the Tingle Creek in 2012Credit: Edward Whitaker

The outcome of this fascinating clash is certain to throw some light on whether the JP McManus team keep Defi Du Seuil at two miles or return to two and a half. His trainer Philip Hobbs last took the prize with Flagship Uberalles back in 2001.

Aintree also stages a classy card and the Becher Chase over the Grand National fences may throw up some clues for next April. Support cards are at Wetherby and Chepstow with Wolverhampton rounding things off in the evening.

SUNDAY

Huntingdon’s Grade 2 Peterborough Chase is the feature contest of the day with Kelso as a back-up while there are also decent cards in Ireland at Punchestown and Cork.

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