What's on this week: a party at Punchestown, a glorious Sandown finale and a long-awaited white paper

Monday

There is good action on the track on Monday with five meetings in Britain and Ireland. The 1m2f handicap (3.00) is the feature on Pontefract's seven-race card, while the other fixtures in Britain come from Windsor, Hexham and Kempton in the evening. 

Naas's twilight fixture features the Listed Woodlands Stakes (6.40), in which the high-class Tenebrism bids to make it two wins from as many starts this season.

Off the track, we will find out the final fields for day two of the Punchestown festival. There is still uncertainty over whether Bravemansgame will be able to take on the brilliant Galopin Des Champs in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup (5.55).

Tuesday

The 2023 Punchestown festival gets under way and the three Grade 1 contests look set to be dominated by Willie Mullins. Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Energumene bids to follow up in the William Hill Champion Chase (5.25) again, while he has leading hope Facile Vega in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle (4.15) and Sir Gerhard and Appreciate It in the Champion Novice Chase (6.35).

There could be more Classic clues in store at Epsom on a card headlined by the Blue Riband Trial (2.25). Vertem Futurity Trophy second Epictetus is a hot favourite to oblige for John and Thady Gosden and Frankie Dettori. There are also Flat meetings from Yarmouth and Wolverhampton, as well as a jumps bill from Ffos Las.

The final fields for day three of the Punchestown festival will also be revealed, with the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle and the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase the features.

Epictetus: the star name on show at Epsom on TuesdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Wednesday

Day two of the Punchestown festival could feature a mammoth rematch between Cheltenham Gold Cup first and second Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame in the Punchestown equivalent (5.55), which could also feature Ryanair Chase winner Envoi Allen. 

There are also two other Grade 1s including the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle (5.20), which could feature Gaelic Warrior, while A Dream To Share could run in the Champion I.N.H Flat Race (6.30).

Perth's three-day festival gets under way, with the 3m Listed novice hurdle (3.00) the feature, while there is also action from Ludlow, Catterick and Lingfield in Britain.

The final fields will be revealed for the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle (5.25) and Champion Novice Hurdle (6.00) on the penultimate day of Punchestown, as well as for the first day of Sandown's two-day meeting, which begins on Friday. 

Thursday

Not only will this be a big day on the track, but it could be a huge one off of it as well, with the long-awaited gambling review white paper in Britain finally set to be published.

British racing will have great interest in what it contains, given the controversy caused by affordability checks over the last year or so.

At Punchestown, Teahupoo, Monkfish, Klassical Dream and Asterion Forlonge could all clash in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (5.25), while El Fabiolo will be the red-hot favourite to win the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase (6.35).

The second day of Perth's festival, Taunton, Beverley and Chelmsford complete the day's action in Britain.

El Fabiolo: impressive winner of the Arkle could run at Punchestown this weekCredit: Patrick McCann

Friday

It could be a day where the best of both Flat and jumps are seen, with some stars set to potentially make their return at Sandown. Adayar, who ran just twice last year, could clash with Champion Stakes rival Bay Bridge and Anmaat in the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes (2.25), while My Prospero and Laurel could face off in the bet365 Mile (3.00).

Classic clues will also be on show in the bet365 Classic Trial (3.35), with Criterium de Saint-Cloud runner-up Arrest potentially facing Group 3 winner Flying Honours for Godolphin.

State Man is expected to be the star on day four of the Punchestown festival in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle (5.25) as he bids to get back to winning ways. Impaire Et Passe could be another brilliant act on the card in the Champion Novice Hurdle (6.00).

Perth's three-day festival comes to an end, with the Highland National (2.05) the feature, while there is also action from Doncaster, Southwell and Chepstow.

Saturday

The British and Irish jumps seasons both come to an end on finale day at Sandown and day five of the Punchestown festival.

The feature at Sandown is the bet365 Gold Cup (2.15), in which Scottish National hero Kitty's Light could bid for a famous quick double, but there is also the Grade 1 bet365 Celebration Chase (1.40), the Oaksey Chase (2.50) and Select Hurdle (4.00) on a quality card.

Lossiemouth could bid to end her fine juvenile campaign as the leading lady at Punchestown in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (5.00), while the Mares Champion Hurdle (3.50) is the other Grade 1 on the card.

Willie Mullins might have his eyes fixed firmly on Punchestown but on the final day of the festival the stable’s Franco De Port is set to go on trial for France’s biggest chasing prize when lining up in the Prix Ingre at Auteuil. The Ingre is the last main trial for the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, in which Franco De Port and Danny Mullins finished a courageous third last season.

In Britain, the remaining meetings come from Flat fixtures at Haydock, Leicester, Ripon, Doncaster and Wolverhampton.

Sunday

Dubai Honour will bid for a lucrative stop-off on his way home from a dual Group 1 strike in Australia when facing some top-notch rivals in the FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin. Tom Marquand makes the trip to Hong Kong, where Dubai Honour will need to overcome local hero Romantic Warrior, as well as a typically strong Japanese challenge headed by Danon The Kid, if he is to become the first European-trained winner of the race since Luca Cumani struck with Presvis in 2009. 

The first Group 1 of the European Flat season, the Prix Ganay, should be a cracker, with Luxembourg, Onesto and Vadeni potentially renewing their rivalry. The trio finished 1-2-3 in last season’s Irish Champion Stakes before heading to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and all three are on track to launch their four-year-old careers over an extended mile and a quarter at Longchamp. 

In Britain, there is Flat action from Musselburgh and Wetherby.

Read these next:

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'I didn't count on Bay Bridge and Adayar turning up' - Owen Burrows' Anmaat set to contest red-hot Gordon Richards Stakes  

Energumene to face five rivals in Champion Chase as Punchestown festival day one fields are revealed 

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