What's on this week: Skelton and Mullins clash at Cheltenham, Newmarket's Craven meeting and All-Weather Championships

Monday

Britain's jumps trainers' title race is expected to simmer all week, although there is limited prize-money on offer at Warwick and Hexham. Dan Skelton has four runners at Warwick – Lady Jago (5.10), Gwennie May Jem (5.40), Mokoro (7.10) and Queens Wish (7.40) – as he tries to build on his slender lead of £1,431 over Willie Mullins.

Pontefract hosts a £30,000 handicap (3.35) which is the pick of the action in Britain; Tramore provides the Irish card and Chantilly is the destination for the only Group race of the day – the Prix Sigy (3.15). Big-spending operations Amo and Wathnan are involved with Arizona Blaze and The Strikin Viking respectively.

Tuesday

The Craven meeting has switched around this year and the three-day meeting starts off more strongly than usual with an ITV4 card headlined by the Nell Gwyn Stakes (3.35). Cheveley Park third Arabian Dusk sets the standard in this trial for the 1,000 Guineas but the heavyweight yards of William Haggas, Roger Varian, Andrew Balding, Charlie Appleby and John and Thady Gosden are all represented among the opposition.

Ambiente Friendly (yellow): runner-up to City Of Troy in last year's DerbyCredit: John Grossick

The undercard is useful too, with last year's Derby second Ambiente Friendly the headline act on his first start for James Owen in the Earl of Sefton Stakes (3.00). Hector Crouch joins Tom Marquand, Callum Shepherd, Robert Havlin and Christophe Soumillon on the list of jockeys to ride the talented four-year-old, on just his ninth start.

A jumps card from Southwell and all-weather meeting from Kempton complete the day's proceedings.

Wednesday

ITV's midweek feast rolls on, this time incorporating the first day of Cheltenham's April meeting. Mullins could be represented in the feature £70,000 Silver Trophy (2.40) with Tullyhill, Classic Getaway and O'Moore Park all prominent at the head of the market.

Jeriko Du Reponet, who finished second in last month's Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival, is a name to note on the undercard. He could run in a 3m handicap hurdle (3.50).

At Newmarket, the Craven Stakes takes centre stage (3.35). Godolphin are heavily featured among the entries, with Al Qudra, Anno Domini, Aomori City and the unbeaten Opera Ballo among the possible field. Last season's Royal Lodge winner Wimbledon Hawkeye, Group 1 victor New Century and Field Of Gold, who won the Solario Stakes for the Gosdens, ensure this is likely to be a deep line-up.

The day's other meetings are at Beverley, Ffos Las and Gowran Park.

Thursday

Day two of Cheltenham's April meeting means the fillies and mares are given the limelight, with all seven races confined to that sex. Mullins is taking aim at it too, with nine entries across the card, including Sainte Lucie – who was favourite for a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival two starts ago – in the 2m1f juvenile handicap hurdle (1.35).

It is also the final day of the Craven meeting at Newmarket, with the 7f conditions race (4.10) the feature. It has been won by Group winners Mutasaabeq and Beat The Bank and this year's line-up could include Nebras, who disappointed in the Futurity Trophy last season.

Ripon stages its first meeting of the year, while there is evening action from Ffos Las and Clonmel, which is an all-hurdle and a bumper card because of the dry weather.

Friday

It is Good Friday, which means it is also All-Weather Championships finals day at Newcastle, with the champions of the respective divisions on the artificial surface this winter crowned.

Cloud Cover: bids for a repeat win at NewcastleCredit: John Grossick

The feature race is the 1m2f Easter Classic (4.07) and that could have a notable runner in French raider Hooking. The Philippe Decouz-trained nine-year-old is owned by France and Atletico Madrid footballer Antoine Griezmann, and has won at Listed level this year. Cloud Cover goes for successive wins in the Fillies' And Mares' Handicap (2.25), while Classic clues could be on show in the Listed Burradon Stakes (1.15).

Five of Newcastle's races will be shown on ITV, as will six from Lingfield's All-Weather Vase card. The all-weather action is completed at Chelmsford, where Group 2 winners Aesterius and Sky Majesty could face a fascinating clash in the 6f conditions contest (4.30).

Saturday

It is a quieter Saturday than usual on the track, but Musselburgh takes centre stage with its big Flat card of the year, headlined by the £100,000 Virgin Bet Queen's Cup (3.35).

The meeting was dramatically cancelled on raceday morning last year, but 2023 hero Wise Eagle could bid to win the lucrative staying handicap again. It also features the Scottish Sprint Cup Handicap (3.00).

In Ireland, Fairyhouse's three-day Irish Grand National meeting kicks off with a 2m Listed handicap hurdle (5.05) the highlight, while Britain's best jumps action comes from Haydock with two Challenger Series finals the Unibet Middle Distance Veterans' Series final too.

Huntingdon, Newton Abbot and Carlisle also stage jumps fixtures, while there are Flat cards at Cork and Wolverhampton.

Sunday

The second day of the Irish Grand National meeting at Fairyhouse kicks into gear with two Grade 1s, including the WillowWarm Gold Cup (2.22).

The 2m4f race has been won by Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs, and this year's running could be a cracker, with Impaire Et Passe, Ballyburn and Cheltenham Festival hero Lecky Watson entered. 

The Honeysuckle Mares' Novice Hurdle (4.10) is the other top-flight race, and Honeysuckle's trainer, Henry de Bromhead, could be represented by festival winner Air Of Entitlement. She could face a rematch against Sixandahalf and Maughreen, while Albert Bartlett runner-up The Big Westerner is also being considered for the race.

Cork's attention turns to the jumps for the second day of its Easter festival, and its feature 3m chase has been renamed in honour of the late Michael O'Sullivan. In Britain, there is Listed action on the Flat at Bath and a jumps meeting at Market Rasen.

Read more...

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'If I rode the horse now, he would win by five lengths - I was so bad I offered to pay back my riding fee' 

A double-green Royal Ascot contender emerges at the Curragh - plus a trainer worth keeping on side this spring 

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