ASCOT – SATURDAY

1.15pm

Pipesmoker

We obviously don’t know how he will handle the testing conditions but there was no doubting the promise he showed me when finishing third over 2m1f at Cheltenham. That was an excellent hurdling debut and the manner in which he stayed on after the last suggests the step up in trip here will be very welcome. That Cheltenham form looks very strong too, with Chantry House winning since and runner-up Stolen Silver catching the eye in the Betfair Hurdle on Saturday, and you would expect him to improve a good deal for it. If he handles the ground, I obviously expect a bold showing with the race cutting up to just four runners!

1.50pm

Pym

A small field of six perhaps but this looks a pretty hot Reynoldstown from where I am standing. However, we could not be happier with the way Pym has progressed over fences, improving from start to start and following up his course-and-distance success with a Cheltenham win last time. The form of that 8-length defeat of Imperial Aura was franked by the runner-up in defeat next time, and you have to love the way this horse finishes off his races. His Ascot win came on soft ground but ideally he wouldn’t want it to get any worse than that, and the forecast strongly suggests it will be!

EXETER – SUNDAY

3.05pm

Welsh Saint

He is entered but due to run at Haydock on Saturday.

5.15pm

Adrimel

He is another horse who was meant to run last week but he got taken out of Newbury. What I said then pretty much stands here.  I haven’t ridden him but it looks like the form he showed in winning his bumper by a wide margin on heavy ground at Uttoxeter in December gives him leading claims here. And this looks a touch easier assignment than the Newbury race, which was won by a very impressive sort.