Many of National Hunt’s big names are on show this weekend with a series of heavyweight contests taking place on both sides of the Irish Sea.
The exciting Grey Dawning faces eight rivals on his first run of the season in Saturday’s Gr1 Betfair Chase (17h05) at Haydock.
Ahoy Senor is the highest-rated runner in the field on Saturday (Pic – Pic Dan Abraham-focusonracing.com)
Winner of the Turners Novices’ Chase at last season’s Cheltenham Festival, Grey Dawning faces a stiff challenge having skipped possible comeback runs at Wetherby and Carlisle in recent weeks.
Defending champ Royale Pagaille is out to enhance his fine course record at Haydock for his trainer Venetia Williams and he will ensue a gallop is on from the start.
Scottish trained Ahoy Senor is the highest-rated runner in the field and he made a pleasing start to his season when third in the Old Roan at Aintree, while The Real Whacker and Bravemansgame – who finished first and second respectively in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby – are set to renew their rivalry. Trainer Paul Nicholls tries blinkers on the latter for the first time.
Last year’s King George VI Chase winner Hewick, who was a brave second to Envoi Allen in the Champion Chase over three miles at Down Royal earlier in the month looks a big threat together with fellow Irish raider Capodanno from the all-conquering Willie Mullins yard.
The Mullins yard is not holding back at Punchestown over the weekend with stable stars topping the betting boards in both Group 1 features.
On Saturday, Champion Hurdler State Man and Lossiemouth, the impressive Mares’ Hurdle winner clash in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle (16h10).
State Man bids for a hat-trick in the Punchestown feature, but this looks his stiffest test yet as he attempts to maintain a perfect 5-5 course record.
Lossiemouth is set for a Champion Hurdle campaign this season and she receives 7lbs from her older stablemate. Paul Townend stays loyal to State Man while Patrick Mullins rides Lossiemouth.
Sunday sees an epic clash in the John Durkan Memorial Chase (16h25) with Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow clashing for a seventh occasion.
The score stands at three apiece, and they will again face off in the race Fastorslow won last year.
It was Fastorslow’s third Group 1 triumph, defeating the dual Gold Cup winner by a length and three-quarters. He seems to run better fresh, so could have the edge over Galopin Des Champs again.
Galopin Des Champs won the John Durkan in 2022 and scored a hat-trick of Group 1s last year, including when storming to success in the season’s championship event.
Interestingly, neither Galopin Des Champs nor Fastorslow are favourite on Sunday. Instead Galopin’s stablemate Fact To File has that honour. He has been widely touted as a Gold Cup horse since his impressive victory in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham in March.
The seven-year-old has looked a rare talent since transferring his excellent bumper form to chasing, but if the weather stays dry, he may find it hard to stay with the defending champ Fastorslow.
