THERE is a great variety of horse racing this weekend with something for everyone and the Pertemps Network Swinton Handicap Hurdle at Haydock Park is the main event at the Merseyside track.

Plenty of the 17 entries have been waiting for the spring ground that this famous handicap is normally run on and all eyes will be on the top two in the market, Tellherthename and Gibbs Island. Both of them were eye catchers in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and were then aimed at the Scottish Champion Hurdle, but a flurry of wet weather saw both horses withdrawn, hence their redirection to HP.

Of the two I prefer Gibbs Island who may have the more improvement in him than the mare, but in such a large field and with plenty of places up for grabs from the bookmakers I am going to go a little bit more left of centre with the James Owen-trained HAMLET’S KNIGHT (1.15) trained by the in form James Owen.

The Newmarket handler is running at a huge 29 per cent strike rate in the past fortnight and is on fire across both racing codes.

This five-year-old is another open to significant improvement and he left his Kelso form well behind (raced very wide that day) when a cracking fifth of 14 in the Sussex Champion Hurdle at Plumpton. A recent run on the flat confirms he remains in great form and a mark of 130 gives him a very live each-way chance. Another outsider, FRONTIER PRINCE, is also worth a second look and as he too is such a big price I will be supporting him each-way at around the 25/1 mark. I think that the first time cheek pieces will aid this five-year-old and he ran a cracking race behind Dance and Glance over this course and distance at the beginning last month. 

He has a light weight to carry and I expect Jack Hogan to have him at the front edge for most of this ultra-competitive event. Walking On Air returns to hurdles in the opening three miler and if Faye Bramley has the old boy cherry ripe off a mark of 127 he could prove to be the biggest danger to the Skelton’s TRANQUIL SEA (12.45). The quicker ground was the reason for his upturn in a valuable three miler at Plumpton last time out and a seven pound penalty is very fair for that smooth success at the picturesque East Sussex course.

This is one of only a few mixed meetings throughout the year which makes it well worth attending and I am going to take a chance that the old boy AUDIENCE (3.40) can bounce back to form in the Listed Pertemps Network Spring Trophy Stakes following a disappointing time in Meydan. If he retains all of his old ability than this seven-year-old on his favoured good ground could well be overpriced at around 33/1. 

Yes, there are other horses higher rated and in better form and the likes of the globe trotting Lake Forest Ten Bob Tony are rightly to be feared here in this Listed event. The Carey Group Victoria Cup Heritage Handicap at Ascot has its usual mammoth field entry of 29 with surprisingly only three course and distance winners including the 2025 hero Hickory.

However, I fancy that this is a much better strength in depth renewal and I am really keen on having an each-way play on STORM FREE (2.20). The James Tate-trained four-year-old is two from four on the turf and remains unexposed following solid comeback at Newmarket after being gelded with an eye-catching sixth of 18 behind Royal Velvet. Amazingly dropped a pound for that run down to 89 if his draw in box number 13 turns out to be a positive one (Marco Ghiani can go either side early on), then I think he will play a major part in this valuable, big field event.

The Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0 per cent Italy Handicap over a mile and a half looks a crackerjack of a renewal with seven horses rated on 90 or above. It will be interesting to see how strong Opportunity is in the betting because he was very highly regarded by William Haggas as a three-year-old but for several reasons last year didn’t work out for him and after being tailed off in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot he was gelded and he could be well ahead of his current rating of 91.

So I will have a saver on him if the market speaks in his favour, but my base selection has to be KIRCHNER (2.55) another from the sparkling James Owen yard. This son of Pinatubo really could be anything on his UK debut after a year in the sidelines and being gelded. His placed effort behind Parachutiste at Longchamp looks really strong form as that horse has gone on to be placed in Prix Niel and was far from disgraced on his seasonal return in the Prix Right Royal over two miles. If this son of Pinatubo is ready to roll first time out, like the Haggas charge, he could be very nicely treated over this stiff mile and a half. 

The finale over six furlongs looks a competitive races to try and unravel, but fourth in the race last year, DICKO THE LEGEND (4.40) could and should be a huge player again. He lost plenty of ground at the start that day and had to use up a lot of energy to get into contention at the quarter-mile marker before that effort told inside the final furlong. Set to run off the same mark here, the six-year-old gets the nod over the likes of Hectic and Daring Legend.

It is Trials Day at Lingfield Park and the most obvious claims are with the likes of the Godolphin-owned pair ROMANTIC SYMPHONY (1.28) in the Oaks’ Trial and MAHO BAY (1.58) in the Derby equivalent. The last-named has been hugely impressive on is two starts to date at Kempton Park and Newmarket. Yes, the son of Dubawi did have his own way up front at Newmarket and this will be a lot more difficult but he has huge potential and could very well upset the Epsom Derby ante-post market. 

Finally at Nottingham have a second look at PRINCIPALITY (3.25) who has a much easier task off top weight in this class four event after a very fair run in the Spring Mile Handicap Doncaster.