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AS LONG as the weather doesn’t rear it’s ugly head through Saturday afternoon, we have some cracking national hunt racing to look forward to at both Haydock Park and Ascot.

The small fields are a disappointment at the Merseyside track and with the ground set to get even more testing mud lovers need only apply.

My starting point has to be the three-mile Rendlesham Hurdle at 2.05 where the likely favourite is going to be Long Distance Hurdle winner Thomas Darby.

However, he almost certainly wants better ground than this which serves his turn of foot much better.

I simply cannot see why hurdle winner TOP VILLE BEN is as big as 8/1 following that all the way victory at Lingfield Park.

He will never win at Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham, but a test in deep ground around here looks highly suitable especially as the sharp hurdles track at Haydock is sure to suit his front running style.

If the veteran hops over his hurdles as sweetly as he did at the Surrey track then I think he can gallop his rivals into the ground and see off the likes of last year’s winner Third Wind and the mare Molly Ollys Wishes. The latter could be the biggest danger receiving weight all round.

The big betting race on the card is the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (2.40) over a gruelling three-and-a-half miles and there can be little doubt that this represents a cracking chance for last year’s Welsh National hero SECRET REPRIEVE to bounce back to winning form.

He ran well enough in this year’s renewal when badly in need of the run and should be spot on for this off a mark of 138 (won at Chepstow off 134).

His light burden will quite obviously be a huge plus in this ground, with Bristol De Mai keeping the weights down, and he can stake his claim to a place in the Aintree Grand National field by beating the fabulous grey and mud loving Kalooki.

As far as the rest of the card is concerned, the three-mile Pertemps Qualifier at 3.15 looks the most competitive race of the day.

Bushypark ambled to victory in this race last year and although he is set to run off a 12lbs higher mark, I think he will relish the return to hurdling following three runs over fences.

Of course this year he will require more to double up, but his style of running from the front will suit him as well and he should go close, but he may just find the concession of 5lbs to the lightly raced OPTIMISE PRIME too hot to handle.

Still unexposed as a staying hurdler, this son of Shantou has always looked as though this kind of test would suit him following his one paced effort behind Earth Lord at Ascot over two-and-three quarter miles.

The second and fourth have cemented that form since then and off exactly the same mark of 127 his chance is clear to see with more improvement to come at this three-mile trip.

SCIPION looks the value against the huge Hillcrest and recent Sandown winner Green Book (had a very hard race that day) in the Albert Bartlett at 3.50, while BOB AND CO has a straight forward enough task in the concluding hunter chase at 4.25.

There is a superb punting card at Ascot as well and the Grade One Ascot Chase at 3.38 looks to have plenty of strength in it. Last year Dashel Drasher outstayed Master Tommytucker and he looks sure to be in the thick of things at the business end again with conditions very much in his favour.

But I just prefer the claims of FANION D’ESTRUVAL (nb) from the red hot Venetia Williams yard. I felt his amateur rider went for home a shade too soon over the course and distance last time out and was predictably a sitting duck for Phoenix Way down the home stretch.

With Charlie Deutsch taking over in the saddle, he should be able to judge things better and take care of the title holder and classy Irish raider Fakir D’oudaries.

The big betting race of the day is the Listed handicap chase at 2.25, but sadly with a disappointing turnout of only 10 runners headed by the classy Fiddlerontheroof.

However, he may not really want a slog through what is likely to be heavy ground off top weight and I fancy that LARRY can repeat his course and distance victory in the London Gold Cup in October when he came from way off the pace to win off a mark of 132.

With Niall Houlihan set to claim 3lbs on the selection, he will run off the same mark here. With several of these set to race prominently we should get a good test at the trip and the Gary Moore charge is once again taken to pick them off one by one as they turn uphill from Swinley Bottom.

Former Midlands Grand National winner Truckers Lodge is beginning to look better handicapped now and could be the biggest danger ahead of the dour stayer Fortescue and light weight Hold That Thought.

SCARFACE finally gets the test of stamina he has been crying out for in the opening novice hurdle at 1.15 and he can make the most of the weight he is set to receive from the winners in this line-up.

The Tizzard team have hit form at exactly the right time and this son of Milan will not be found wanting for stamina here with plenty of improvement to come and the horse that beat him at Exeter has won again.

The staying handicap hurdle at 4.10 can go to the lightly raced ATAKAN, another Tizzard in mate. He looks sure to step up on his recent starts now he gets to race over three miles on soft ground, while GOOD RISK AT ALL (nap) can open his hurdling account in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle at 3.00.

Runner-up to Jonbon at Newbury in a maiden hurdle, he just failed to peg back Barichello at Warwick last time out and this extra yardage looks a big plus up against more seasoned campaigners.