#Alan Johns

There are five meetings across the UK and Ireland on Thursday, four National Hunt and one Flat. Newcastle (12.00noon-3.23pm), Market Rasen (12.17-3.40), Wincanton (12.25-3.50) and Clonmel (12.42-3.53) stage the jump cards before the all-weather Flat meeting at Chelmsford (5.00-8.30) brings the curtain down. Thursday's nap has made a bright start to…

Ten-times Grade One winner Altior might now be enjoy a well-deserved retirement, but the silks of owner Patricia Pugh he carried to glory on 21 occasions were seen back in the winner's enclosure following the victory of Attacca at Kempton. Having finished second on his debut at Warwick 221 days ago, the form of which has already been franked by…

The clocks have gone back, but the Betway Haldon Gold Cup has gone forwards. A race that is usually always run on the first Tuesday in November, following the Melbourne Cup, takes place 72 hours later this year. It looks a good new slot for an £80000 contest that, while perhaps not stopping the nation, is always a good race in its own right and can…