#Hacker Des Places

FAKIR D'OUDAIRES can land a big prize for Ireland in the Grade 1 Marsh Chase. Joseph O'Brien's chaser is as tough as they come and bounded clear by 11 lengths in this race 12 months ago. Returning in his usual consistent manner, JP McManus' seven-year-old recorded a 15-length score at Grade 2 level in November. There was no disgrace in finding…

Protektorat flew the Lodge Hill flag high with victory in the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock but it is Skelton's handicappers who have been in scintillating form since then and the trainer has chances in both the Betfair Exchange Trophy - a race he first won with Willow's Saviour in 2013 - and the Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase. The…

Well two for Paul Nicholls and with neither Nicky Henderson or the Ditcheat maestro having runners in the feature - he looks firm favourite to take a 13th Trainers' Championship. We had a winner for Ireland - one for Scotland - and one for Wales... Make sure you join Andy Jones and myself for all of the action tomorrow from 10am. The feature race…

At The Races expert Alan Thomson gives his thoughts and a big-race verdict on the Race of the Day at Ascot, an ultra-competitive handicap hurdle. The Sky Sports Racing cameras focus on Ascot's Friday slot and nine runners go to post for the Class 2 Garden For All Seasons Handicap Hurdle (3.15) over two miles. Fancied Herbiers has been declared a…

David Pipe seems fairly sweet on Umbrigado (left) The fingerprints of the Pipe family are all over the Paddy Power Gold Cup and there is hope Saturday's showpiece at Cheltenham (2.20) can find its way back to their Devon yard. Legendary trainer Martin Pipe won the race a record eight times before handing the licence to his son David, who struck in…

Entries have been revealed today for the £160000 Paddy Power Gold, the highlight of The November Meeting at Cheltenham (Saturday 12th November). Staged over two and a half miles, the Premier Handicap Chase was inaugurated in 1960 and is the first big race of the Jump season. Sponsor Paddy Power has three 7-1 co-favourites - French Dynamite (Mouse…

4561 total views, 4561 views today Paul Nicholls might have turned 60 earlier this year but his hunger for success remains as strong as ever as he bids to defend his Jump Trainers' Championship and claim a 14 title. The Ditcheat handler is confident he has another "great team" on his hands for his 32 season as a licence holder and is excited to…