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Racing Demon can place at Ascot, but Geeveem looks one to oppose at Haydock

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Plenty of talking points for Graham Cunningham this weekend, who can't help but be excited. And it's not just horse racing that's getting him going.

It promises to be a humdinger of a weekend. Ascot has Kauto Star and company. Haydock has a clutch of Grand National contenders for the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup plus a cracking undercard, while Wincanton serves up the last meaningful Champion Hurdle trial as Katchit takes on Amaretto Rose in the Kingwell.

Forming an early punting plan and sticking to it can be a big help when the action comes so thick and fast and, provided frost doesn't intervene, mine will centre around one race at Ascot and three at Haydock.

Anyone opposing Kauto Star in the Ascot Chase is taking a chance that the Gold Cup winner will either fall or run way below par, so this looks an ideal chance to focus on the place market instead.

Last year's winner Monet's Garden is an obvious option, but I will be backing Racing Demon to get in the money. Henrietta Knight's gelding owes me a few quid after failing by a short head to grab third in the King George, but he looks as good as ever and two miles five at Ascot looks tailor made for him to run his race again.

The Red Square Vodka Gold Cup is plainly wide open, but an unusually fine week at Haydock will place the emphasis much more on pace than usual for such a marathon. And with that in mind a small place lay of Geeveem looks a fair call. The fact that Paul Nicholls trains him will ensure this gelding has his followers, but he is a quirky type with the potential to run in snatches. If he does that under these conditions he might well find himself with too much to do in the straight.

Serabad can strike to put the smile back on Bowen's face

SIXTY nine for one isn't a bad score in cricket, especially if you are playing for England at the moment, but if you are a top racehorse trainer then 69 losers for one winner is a statistic to prompt concern.

Step forward Peter Bowen, whose fine autumn has given way to a lean winter with only one winner from 35 runners in December and none from 34 in 2008 up to close of business on Thursday.

It's a barren spell by any standards for the Welsh wizard and one which sets punters a difficult poser ahead of Haydock's weekend action. Bowen sends four of his stable stars to Haydock and it will be fascinating to see how the Betfair market responds to their chances.

First up is Serabad and, although I would be lying if I said the yard's quiet spell didn't concern me, this ex-French gelding will surely be hard to beat in the 12.35. Granted, he has failed to cut the mustard against leading juvenile Franchoek three times this season, but he ran a cracker behind him at Chepstow over Christmas and emerged with honour again when second to Alan King's gelding at Cheltenham.

Harry Tricker is a danger if he puts his best foot forward, while Bayonyx is also on the up, but Serabad's best is on another level and his high cruising speed will be a big asset on this speed favouring track.

Tazbar the value to put Souffleur in his place

HANDLING Haydock's tight turns will also play a big part in deciding whether the Bowen-trained Special Envoy can cut down Wichita Lineman in Haydock's 1.05. The latter tackles three miles for the first time this season, and Jonjo O'Neill's gelding has been crying out for extra distance, but his lazy style makes it highly likely that he will be chopped for speed and drift in the in play market at some point again.

Special Envoy is a much smoother traveller and is capable of winning a race like this at his best, but it might pay to swerve this contest and wait to back the progressive Tazbar in his clash with Bowen's Souffleur in the 1.35. Souffleur has much the highest rating of this bunch thanks to his Challow Hurdle win at Newbury, but he flopped at Warwick last time and has questions to answer on drying ground.

By contrast, Tazbar is thriving. Granted, he only scrambled home at Donny last time - and most of the coverage centred around the fact that hot favourite Khyber Kim flopped - but a steady pace over two miles there was never going to be ideal. Prior to that Tazbar made a couple of reasonable rivals look like selling platers over two and three quarter miles at Newcastle. He jumped and raced with real enthusiasm there and, although this field is infinitely stronger, I suspect he is good enough to confirm Keith Reveley's view that he is potentially the best horse to come out of his Saltburn yard for many a year.

Ruby's shining spring rests on three crucial choices

THERE can't be too many drawbacks to being Ruby Walsh. Granted, having to eat half of what the rest of us consume is one of them. And looking like the "Before" half of a Grecian 2000 commercial when you are still a year shy of 30 is another. But Walsh will be walking the sort of high wire every rider both dreams of and dreads over the next few weeks.

First, he has to stay healthy to partner one of the most impressive books of big race rides any jockey has ever clapped eyes on. And then he has to risk tossing a place in racing history away if he chooses wrongly in the biggest chases of the season.

Choice one probably didn't take long. After all, Kauto Star has won one Gold Cup and even the lure of the mighty Denman had to be resisted ahead of his follow up bid. But from then on it gets desperately tricky. Splitting Twist Magic and Master Minded in the Champion Chase will be very tough, and then there is the dilemma of whether to partner Mr Pointment or Snowy Morning in the Grand National.

It would be unlike the canny Walsh to choose wrongly once, let alone twice. But if he gets all three wrong the ones that got away could haunt him for the rest of his career.

Wolves can buck the stats as Super League gathers pace

YES, this is a racing blog which seldom drifts into other sports. But it might just pay to make an exception for Friday's televised Super League clash between St Helens and Warrington Wolves.

Stats followers will make this a no brainer. After all, the Wolves have gone 14 years since their last win at Knowsley Road and have only beaten their arch rivals once from 30 attempts in the Super League era.

But that was then. The now for Saints revolves around a string of injuries to star players and a controversial opening day defeat at Hull KR. By contrast, Warrington looked impressive in beating Hull at home last week and could finally be ready to break into the elite on the back of signing proven Aussie stars like Matt King and Michael Monaghan.

In short, Warrington will never get a better chance to turn Saints over and a split stakes bet on them to win outright at around 2.9 and with a 6.5pts start at 1.9 or better could help get the weekend off to a flyer.

Cunningham's weekend plan:

1 Haydock, 12:35. Back Serabad
2 Haydock, 1:35. Back Tazbar
3 Haydock, 2:45. Place Lay, Geeveem
4 Ascot, 2:25. Place Back, Racing Demon
5 Back Warrington to beat St Helens in Match Odds and Back Warrington + 6.5pts.