Weekend Preview / Timeform / 20 February 2009 / Leave a comment

Timeform look ahead to weekend of racing which might provide some clues as to which horses to look out for at Cheltenham.

With the Cheltenham Festival approaching there is high quality jump racing action from Kempton on Saturday, the showpiece of which is the three mile Grade 3 Racing Post Chase handicap.

Paul Nicholls' Big Fella Thanks heads the market. He was raised 13 lb by the BHA handicapper following a facile win in a valuable handicap at Doncaster last time, and faces opposition from the Henderson pair Fleet Street and Oedipe, as well as Fier Normand and Piraya.

Earlier on the card the williamhill.com Grade 2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle sees several contenders from the top yards attempt to consolidate their Supreme Novices credentials, with Ainama, Alfie Flits and Conflictofinterest all making the line-up whilst the Grade 2 Pendil Novices' Chase contains Herecomesthetruth, Au Courant, Ouzbeck and Premier Des Marais.

Newcastle hosts Eider Chase day, with the feature race receiving a total of thirteen entries, with Keith Reveley's Jass bidding to give his handler a second successive big-race win a week on from Rambling Minster's win at Haydock last Saturday.

Over at Chepstow, the progressive Bally Conn bids for a fifth win of the season in the 2.45 toteswinger.com handicap hurdle and later admirable servants Bob Bob Bobbin, Foreman and Bleu Superbe compete in the veterans handicap chase.

Lingfield hosts a valuable all-weather card on Saturday, with several big prize funds on offer. The 3.40 Cleves Stakes has drawn seven entries for the £40,000 contest whilst the following race, the Winter Derby Trial Stakes has a similar worth, and features, amongst others, Kandidate and Scinitillo.

Fairyhouse hosts Grade 2 action on Saturday with both the Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle at 2.40 and the At The Races BobbyJo Chase at 3.15. Five go to post for the latter contest, which sees Grand National runner-up Snowy Morning return to action for the first time since falling in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on Boxing Day.

There is further graded racing at Naas on Sunday. Should he line up, Zaarito is set to face five rivals in the Grade 2 Johnstown Novice Hurdle whilst thirty minutes later Majestic Concord is top-rated by Timeform in the Grade 2 Woodlands Park 100 Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase.

The highlight of Fontwell's card on Sunday is the National Spirit Hurdle whilst other racing in Britain comes courtesy of Towcester and Lingfield. International fixtures include both Sha Tin (featuring the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup) and the unique spectacle of racing on the ice at St. Moritz.