Three Horses To Take Note Of This Weekend

The big race of the weekend is the Grade One Clarence House Chase at Ascot and even with a small field there is a star studded line up and Defi Du Seuil looks the one to beat.

Philip Hobbs' superstar is back seeking another Grade One victory to add to his illustrious career already and he has a huge chance in what will be one of the toughest races of his season.

This term he has raced twice and is still unbeaten after scoring on his seasonal debut in the Grade Two Shloer Chase and then he backed that up by landing the third Grade One of his career in the Tingle Creek at Sandown.

He is set to renew his rivalry with the superb veteran Un De Sceaux who he narrowly beat at Sandown before the turn of the year and the thought of them two been locked in a battle up the run in is what we all love racing for.

However, we feel that the younger Defi Du Seuil has more scope and larger will to win than the 12 year old and it should be a perfect stepping stone before the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

Haydock also host a stellar card on Saturday with three Grade Two contests on offer and The New One Unibet Hurdle which is registered at the Champion Hurdle Trial Hurdle should be a show stopper.

With plenty of horses looking to prove they can break open this division the horse we think has a big chance is Nicky Henderson's Pentland Hills.

This five year old was a smart horse on the flat but since joining Nicky Henderson has turned into a different animal over hurdles winning his first three events in superb style.

His break through run came at the Cheltenham festival when landing the Triumph Hurdle on the final day of the meeting at odds of 20/1.

He backed this up with another Grade One in the four year old Juvenile Hurdle at theGrand National meeting narrowly seeing off Fakir D'oudairies.

He made his seasonal debut at Cheltenham this term in the Grade Two International Hurdle and although travelling the best all the way round he blew up with two furlongs to go and looked like he needed the run.

Now he will be much fitter and stronger and if the five year old can not win this event then you cn forget him going close in the Grade One at the festival.

The final horse that should be running on Saturday is Gary Moore's superstar Goshen and the four year old has really turned some heads on both his runs of hurdles so far this season winning by a shared 57 lengths over both his runs at Fontwell and Sandown and is now the 7/1 joint favourite for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival.

His trainer Moore has been left in a very difficult situation after he planned on giving Goshen his final run before the festival at Huntingdon but now will have to make other arrangements with this weekend at Ascot in the first race of the day looking an option.

The youngster, although not being the smartest of jumpers over his obstacles has looked a serious athlete with plenty of pace on the flat and if getting through this contest on the weekend has to have a big chance in the Grade One at Prestbury Park.