What's On This Week In Racing - 03/12/2018

There are two jump's meetings in the UK on Tuesday, coming from Fakenham and Southwell. The Fakenham card is dominated by Class 4 Handicaps, whereas Southwell has a nice couple of intriguing Class 3 contests, where Sainte Ladylime returns for Kim Bailey for the first time since March.

There is also an all-weather card that kicks off at 11:50 from Lingfield, which is headlined with the Betway Heed Your Hunch Handicap, a Class 2 event over the minimum trip of five furlongs, where Captain Lars will be looking for his twelfth win of the calendar year.

There is plenty of racing to get stuck into halfway through the week, with two jumps meetings in the afternoon being hosted by Haydock and Ludlow. It will be the first time racing returns to Haydock following the controversial size of the fences during the Betfair Chase weekend, whilst Ludlow is headlined with a Chasing Qualifier; For The Challenger Staying Chase Series Final.

There are a number of all-weather meetings as well, with Lingfield staging the second of their two day meeting, which kicks off at 11:30. Kempton's twilight card begins on the polytrack as early as 3:55, whilst Newcastle commences a little later on the Tapeta, at 5:15.

The action begins to heat up ahead of the weekend, with as many as five meetings in England and Ireland on Thursday.

Racing returns to Ireland for the first time since Sunday, where we head to Clonmel for the first time since the Clonmel Oil Chase. In England, all fingers are crossed for Leicester as they look to play host for their first National Hunt fixture of the season, after concerns over the ground has prevented them staging any form of racing of late.

Market Rasen and Wincanton both have racing over obstacles in the afternoon, before Chelmsford takes over at 6pm, for a seven-race card on the Polytrack.

The pick of the racing on Friday comes from Sandown, ahead of the Tingle Creek meeting on Saturday. The Friday card features the Grade 2 Ballymore Winter Novices Hurdle, won last year by On The Blind Side.

Black Op looks set to make his eagerly-anticipated chasing bow round the Exeter circuit, whilst Sedgefield has a seven-race card from County Durham.

Further all-weather action comes from Kempton, with also a night under lights at Dundalk in Ireland.

The big clashes carry on coming thick and fast, and Altior headlines the field going for the 2018 Tingle Creek Chase. Nicky Henderson's superstar was forced to miss last year's renewal due to an operation, which was eventually won by Politologue. Sceau Royal and Saint Calvados are among the names who are looking to serve it up to last season's Champion Chaser, who has never been beaten over obstacles.

Also on the day is the Henry VIII Novices Chase, as well as the Becher Chase over the National fences at Aintree, which is headed by Blaklion from Nigel Twiston-Davies' yard.

There is further jumping action at both Chepstow and Wetherby, with Wolverhampton kicking off an all-weather card on the tapeta at 5:45.

Three meetings on a quiet Sunday - two of which from the UK at both Huntingdon and Kelso.

Punchestown entertains jumps fans from Ireland too, with the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, of which Un De Sceaux, Presenting Percy, Min and Footpad ALL own entries.