We advised yesterday that Kildisart was an eye-catcher at Kempton over the weekend and he has been very well backed for the Ultima Chase in the last 24 hours. Ben Pauling’s eight-year-old has been trimmed from 16s to 14/1 for the 3m handicap on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival next month.

The Greatwood Gold Cup is the big betting race of the weekend at Newbury and it is 8/1 the field at BetVictor with the Philip Hobbs-trained Jerrysback and the Paul Nicholls’ pair Secret Investor and San Benedeto heading the antepost market.

Soft ground is the order of the day, but we do have three jumps cards to look forward to this afternoon beginning at Wincanton who stage a seven-race card. In the Novices’ Hurdle Fidelio Vallis (2.48) would be something to bet on if he could be guaranteed to run behind the bridle and not pull for his head as has been the case in his two starts for Paul Nicholls. He is likely to be fitted with headgear if he continues to refuse to settle, but this sharp track should suit, and it was a better race than today’s that he ran in last time.

Nicholls likes to have winners at his local track and the form of Ask For Glory’s (3.50) fourth on his hurdles debut has been given a boost by the first three and connections will be disappointed if this point-to-point/Bumper winner does not go very close in this grade. Jamie Snowden’s Minella Beat has had a wind operation since breaking a blood vessel on his British debut and is fitted with a tongue-tie this afternoon. He finished just 6L behind Battleoverdoyen in his last start in his native Ireland and cost his current connections £140,000 at Cheltenham sales back in December 2018.

In the Handicap Chase at Market Rasen Barrowlands and Destinee Royale (12.55) make their chase debuts and preference for the latter is marginal. Barrowlands finished second in all four of his points in Ireland and may again have to settle for the silver medal although a market move would be worth noting for this winning hurdler for Jamie Snowden who has had a wind operation since his last start.

Destinee Royale failed to get home over an additional quarter mile over timber last time, and she has the scope to jump a fence. Charlie Deutsch takes over in the saddle this afternoon on this winning Bumper horse who is related to several winners over jumps.

Dadsintrouble is a fascinating runner in the 3m handicap Hurdle at Musselburgh making the long journey north from Glamorgan for Tim Vaughan with Charlie Price good value for his 5lbs claim. The vote, however, goes to First Account (2.40) who goes unpenalised for his win over fences here last week having his first start for Keith Dalgleish. Jockey Craig Nichol must have advised connections that a step up to 3m would not be an inconvenience and he was very well backed last week. He is due to go up 6lbs in the weights from Saturday.

Both Charlie Appleby newcomers in the 12f maiden at Kempton this evening are fitted with headgear for the first time although a market move for either would be worth noting. Cigoli cost £1.1m as a yearling and is obviously bred to be smart but preference is for Her Majesty’s once-raced colt Punctuation (6.30) who belied his odds of 20/1 when finishing second over tonight’s C&D on debut and is open to considerable improvement.

The colt is well drawn in stall four this evening and Silvestre De Sousa takes over in the saddle. Note that the two horses who finished third and fourth behind Punctuation on debut were trained by Appleby so the Boys In Blue should know where they stand with the Andrew Balding three-year-old.

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