Saturday’s big betting race is the Northumberland Plate from Newcastle and the yard of Roger Varian landed a gamble in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot last Saturday when Cape Bryon was backed from 10s to 7/2.

Varian looks likely to saddle the market leader for the “Pitmen’s Derby” courtesy of Gibbs Hill who is 5/1 from 6s with BetVictor despite the fact that he has not seen the track in 724 days. Varian confirmed earlier in the week that the 5-year-old had been in training since the turn of the year and this valuable and prestigious 2m Handicap has long been the plan.

Despite the recent rain the ground at Salisbury was described as good to firm at noon on Tuesday with no further rain forecast. Atmospheric (3.20) finished third at Goodwood on debut but she was well supported in the market and the hope is that she can improve on that run with Hollie Doyle taking over in the saddle for Clive Cox.

Ryan Moore takes over on Nicklaus for William Haggas and must go close in the Mile Handicap, but preference is for Power Of Darkness (3.50) for Marcus Tregoning. The selection is a dual course winner on fast ground although he has not seen the track since finishing down the field in the Suffolk Stakes at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting. The selection pulled too hard for his own good on that occasion and Andrea Atzeni takes over in the saddle this afternoon.

General Zoff (4.50) has been running well in defeat of late and was just edged out at Lingfield over 2m on soft ground last time. The selection is adaptable with regard to underfoot conditions and jockey John Egan knows the four-year-old well.

At Kempton this evening Gaslight (6.50) is unlikely to meet anything of the class of Hotsy Totsy who he finished runner up to over this evening’s C&D on his reappearance last month. He was beaten 6L, but the selection is now rated 92 having finished third at Royal Ascot last week. The selection runs off just 70 this evening and must go close if he gets out on terms from his draw in stall one.

I hope it is a good day for Andrea Atzeni as I feel he has a number of decent mounts at Kempton including Mainsail Atlantic (8.20) who has been off the track since finishing third at Yarmouth back in April when looking in need of the run. His subsequent absence from the track is a slight concern, but his return to an all-weather surface should suit.

The race I am most looking forward to today is the Novice Chase at Ffos Las over the two-and-a-half- mile trip. Litterale Ci makes her chase debut for Harry Fry and receives weight from the geldings. A market move would be worth noting.

No Hassle Hoff and Notnow Seamus represent Dan Skelton and both will have their supporters but Potterman (3.10) did us a favour when winning at Worcester on his chase debut, when he landed a gamble, and he can defy a penalty for Alan King. I was very impressed with the selection’s jumping on debut and No Hassle Hoff may need more of a stamina test.

Dead Right (4.40) made a solid chase debut when runner up to Colin Tizzard’s Pingshou over today’s C&D last month and he is taken to go one better on his handicap debut. Aidan Coleman has been in the saddle for the selection’s three previous runs over jumps and he looks sure to run a big race with that experience under his belt.

The Carlisle Bell and the Plate look impossible puzzles to solve but I like the look of the Irish raider Viadera (4.30) in the listed fillies contest for three-year-olds over a mile. The selection won a Mile handicap at the Curragh off a mark of 100 last time but gave the impression the drop back to 7f would not be an inconvenience.