2m½f | Yielding | 4 runners A small field, but not a soft race. This often acts as a pecking-order contest for top novice hurdlers, and with yielding ground at Punchestown, it will reward balance, jumping accuracy and the ability to travel strongly. Sober (FR) sets the standard. Unbeaten over hurdles, a winner on yielding…

2m5½f | Good | Big field This looks a proper Lanzarote: depth everywhere, plenty of recent winners, and very little between the top half of the weights on raw ability. Kempton’s flat track puts the emphasis on travelling, rhythm and position, and the race is usually won by something that’s still improving rather than a…

3m | Good | 6 runners A tight, tactical little handicap where track position, jumping rhythm and stamina at a true three miles will decide it. Kempton rarely turns into a slog, but mistakes are punished quickly and there’s nowhere to hide in a small field. The Doyen Chief is the clear form standard. He’s…

2m1f | Yielding | 12 runners A proper mid-winter Grade 3 with depth, pace and plenty of course form on show. Yielding ground around Fairyhouse over this sharp 2m1f usually rewards accurate jumping and tactical speed rather than out-and-out stamina, and this looks set to be run at a solid clip. Blood Destiny heads the…

A tight but classy six-runner Grade 2 where stamina, jumping under pressure and handling soft ground will decide it. Wade Out sets the standard. Unbeaten over fences (2/2), a Listed winner at Cheltenham, and now rated 145. He’s proven at 3m, handles soft well, goes left-handed, and Olly Murphy/Sean Bowen is a combo that keeps…

2m4½f | Good ground | 4 runners Small field, but a proper tactical Grade 2, where track suitability and pace control matter more than brute force. Kempton’s flat, right-handed layout puts the emphasis on rhythm and jumping at speed, and with only four runners there’s nowhere to hide. Kalif Du Berlais (FR) is the obvious…

6f | Class 3 | Tapeta | 12 runners A strong Class 3 sprint where draw, early pace and recent AW form should tell. Wolverhampton’s 6f rewards horses that can hold a position from the gate and still finish, and there’s enough pace on here to make it a proper test. Zoulu Chief looks a…

2m4f | Yielding | 10 runners A deep renewal of the Ballymore where proven form, not potential alone, is likely to decide matters. Naas is a fair, galloping track and this trip places equal emphasis on jumping, pace control and stamina, especially on yielding ground. The market revolves around Saint Baco (FR), who created a…