HURDLERS OUT TO PROVE THEY’RE THE NEW NEW ONE AT HAYDOCK

Peter Marsh day at Haydock Park seemed to revolve around The New One year after year, and it’s great to see the admirable four-time winner of the afternoon’s Champion Hurdle Trial honoured for a second time in the Unibet-sponsored Grade 2.

It seemed strange without him for the first time 12 months ago, but it was a decent race again and the winner Global Citizen has gone on to prove himself one of this season’s top two-mile novice chasers, while runner-up Silver Streak finished third in the Champion Hurdle.

It’s a small field this time, but we have a serious Cheltenham candidate heading the market in last season’s top juvenile hurdler Pentland Hills. Taken at face value, some might have been a little underwhelmed by his reappearance fifth behind stable-mate Call Me Lord at Cheltenham last month.

And the 3,000 or so members of the Owners Group 031 - who had enjoyed such an unforgettable ride last season when he followed his winning debut with Grade 1 wins at The Festival and again at Aintree – could have been forgiven for being a touch disappointed.

However, Pentland Hills was too fresh for his own good that day and ran considerably better than his finishing position suggests, looking the best horse in the race until paying for his over-exuberance late on.

The New One’s trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies will be hoping to have a say in the finish with Ballyandy, while Micky Hammond will be out to show that there was no fluke about Cornerstone Lad’s Fighting Fifth defeat of Buveur D’Air.

If that’s not enough we have a fascinating challenger from Ireland, with Joseph O’Brien choosing this race for the seasonal reappearance of his Champion Hurdle and Ryanair Chase entry Darasso.

HONEYBALL HOPES HIS NOVICE MARE IS TUNED UP AND READY TO GO

The afternoon’s big betting race is the £75,000 Peter Marsh Handicap Chase, a race won in its early years by subsequent Gold Cup winners Little Owl, Bregawn, The Thinker and Jodami.

The Peter Marsh was a conditions race in those days, but a top-class chaser still wins it from time to time and that was certainly the case three years ago when course specialist Bristol De Mai came home a mile clear.

Top weight Definitly Red has run in two Gold Cups and a Grand National, and although at 11 he might not quite be the force he was, he’s still pretty smart, as he showed when fourth to Walk In The Mill in the Becher Chase back at Aintree last month.

He is very effective in the testing conditions he is likely to encounter here, but so too are most of the others, and he will do well to concede significant weight in this sort of ground to improving sorts like Acting Lass and Midnight Tune.

Midnight Tune is in her element in the mud and her feather weight is a big plus. Still a novice and open to more improvement than most, she has won three of her four starts on heavy ground and has been kept for this race in the hope of similar conditions. Her trainer Anthony Honeyball has got lucky in that respect, and his team are in cracking form.

Watch out too for Sue Smith’s runner Vintage Clouds, as the stable has won the Peter Marsh twice in the last four years, and Welsh National fourth Prime Venture, on whom young Isabel Williams is in for a memorable ride.

SNOWDEN’S SUPREME CONTENDER FACES TOUGH CHALLENGE

We should pick up some significant clues for the Festival in the Grade 2 Rossington Main Trial Hurdle, which has been Jamie Snowden’s chosen target for Thebannerkingrebel ever since his impressive course and distance win back in November. 

Thebannerkingrebel is among the leading fancies for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, which will be the opening race as always when Cheltenham kicks off on March 10, and he should not mind the inevitably testing conditions.

However, he faces a formidable opponent in the shape of the Alan King-trained Edwardstone, who arguably has the strongest form already and might be even better here in a first-time hood, as he has been showing high class form despite being inclined to over-race.

Snookered and Stolen Silver, who complete the field, are not far behind on the figures, so it promises to be a cracking little race. 

SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED FIELD OF NOVICE CHASERS

Quality over quantity is also the theme in the Patrick Coyne Memorial Altcar Novices’ Chase, a race won by Bristol De Mai in 2016 and Waiting Patiently in 2017.

With a history like that it’s well worth its Grade 2 status, and all four runners have shown high-class novice form. Sam Brown made a big impression when returning from a mammoth lay-off to win as he pleased in deep mud at Lingfield 11 days ago, while Windsor Avenue looked one of the best novices in the north until a mystifying defeat at Doncaster.

Small fields don’t get much more competitive than this, as both Joke Dancer and Knight In Dubai have won their two competed starts over fences.

HOBBS AND GERAGHTY WAIT TO ANNOUNCE DEFI-NITE FESTIVAL PLANS

For those of you already with one eye on the Cheltenham Festival, Ascot will be throwing up plenty of clues for March, especially in the Grade 1 Matchbook Clarence House Chase.

Philip Hobbs intends leaving it late before confirming Defi Du Seuil’s target when he goes for a third Festival win in either the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase or the Ryanair.

However, he and jockey Barry Geraghty should learn plenty when last month’s Tingle Creek Chase victor takes on three-time Clarence House winner Un De Sceaux - another dual Festival winner - in a small but select field.

It’s all part of ITV4’s shared coverage with the main races at Haydock Park so, if you’re not heading out to a course, tune in.