One of two Premier Racedays in Britain on Saturday afternoon comes from Haydock Park as the Merseyside venue hosts their Grand National Trial card.
The feature race is due off at 15:15 over the extended three-and-a-half-miles and there are supporting contests via the Middle Distance Chase Series Veterans' Handicap Chase as well as Grade 2s in the Rendlesham Hurdle and the Prestige Novices' Hurdle.
Enda McElhinney previews the Haydock action on Saturday, where they race from 12:55-16:25 and conditions are forecast to be 'good to soft'.
15:15 - Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap, 3m4½f)
Top-weight Royale Pagaille has a long-standing love affair with Haydock, having landed five wins in his first six visits, including the Grade 1 Betfair Chase in 2023 and 2024. However, his jumping rather fell apart in last month's Peter Marsh Chase - a contest he had twice won before - and the 11-year-old has some questions to answer as such.
A bounce-back effort isn't dismissed but he's lumping weight to the field and trainer Venetia Williams could take plenty of positives with a good run here, perhaps teeing him up for Aintree in April.
Dan Skelton's mare Galia Des Liteaux is on a fair mark and will have few problems at this trip, but winning has become a rare occurrence for her.
The likes of Git Maker, Val Dancer, Jubilee Express, Where It All Began and Famous Bridge are running from out of the handicap to varying degrees.
Of those, Git Maker should be all the better for his seasonal comeback over hurdles and can go well for Jamie Snowden, while Where It All Began is an intriguing raider for Gordon Elliott if his jumping holds up.
A chance is handed to APPLE AWAY for the Lucinda Russell and Derek Fox alliance - the pair are dual Grand National winners together.
She was a three-mile Grade 1-winning novice over hurdles at Aintree in 2023 and was very consistent last season when sent chasing. Apple Away won at Leicester (2m6½f, heavy) in December and at Perth (3m, soft) in April and showed up well in graded contests at Warwick and Ascot ahead of coming up shy in the National Hunt Cup at Cheltenham in March.
She has twice finished second in small-field Listed events against her own sex recently and is feasibly treated reverting to a handicap off 138 now.
SELECTION: APPLE AWAY
NEXT BEST: GALIA DES LITEAUX
13:28 - Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle (1m7½f)
Lavender Hill Mob made it third time lucky over hurdles when scoring at Warwick (2m, good to soft) last month and the gelded son of Expert Eye could now kick on for James Owen in this sphere.
This is a tidy little race, despite just five runners going forward, with Gibbs Island an experienced Flat performer that made the perfect start over hurdles when scoring at Sedgefield (2m1f, soft) recently. He drew clear with the mare Surrey Belle and held off that next-time-out winner in determined fashion after being headed and can only be expected to build on that.
Jamie Snowden's MARCHE D'ALIGRE easily justified cramped odds at Wetherby in November on his hurdles bow after arriving from France. Off the back of that, he headed for Chepstow over Christmas and was second in the Grade 2 Finale Juvenile Hurdle behind Nietzsche Has. That makes him the standout contender, with more progress anticipated.
SELECTION: MARCHE D’ALIGRE
NEXT BEST: LAVENDER HILL MOB
14:05 - Middle Distance Chase Series Veterans' Handicap Chase (2m4f)
The Flier Begley got the better of Nocte Volatus at Market Rasen four weeks ago over a similar trip and there should be little to split them again. Gary Hanmer's charge may be good enough to uphold that form.
None of this sextet could be ruled in any haste. Dubai Days was second last March in the final of this series here over C&D but hasn't been spotted since. Eaton Collina has been running sound races in defeat and should go well again for Kerry Lee.
However, preference is for Laura Morgan's WHISTLEINTHEDARK, who is the bottom-weight. A bold effort from the front at Warwick last Saturday was only thwarted by a revitalised Le Milos and he is clearly a very well handicapped horse from his reduced mark. If this turnaround doesn't catch him out, he can go one better.
SELECTION: WHISTLEINTHEDARK
NEXT BEST: THE FLIER BEGLEY
14:40 - WKD Rendlesham Hurdle (Grade 2, 3m)
There are questions over whether some of these contenders are capable of running to their ratings, in particular the likes of Thunder Rock and Botox Has, though the latter did take a step back in the right direction when third in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.
He ran a similar race there last January before winning this contest by nine lengths but the favourite, Butch, was disappointing then. Botox Has is 2-2 at Haydock and respected as such.
Nemean Lion arrives in top order after wins at Hereford and Windsor, though Kerry Lee's son of Golden Horn needs to prove himself over this far.
BEAUPORT switched from chasing to hurdles in December and ran a big race when third in the Grade 1 Long Walk at Ascot behind Crambo and Hiddenvalley Lake in a close finish.
He set the fractions in that contest and had earlier dominated in a Class 2 Ascot handicap over fences. Nigel Twiston-Davies' inmate is on good terms with himself and this may prove a shrewd bit of placing from the Naunton handler.
SELECTION: BEAUPORT
NEXT BEST: NEMEAN LION
