INSPECTIONS all over the place this morning, inspections to assess the extent of the havoc that has been wreaked by Storm Eunice as she made her way through last night. Hopefully the damage is limited, and racing can go ahead, because there is some really interesting racing scheduled on both sides of the Irish Sea.

There is the William Hill Grand National Trial at Haydock for starters, a race in which Neptune Collonges finished second 10 years ago, before going on and winning Aintree’s Grand National eight weeks later, getting up and beating Sunnyhillboy by a sliver, with Seabass back in third.

Yes, that was 10 years ago.

Lord Du Mesnil won the race last year, he made just about all the running and had enough in reserve to repel the late challenge of Achille, with the pair of them coming clear of their rivals. Richard Hobson’s horse has a chance again this year, back down to a mark of 150, just 1lb higher than last year’s mark. He does love Haydock, soft ground at Haydock, but this year’s renewal looks like a better race than last year’s, and Lord Du Mesnil was well beaten in the Peter Marsh Chase last time.

Sam Brown finished almost 25 lengths in front of Lord Du Mesnil that day, and he may again have his measure, meeting him on just 4lb worse terms.

That was a big run by Anthony Honeyball’s horse. Always prominent, he led from the top of the home straight and, even after he was headed by Royal Pagaille, he stayed on well, rallying gamely when he was switched to the far side on the run-in to go down by just three-parts of a length.

Royal Pagaille is a top-class staying chaser, who goes well on soft ground at Haydock, and who did well to finish second to Eldorado Allen in the Denman Chase at Newbury last Saturday on ground that should have been faster than ideal for him. He could be a lively outsider in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and Sam Brown ran him to a half a length.

The handicapper raised Sam Brown by just 2lb for that run to a mark of 149, and that is more than fair. He is 10 years old now, but he is a lightly-raced 10-year-old, he has raced just seven times over fences, and he could step forward again now. He has never been over this extreme trip before, but he saw out three miles and one and a half furlongs well last time, the longest trip over which he had ever raced, and he only has another two and a half furlongs to go today. There is every chance that he will see it out all right.

Of more importance is that he goes well at Haydock, on soft and heavy ground at Haydock. He has run just twice there, but those two runs are up there with the best runs of his life, he won the Grade 2 Altcar Chase there as a novice, also on heavy ground. Aidan Coleman has ridden him to victory three times from six attempts, and all looks set for a big run.

Agenda

All looks set for a big run too from Third Wind in the Grade 2 William Hill Rendlesham Hurdle 35 minutes earlier. He won this race last year, and it is probable that Hughie Morrison has had the race on his agenda this season again.

He won last year with more in hand than the three-parts of a length by which he beat Lisnagar Oscar. He led on the run-in, went on and won his race, and just idled close home.

Well beaten in the Long Walk Hurdle on his debut this season, he was much better last time in the Pertemps qualifier at Warwick. They didn’t go very fast early on in that race, and he was a little out-paced when they quickened at the top of the home straight, before staying on well to take third place behind Sporting John, racing towards the far side, probably on the worst of the ground.

That was just his second run of the season, so there is every reason to expect that he will come on again for it. He should get a stronger pace today at which to aim, and he should be happier back at Haydock.

He is another horse who has good course form on soft and heavy ground. On his only other run there before last year’s Rendlesham Hurdle, he finished second in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle in November 2020, again hitting the front at the final flight before getting run down on the run-in by Main Fact. Tom O’Brien gets on well with him, he has won on him three times, and you can be sure that he will ride him patiently today, hopefully producing him with his run after they have jumped the final flight.

Thomas Darby is obviously a highly talented horse, he is rated 11lb superior to Third Wind, but the ground may be softer than ideal for him, and he is unproven at Haydock.

Recommended

Third Wind, 1 pt win, 2.05 Haydock, 4/1 (generally)

Sam Brown, 1 pt win, 2.40

Haydock, 6/1 (generally)