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FOLLOWING the last couple of weeks of potential national hunt action being butchered by the weather, we should have a clear run through this afternoon with some serious betting events at Doncaster and Cheltenham.

Town Moor is my first port of call for a cracking national hunt card with the Great Yorkshire Chase being the main event, an extended three mile chase due off at 3.15. This has been won by some big priced winners in the past few years, most recently 12 months ago by defending title holder Windsor Avenue at a mighty 40/1.

Since then, the Brian Ellison-trained 11-year-old has raced five times, being pulled up on four occasions and finishing a distant fourth on his other start. Despite being some 2lbs lower in the weights, the veteran is hard to fancy and there are several entries here in a field where we have plenty of massively in form players.

Top of the shop in the latter category are Gold Cup hero GA Law and the five timer seeking Tea For Free. The first named is still a lightly raced horse for a seven-year-old having only run under rules nine times and is a winner four times from seven starts over fences. I thought an 8lbs penalty was a bit harsh for that Cheltenham success, but he was very strong at the finish that day and we can quite reasonably expect him to step forward on his first start over the distance.

Tea For Free has been mopping up lesser races under the impressive Lily Pinchin off 109, 122 and then last time out off 128. This represents a much better class of race and off 135 I think that the Charlie Longsdon-trained eight-year-old has his work cut out and I would much rather have an each-way play on JAVA POINT.

A fair second to the very well treated Rapper at Cheltenham over an extended three and a quarter miles, he had previously been outpaced by course specialist Zanza over two and three quarter miles at Newbury. The return to a bare three miles on a flat track could be much more his port of call and the fact that the assessor has left him alone off a mark of 133 looks a bonus.

Of the other runners, Undersupervision is respected if he can put in a clear round of jumping, while one time Trophy hero and Grand National favourite Cloth Cap will relish the good ground here and has been given a better chance by the handicapper.

There are some nice prizes combining as serious Cheltenham Festival trials on the rest of the card and in receipt of 5lbs from Boothill, I think we will get a massive run from relative outsider GANAPATHI (nap) in the Grade Two Lightning Novices Chase at 1.35. He found two and a half miles on testing ground too much at Warwick last time out and is better judged in his second, albeit a distant one, behind the classy Nube Negra and is preferred to the likely second favourite Tommy’s Oscar.

The Grade Two Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle looks at the mercy of former Champion Hurdle winner Epatante (2.05), while the River Don Novices Hurdle over three miles at 2.40 may go to outsider HURRICANE BAY. He was a solid favourite to defy a penalty last time out at Huntingdon, but was basically outpaced over two and a half miles that day by the useful Supreme Gift, previously a winner on good ground, this extra yardage should prove right up his street, and the son of Malinas is hugely overpriced in my book.

Before we talk about the Cheltenham Trials Day card I wanted to point you in the direction of my only wager at Uttoxeter where A DIFFERENT KIND is worthy of support in the big class two handicap hurdle of the day at 2.32. He went off as short as 6/1 for the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham last year. However, he failed to settle that day and a bad mistake at the penultimate hurdle saw him drop back like a stone, eventually being beaten 57 lengths. Off a 1lb lower mark and still unexposed over timber I think he can lay it down the likes of the veteran West To The Bridge and Go Dante.

And so onto the Prestbury Park track and the last chance for prospective Festival candidates to test themselves out at the track before the big National Hunt Festival. The Gold Cup trial, the Cotswold Chase at 2.25, looks a cracking renewal despite only the six runners set to go to post.

PROTEKTORAT (nb) is the rightful favourite based on his 11 length success in the Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase. Dan Skelton has kept him fresh on purpose before this warm up race for the big one in six weeks time and along with his third to A Plus Tard in the 2022 Gold Cup, he has outstanding claims. Grand National hero Noble Yeats is sure to test him to the hilt if his sound jumping continues to impress, and you would expect Sean Bowen to make this a deep test of stamina from some way out, while Dusart is more the joker in the pack than the disappointing Ahoy Senor.

I am not sure that Chepstow winner Comfort Zone is good enough to give the weight away to JUPITER DU GITE in the opening Finesse Juvenile Hurdle at 11.40, while the three-mile, Grade Two, Cleeve Hurdle at 3.00 may see BOTOX HAS turn over the multiple winner of this contest, the mighty Paisley Park. Two and a half miles was way too sharp for the selection last time out and the seven-year-old can declare himself a lively outsider for the Stayers Hurdle at the Festival.

As a betting contest though, the extended two-mile handicap hurdle at 4.10 is much more my cup of tea. Might I is interesting off 139, but the wager has to be PIKAR. He failed to stay two and a half miles at Newbury last time out and a fast run two looks more his port of call. If he is to run as a player in the County Hurdle then he has to win this off his current mark of 129.