13:00 Haydock

The Campbell Novices' Limited Handicap Chase has attracted a good field of six and marginal preference goes to MINT CONDITION (best price 5-2), who was three-time hurdle winner in the mud last season and shaped with real promise when second on chase debut here last month. He was rated the highest of these over hurdles last term and probably would have won last-time-out when beaten a neck without making a last-fence blunder. He drops in grade here and, with that experience to draw upon, this seven-year-old soft-ground lover can go one better. 

Mint Condition - 1pt @ 5/2

14:05 Haydock

It’s great to see these veterans on display and I’ll take a plunge on the classy VIEUX LION ROUGE (best price 14-1) to roll back the years for David Pipe and Tom Scudamore. He was struggling when unseating in the Becher last time in a bid to win it for a third time but he’s often bounced back from below-par efforts in the past and he’s the only past course-and-distance winner in the field which counts for plenty, who handles deep ground. It won’t be easy for him conceding lumps of weight to the remainder but he could be a lively player at a fair price. 

Vieux Lion Rouge - 0.5pts e/w @ 14/1

14:25 Taunton

WHERES MAUD GONE (best price 7-1) was above-average in bumpers last season, where she won her first couple of starts before running well in Grade Two/Listed events the next twice to finish fifth of fifteen. This mare has the pedigree to advance that form in this sphere and, with Adam Wedge maintaining the partnership, I fancy her to serve it up to those with experience and run well with up to three places on offer. 

Where's Maud Gone - 0.5pts e/w @ 13/2

14:40 Haydock

CELEBRE D’ALLEN (best price 10-3) returned an impressive huge-priced winner for us earlier this month when defying an absence to make a winning debut for Philip Hobbs over this course-and-distance. He’s only gone up six-pounds which seems lenient given how well he travelled into the race before showing a good turn of foot to win with plenty to spare. The conditions will be similar here and, with most of these having something to prove, he can follow-up before going onto bigger and better things.

Celebre D'Allen - 1pt @ 10/3