THERE’S plenty of exciting racing to look forward to this weekend with Grade 1 action both here at Sandown and across the Irish Sea at Leopardstown and a decent card up at Wetherby featuring the Grade 2 totesport.com Towton Novices’ Chase.

Daryl Jacob has a great record in Sandown’s big race, the Betfred TV Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase, at 2.25 pm. He’s won the last three runnings and will be hoping to add to his tally with Nicky Henderson’s Terrefort who runs in the colours of last year’s winner, Top Notch, for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. It would be no surprise to see them enjoying another great Saturday afternoon.

By the time he runs we will already have seen Buveur D’Air face just two rivals in the Betfred ‘Supports Jack Berry House’ Contenders Hurdle, the race he won last year before Champion Hurdle glory, and I am sure Barry Geraghty will enjoy every minute of him.

BLINDER

I’ve got two rides for David Dennis, the first of them in the Betfred Mobile Masters Handicap Chase at 3.35pm where I’ll be teaming up with Final Nudge again. He ran a blinder to finish third in the Coral Welsh National and I couldn’t have been more pleased with him. The drop back in trip will suit him and I expect we’ll see another big run from him.

In the Betfred Follow Us On Twitter Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at 4.10pm I’m riding Just So Cool. He stayed on really well to win by three and a half lengths over this trip last time at Huntingdon, and despite being the oldest horse in the race, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t run well.

FAUGHEEN

All eyes will be on the 2015 Champion Hurdle winner Faugheen in today’s BHP Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. He looked like he was back to his best when he returned as the runaway winner of the Grade 1 Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in November after a long lay-off, then foxed us all when he was pulled up in the Ryanair at Leopardstown at Christmas.

He’s up against some smart types including stablemate Melon, who is bound to give a good account of himself, and Philip Hobbs’ Defi Du Seuil in what looks like a fascinating contest.

It will be just one of what I’m sure will be many highlights of the new Dublin Racing Festival, which with seven Grade 1s and huge prize money, already looks set to be a great success.

It’s never good to end on a sad note but I must mention the brilliant Taquin Du Seuil who we lost at Huntingdon recently. He was an absolute star and I know how much he was loved by his owners, Jonjo O’Neill who did fantastically with him and all the team at Jackdaws. He gave me one of the best days of my life when we won the BetVictor Gold Cup and he will be very sadly missed.

Wherever you are this weekend, enjoy your racing.