Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Saturday.
Welsh Charger bidding for course hat-trick
Welsh Charger has won at Musselburgh's Cheltenham Trials meeting for the past two seasons and is tasked with making it three from three at the course in the Scottish County Handicap Hurdle (13:43) on Saturday. With that record in mind, he unsurprisingly has Timeform's Horses For Courses Flag to highlight his effectiveness around the sharp, speed-favouring course.
He was a comfortable winner of a two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle at this meeting two years ago and then showed better form to defy a higher mark in the Scottish County Handicap Hurdle over two miles last season. He hasn't won in four starts since registering that game success, but he has been cut some slack by the handicapper and is now only 1 lb higher than was the case 12 months ago.
Timeform's Pace Forecast suggests Welsh Charger might not face much competition for the lead here, so he should launch a bold bid around a track that plays to his strengths, and he narrowly heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings which highlight his good claims on these terms.
Timeform Flags point to Mr Vango
Mr Vango was one of the big success stories last season and showed run-by-run improvement on Timeform's figures to go unbeaten and land a trio of valuable staying handicaps, namely the London National at Sandown, the Peter Marsh at Haydock and the Midlands National at Uttoxeter.
He couldn't extend the winning sequence in the Becher Chase on his reappearance at Aintree at the start of December, but he produced his best effort yet on Timeform's ratings and lost out by only a short head to Twig after typically proving brave and finding plenty for pressure.
That effort earned Mr Vango the Horse In Focus Flag from Timeform's reporter, marking him out as one likely to be of firm interest next time, and he also has the Horses For Courses Flag on his return to Sandown having won the London National on his only previous start at the course.
Mr Vango has shown he stays much further than the extended three miles he tackles on Saturday (15:42), but the going at Sandown will be testing (the course must pass a morning inspection) and will place the emphasis firmly on stamina. The bold-jumping, teak-tough Mr Vango could be difficult to peg back under such conditions.
The Green Man has been catching the eye
The Green Man has been campaigned exclusively at Newcastle on the all-weather this winter and looks unlucky not to have more than three wins to his name. He was successful on his final start last year and may well have started 2026 with a bang had he enjoyed better luck in running in a mile handicap on New Year's Day.
He was short of room half a furlong out when trying to make headway and then finished with a flourish when in the clear to be beaten only a short head and a neck in third. That effort earned The Green Man the Horse In Focus Flag, and he also caught the eye of Timeform's reporter when runner-up over the same course and distance last time. He was beaten half a length and wasn't so obviously unlucky, but he deserves plenty of credit for getting so close given he was held up in a race run at a very steady gallop that was dictated by the well-ridden winner.
The Green Man drops back in trip in the seven-furlong handicap (17:55) at Newcastle but has the pace to cope as he was successful over the same course and distance on his final start before the turn of the year. He remains on a good mark and heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 2 lb.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.