Daryl Jacob looks ahead to Wetherby Saturday rides

Bristol De Mai runs in the feature Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase. He was a horse we struggled to keep right all last year and the one time we had him spot on he was very impressive when winning at Haydock.

He wasn’t quite at his best afterwards at the spring festivals but this is a great starting point for him this time around. It’s going to be very, very competitive and any rain would be in our favour. His main target is the Betfair Chase back at Haydock later in the month but he’s fit and ready to do himself justice here. I hope he’s going to run a massive race.

Wholestone ran a cracker on his reappearance at Chepstow over a trip slightly short of his best. He blew up a little going to the last that day and is going to come on loads for it. He runs in the Bet365 Hurdle, a race that’s going to tell us an awful lot about where to be targeting for the rest of the year. It’s a big day in the diary for this fellow but I’m very much looking forward to seeing him back in graded company over three miles. We’ve always thought the world of him.

I rode Ballymoy in a bumper at Market Rasen on his debut. He was very keen that day and needed the experience so I was pleased with how he ran. We’ll bounce him out on Saturday and hope he settles out in front with the hurdles stretched out ahead. We think he’s very nice, a horse with a bright future, and this is a great track to start him out at in the bet365 Novices’ Hurdle.

Graceful Legend is a big price in the olbg.com Mares’ Hurdle but I thought she ran very well at Stratford last time. I was over the moon with her there as she needed it and carried top weight in a handicap. She’s better off with the two that finished in front of her that day and I think she’ll go closer than her price suggests.

Raven’s Tower ran into a well handicapped rival when second at Towcester last time. He’s come out of it very well and I’d expect him to be there or thereabouts in the closing bet365 Handicap Hurdle.

I head to Carlisle on Sunday for two rides for my retaining owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede but I’ll be keeping an eye on Willoughby Court’s chasing debut at Huntingdon and hope he gets off to a winning start.

Kildisart is first up for me in the Watch Racing UK On The Go Novices’ Hurdle. He was purchased at the start of the year and his work and jumping at home have been very good. I think he has a bright future and this looks a good place to start him out on ground he wants. We’ll learn a lot about him here.

A similar comment applies to Cadeau George in the Cumberland Handicap Chase. His form figures are somewhat erratic but I worked him last week and he went very well. I think he had a few issues last term but is in good form now and we need to get him started to see where we are. He’s rated 122 over fences and 113 over hurdles so there are plenty of options.

Finally it was great to get racing back at Cheltenham last week.

I was delighted with Sceau Royal in the squareintheair.com Novices' Chase. He was trying to give five pounds to a very good horse in North Hill Harvey and it was a fair performance from the horse. He jumped and travelled well and we now know he handles the track. We’ll start planning his season around returning there in March, with the Racing Post Arkle an option at this stage.

Calett Mad won the Junior Jumpers Novices' Hurdle on Saturday – he just galloped them into submission. Anthony Bromley decided to go down the hurdles route this season with him as he was still a novice and it looks a great call. We’ll probably head down the Wholestone path with him now, taking in the good graded novices over three and two-and-a-half miles there before heading to the Albert Bartlett in March.