Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Sunday.
The Lovely Man open to improvement on stable debut for Cromwell
Last season was one to remember for trainer Gavin Cromwell who sent out his most winners in a campaign in Ireland, finished third in the Irish trainers' championship and won the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Inothewayurthinkin.
Cromwell has firmly established himself as one of the top trainers in Ireland so The Lovely Man catches the eye on his first start for the yard in the novice handicap chase (12:20) at Naas - a move that has generated Timeform's Trainer Uplift Flag.
The Lovely Man was pulled up over hurdles at Limerick in December on his final start for Colm Murphy, but he had shaped encouragingly in a beginners' chase at Fairyhouse prior to that, making some eye-catching late headway to take third close home.
The Lovely Man still has the Timeform 'small p' to show that he remains open to further improvement and he's an interesting runner on his first start in a handicap chase, for all the excellent Cromwell is going through an unusually quiet spell at the moment and has saddled more than 50 runners since his last winner.
Classy Inthepocket stands out on ratings
There's a strong-looking edition of the Barberstown Castle Chase (15:02) at Naas on Sunday as, even though only five have been declared, the race has attracted a Grade 1-winning novice chaser from last season in Champ Kiely and a couple of Grade 2 winners in Ile Atlantique and Only By Night.
That trio are all penalised, however, so the one to beat on Timeform's weight-adjusted figures is Inthepocket. A Grade 1-winning novice hurdler in the 2022/23 season, Inthepocket hasn't stood much racing of late and has made it to the course only three times across the last couple of campaigns.
However, he showed an aptitude for chasing when runner-up to Facile Vega at Navan on his only start of the 2023/24 season, and he brushed aside a couple of useful performers when registering a wide-margin win on his return at Wexford last year. Inthepocket was a disappointing third behind Ile Atlantique over this course and distance when last seen in January, but that came at a time when Henry de Bromhead's stable wasn't firing on all cylinders. He's better judged on his Wexford effort and, in receipt of plenty of weight from his main rivals, comes out 7 lb clear on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings.
Courtland's Chepstow form is working out well
There's a disappointing turnout at Sandown on Sunday - the bumper is the only race with three places for each-way betting - and the veterans' chase (15:15) looks likely to cut up further given two of those declared, Gustavian and Credo, contested the Badger Beers Handicap Chase at Wincanton on Saturday.
Assuming those two aren't turned out quickly, the race looks like a good opportunity for Courtland to gain a deserved first win of the season. A five-time winner during the 2023/24 campaign, Courtland missed all of last season but has finished placed on all four completed starts this term to show that he retains plenty of ability.
The pick of Courtland's efforts this season was when runner-up in a veterans' contest at Chepstow on his penultimate start. That looked like a solid effort at the time but an even more positive view can be taken now, given the third, Torn And Frayed, and the fourth, Lord Accord, both won next time out.
Courtland unseated his rider in a competitive event at Ascot last time but should find the return to veterans' company less taxing, and he looks on a favourable mark. He heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 2 lb from Only The Bold.
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