Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Friday.
Three points of interest
Newbury maiden hurdle with a roll of honour
Ordinarily all eyes would be drawn to Nicky Henderson's representative, Ferando, in the opening maiden hurdle (12:15) at Newbury as it is a race that the trainer has dominated and used as a launchpad for some of his brightest prospects.
Henderson has won seven of the last ten editions, including with future stars such as Buveur d'Air and Jonbon, so it probably bodes well for Ferando's career prospects that he is the chosen representative this time around.
However, much of the pre-race focus in this year's edition is likely to revolve around Paul Nicholls' representative, Regent's Stroll.
Regent's Stroll, who is out of an unraced half-sister to the yard's Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Denman, showed plenty of ability in bumpers last season and won both starts in that sphere, notably the valuable sales event at this course in March.
Such is the promise Regent's Stroll showed in bumpers that he fetched £660,000 in the sales ring in the summer, making him the most expensive jumps horse sold at public auction (when exchange rates are taken into account). Palladium has since been sold for €1.4m to go jumping with Nicky Henderson but is from a Flat background having won the Germany Derby last season.
James Owen's record in juvenile hurdles
James Owen's East India Dock put up comfortably the best performance by a juvenile hurdler so far this season when bolting up in the Grade 2 at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago, earning a Timeform rating of 138p which is more than a stone higher than next best piece of form seen in Britain or Ireland.
East India Dock's win also enhanced Owen's remarkable record in juvenile hurdles this season, taking the trainer's record in such events to nine winners from 13 runners at a strike rate of 69.23%. That record could be even better had Opec not fallen at the second last at Market Rasen when 16 lengths clear.
Opec, an impressive winner on both starts since, is one of two runners for Owen in the listed juvenile hurdle (13:20) at Newbury. She is joined by Ambiente Amigo, a useful sort on the Flat who readily got off the mark over hurdles at the first attempt at Newcastle last month despite hanging in the straight. Ambiente Amigo has the Timeform 'Large P' to show that she's likely to make considerable progress.
Rising star Pritchard has solid chances at Doncaster
It's been autumn to remember for Callum Pritchard who rode his first winner as a conditional towards the end of October and then bagged Wincanton's valuable Badger Beer Chase on Al Dancer only nine days later.
Al Dancer was given a superbly judged front-running ride by Pritchard in the feature race of that ITV-televised card and the 7 lb claimer has unsurprisingly been a man in demand.
Pritchard has had seven winners from 27 rides - at a 26% strike rate - since his victory aboard Al Dancer and he has picked up three rides at Doncaster on Friday, starting with On Springs in the opening handicap hurdle restricted to conditional or amateur jockeys (11:55).
Pritchard can't claim aboard On Springs - though his presence in the saddle is a positive against inexperienced riders - but he takes a handy 7 lb off Rock My Way in the novice handicap chase (13:30) and Mole Court in the 19-furlong handicap chase (14:05). Rock My Way and Mole Court have both been tipped by Timeform's analyst in the verdicts that appear on Sporting Life racecards.
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