SUNDAY WEEKENDER

13:50 Plumpton The opening affair at Plumpton on Sunday may only have seven runners on show but it looks a competitive enough contest to kick off their card. Arthington may have won his previous race and he did it well however this looks much more competitive and a minor role looks most likely. Gibson Park probably represents the most prestigious stable as Dan Skelton sends this ultra consistent runner. Bound to be in the mix once again today but wether he can defy top weight makes this tough. The horse I fear the most is the Tom Scudamore ridden Sea Sovereign. Worth respect with a very good fourth at Cheltenham under his belt but tackling an obstacle for the first time leaves question marks to answer. The one to get the nod is Vancouver. Finished fourth behind a very promising horse at Newton Abbot in his last contest but prior to that did well. Worth backing especially with top jockey Noel Fehily in the saddle. VANCOUVER (WIN) – NAP

16:30 Naas Over in Ireland we’ve got a sprint handicap to contend with where the well fancied Tithonus looks set to go off favourite. He’s put in some very eye catching runs in big runner handicaps this year but as he continues to climb high in the weights he becomes more difficult to back. Magic Bear has dropped in class so that will aid his chances but unfortunately he’s not shown a liking for soft ground which could scupper his chances of success. One horse that relishes wet conditions is old boy Maarek. It’s true he’s not the force of old but this former Group 1 winner would demolish this field if he returned to anything like his best. What’s also worth noting is that in his illustrious career he’s only run at Naas six times before. In those six previous visits he’s placed or won five times giving him an 83% strike rate here. He’s got a tough task on his hands but at double figure odds he’s worth an each way punt. MAAREK (E/W)