Colonel Harry has options at Sandown and Warwick for his next outing, with Jamie Snowden weighing up the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase and the Kingmaker.

While he clearly handled the step up to two and a half miles in winning the Grade Two Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby on Saturday, Snowden would not be put off dropping back down in trip if the ground is soft.

He will have entries for the Arkle and the Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, and how he fares in his next run will go a long way to deciding which race he goes for at the big meeting in March.

While he was no doubt helped by Kim Bailey’s Trelawne hanging badly right-handed at Wetherby, it was nevertheless a pretty smooth performance and backed up his second to Le Patron in the Henry VIII at Sandown.

“I thought the step up in trip really seemed to suit him and he did it nicely,” said Snowden.

“The Scilly Isles would definitely have to come into consideration now.

“He’s not short of speed by any means, it depends on the ground at the time because there is still the Kingmaker as an option at Warwick the following week.

“I think we’ll be looking at those two races. He does love it soft and depending on the ground I would not be averse to dropping him back to two miles at Warwick, but the Scilly Isles does look the obvious race.

“The Cheltenham entries close tomorrow (Tuesday) and I’ll put him in both the Arkle and the Turners and we’ll just have to see how he gets on in his next race, whether it be Warwick or Sandown, and that will determine where he goes for the rest of the season.”

The same GD Partnership silks were carried to victory in the Coral Gold Cup in November by Datsalrightgino, and Snowden has now decided where his next outing will be.

“He’s on target for the Cotswold at Cheltenham at the end of this month,” said Snowden.

“He wouldn’t want the ground too deep so we’ll just have to bear that in mind when it comes to that race.

“If it came up soft or heavy at Cheltenham then we might reroute for the Denman at Newbury, but as things stand he’s on target for the Cotswold all being well.”

Snowden’s Cheltenham Festival winner You Wear It Well has a couple of options this weekend and is in at Lingfield on Friday and Ascot Saturday. But with question marks over both meetings, no plans have been made.

“The ideal race for her was the one at Sandown a couple of weeks back, but they didn’t reschedule it so we’ll have to go for something which is perhaps less ideal now. We’ll just see what happens with the frost before we make a plan, she’s got the options anyway,” said Snowden.

Charlie Longsdon’s promising hurdler Rare Edition has a step up in trip booked after a comfortable Kempton success.

The seven-year-old had some respectable point-to-point form and won on his sole bumper start before embarking on a novice hurdling career last season.

He won his first three starts – with no rival able to get within seven lengths of him – after which he finished second in the Listed Sidney Banks before seeming to lose his way when pulled up in the Supreme and well beaten in the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.

This year he returned to action at Doncaster to make his handicap debut in a competitive race, finishing third by only three-quarters of a length when the final three hurdles were omitted due to the low sun.

At Kempton on Saturday he lined up again for handicap duty under top-weight and made light work of it when prevailing under Harry Cobden as the 11-8 favourite.

The performance has confirmed suspicions the gelding will be well suited by an extended trip, a step he is now set to take after his victory replaced a prior plan to head to Lingfield for the Winter Million fixture.

“Initially our plan was to go to Lingfield on Friday, but with the forecast we thought we’d take our chances and go to Kempton,” said Longsdon.

“He’s won round there before, he was giving a lot of weight and he won comfortably enough.

“What we definitely learned is that he needs to step up in trip. We will see what the handicapper does but he won’t be running over two miles again.

“All he was doing that day at Doncaster was staying on and that’s all he did at Kempton as well.”

Both Longsdon and Cobden are agreed the bay is a chaser in the making but before that stage of his career, he is likely to finish off the season in good quality two-and-a-half-mile hurdles.

“Harry Cobden rode him and gave us some interesting feedback, it was very much that when he’s a year older and with a step up in trip he will end up being a three-mile chaser, but it’ll be two and a half (miles) over hurdles for the rest of the season,” the trainer said.

“There’s a race at Ascot on the Reynoldstown day, a race at Kempton on the old Racing Post Chase (Coral Trophy Handicap Chase) day – there’s a two-and-a-half-mile hurdle on both of those tracks.

“I’d love to look at a Coral Cup or Martin Pipe but it strikes me that Aintree might suit him better, we’ll see.

“It’s just nice to see him back to his form after his form tailed off last season.”

Constitution Hill will not line up at Cheltenham’s Trials day at the end of the month after returning an unsatisfactory scope.

The reigning champion hurdler made a successful reappearance in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, when he extended his unbeaten run to eight with the minimum of fuss.

Trainer Nicky Henderson had raised the prospect of a second outing before his Cheltenham Festival date in March, with the Unibet International Hurdle – rescheduled from the December meeting to Trials day on January 27 – an option.

However, a minor issue has put paid to that possibility, with the Seven Barrows trainer now plotting a direct course to his Champion Hurdle defence on March 12, for which he is the long odds-on favourite.

In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said: “We have reluctantly decided that Constitution Hill won’t be able to run in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham at the end of next week.

“A routine scope last week wasn’t entirely satisfactory and a follow up this morning shows the issue hasn’t resolved and therefore there would not be time to get him ready for next week.

“In the meantime he will continue with light exercise, be rescoped in a fortnight’s time and then start his preparation for March.

“Both Michael (Buckley, owner) and I and all the team had very much hoped for a better result this morning so that we could run on Saturday week but in the horse’s and indeed everyone’s interests, it would be foolish to do so and this does not affect any future plans.”

Paul Nicholls has high hopes for his two recent winning juveniles Kalif Du Berlais and Kabral Du Mathan.

Both had won previously in France which meant the pair had to carry penalties on their British debuts, but they proved a cut above their respective opposition.

Kabral Du Mathan won the Chatteris Fen at Huntingdon on Friday, while Kalif Du Berlais lived up to his lofty reputation at Kempton on Saturday.

“They both won well and both were carrying penalties in two different types of races,” Nicholls told his Betfair Ditcheat Diary.

“They are two totally different horses. Kabral Du Mathan is more a hurdling type at the moment, he was impressive at Huntingdon and he will probably go to Musselburgh or more than likely the Victor Ludorum at Haydock, which is a race we’ve had good success in. I dare say he will have an entry in the Boodles.

“Kalif, nothing is set in stone yet. I will give him an entry in the Triumph because you want to be in, but I’d say he’s possibly unlikely to run in that.

“I’d say he’s not that type, he’s a chaser, but he’s a good horse and he may well go for the Adonis at Kempton and I assume that will be his next run.

“They are two nice horses, as is Tutti Quanti who was second at Taunton, so we do have some nice juveniles coming along, but headed up by those two.”

The big two of El Fabiolo and Jonbon have scared off potential opposition in Saturday’s BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot, with only two others entered for the Grade One showpiece.

Currently the best two-miler chasers in training, El Fabiolo and Jonbon finished first and second in the Arkle last March, with Willie Mullins’ El Fabiolo coming out on top.

When the pair met over hurdles at Aintree two seasons ago it was Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon that narrowly prevailed, and ever since it was first mooted the pair could meet again this weekend the third clash has been eagerly anticipated.

Given Jonbon has a rating of 170 and El Fabiolo 172, it perhaps should come as no surprise not many are keen to take the top-class pair on.

Joe Tizzard has entered the admirable Elixir De Nutz. Terry Warner’s 10-year-old is a dual winner already this year and finished third to Editeur Du Gite in the Desert Orchid over Christmas, but with a rating of 156 it shows the task he faces.

The only other entry is Dan Skelton’s 141-rated Unexpected Party, who is also engaged in the bet365 Handicap Chase.

The BetMGM Mares’ Hurdle has seen Henderson enter Marie’s Rock, Tweed Skirt and Theatre Glory.

Other notables include You Wear It Well for Jamie Snowden and West Balboa for Skelton.

Whether the meeting goes ahead due to the current cold snap, is still up in the air, however.

The track has been completely covered with fleece before the first of a forecast prolonged spell of freezing weather.

Clerk of the course Chris Stickels said on Monday morning: “It’s difficult to say what the prospects are at the moment.

“We are currently raceable, we covered the track on Friday and we are frost-free under the covers. We got down to minus 1.75C overnight.

“The forecast does indicate it is going to be quite cold through this week, with temperatures down to minus three or minus four on some occasions, but there are conflicting forecasts for Saturday.

“Some are suggesting it will still be sub-zero into Saturday morning while others are saying it will be a bit milder than that. It’s difficult to call at this stage, we just need to see how it develops as the week goes on.”

Michael O’Sullivan is eagerly awaiting Marine Nationale’s next appearance in the Goffs Irish Arkle at Leopardstown on February 3.

Barry Connell’s seven-year-old is unbeaten in six races under rules and made a perfect start over the bigger obstacles when winning at the Foxrock track over Christmas.

Having won last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, he is already a red-hot favourite to add this year’s Arkle back at the showpiece meeting in March.

“It was brilliant (at Leopardstown) – I suppose relief more than anything. (There was) a lot of pressure on his first run over fences, but for it to have gone so well was fantastic,” O’Sullivan told Leopardstown.

“He’s such an intelligent horse, you can see him looking at all his fences but I suppose until they go and do it on the track, there is still that doubt. He was very, very good.

“He really enjoyed it and he has come out of the race well.

“It was nice to show people that he is a versatile horse, a straightforward horse. For him to bowl along out in front, it was a lovely performance and, hopefully, he can build on that.

“I suppose last year as Barry said, we were under the radar a small bit but this year all eyes are on us. You could definitely feel that in Leopardstown. A Supreme winner on his first run over fences, there was a lot of attention.

“Obviously, we were all nervous, but we were happy with his work. He took a lot more work this year and I’d say he will come on from it a lot.

“We are looking forward to Leopardstown again the next day.”

Monday’s meetings at both Hereford and Punchestown will go ahead as planned after the tracks passed morning inspections.

Officials at Hereford declared the venue fit for action following an 8am precautionary check, with the ground reported to be good, good to soft in places for a seven-race card.

Punchestown’s 7.30am inspection also had a favourable outcome, with a seven-race fixture on soft going.

Brendan Sheridan, IHRB clerk of the course at Punchestown said: “The track is fit for racing and the fixture today will go ahead.

“There is currently a grass frost here at present but Met Éireann have said this morning that temperatures will rise to three degrees during the day with some sunny spells.

“The ground remains soft and we will once again be using the inside hurdle straight for the first circuit and finishing on the main straight for all races.”

Haydock and Lingfield are mobilising in an effort to protect their weekend meetings as Britain braces for the upcoming cold snap.

Lingfield is set to host its annual three-day Winter Million meeting from Friday to Sunday, so-called because of the £1million in prize-money offered across the mixed Flat and jumps cards.

The fixture has coincided with challenging weather conditions before and will do so again, with minus temperatures expected throughout the week – as low as minus 5C.

The Flat card, scheduled for the Saturday, is held on the all-weather but is sandwiched on either side by two National Hunt days that include the Grade Two Lightning Novices Chase and the valuable Fleur De Lys Chase.

In light of the forecast the whole turf track has been covered, requiring 42 hands on deck and taking nearly 10 hours to give the course the best chance of repelling the impending freeze.

“We’re currently good to soft on the turf track, we put the fleece covers down yesterday,” said clerk of the course Stephanie Wethered on Sunday.

“We’ve got minus temperatures forecast so that’s why we got the covers down, to give us the best chance possible of getting the meeting on.

“We’ve tried to do everything possible ahead of the frost coming in and we’re hopeful we’ve given ourselves a fighting chance.”

Haydock has a seven-race fixture scheduled for Saturday, with the Grade Two Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle the feature.

The forecast in Merseyside is subject to a yellow weather warning, with snow expected to fall in the early part of the week and freezing temperatures set to last until Thursday.

Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright, clerk of the course at Haydock, said: “We’d be in a good place to race today but we’ve got a week of frost, the lowest temperatures are minus 4C and minus 5C, and I think under those circumstances we will be right to the wall.

“We’ve covered, for what it’s worth, all the back straight and the take-offs and landings, but I’d be doubtful of that being enough.

“I would say I’m not optimistic, but we’ll take it as we come. There’s no need to be taking any decisions now, we’ll give it every chance and see how we get on.”

The weekend’s other major meeting is at Ascot, where frost covers and fleece were deployed on Friday. The headline event at the Berkshire track is the Clarence House Chase, in which the Willie Mullins-trained El Fabiolo and Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon are due to clash.

Monday’s meeting at Hereford and Tuesday’s fixture at Plumpton are both subject to morning inspections as racecourses across Britain brace themselves for freezing temperatures this week.

An 8am precautionary inspection has been called ahead of Hereford’s Monday jumps card, but clerk of the course John Holliday is “optimistic” racing will go ahead.

Tuesday’s meeting at Plumpton is subject to an 8.30am inspection on raceday morning.

The course has been frost free since Friday, but the mercury is forecast to dip below freezing on Monday morning and temperatures could get as low as minus 3C on Monday night.

In Ireland, Punchestown will inspect at 7.30am on Monday morning as minus temperatures are expected to strike across the Irish Sea too.

Lisnagar Fortune deservedly opened his account over obstacles in the SkyBet Acca Freeze Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown.

An impressive bumper winner at the 2022 Punchestown Festival, the half-brother to Stayers’ Hurdle hero Lisnagar Oscar did not run again until finishing second on his hurdling debut at Tramore on New Year’s Day of last year.

The six-year-old was beaten as an odds-on favourite for a second time at Cork on his next start before being touched off by stablemate Readin Tommy Wrong at the same venue on his comeback in November, form which was well advertised by the winner’s surprise Grade One success at Naas on Friday.

On the strength of that run Lisnagar Fortune was odds-on at 10-11 to come good over hurdles at the fourth attempt and got the job done in good style, pulling six and a half lengths clear of Jasko Des Dames to complete a double on the card for Willie Mullins following the earlier success of Mystical Power.

Of Lisnagar Fortune, winning jockey Paul Townend said: “The penny is dropping a little bit with him. On form he was entitled to win after the run in Mallow (Cork).

“He’s just taken a while to come to hand and learn his jumping and things. I thought it was the best he has jumped today and he’ll progress away.

“He’ll end up going further but he was too keen, he’s starting to race now and to learn. He’ll end up going back out in trip in time, but I’m not sure if it’s the right time yet.”

Kates Hill broke her duck under rules in the Total Event Rental Beginners Chase.

The three-time point-to-point winner had been unsuccessful in seven previous outings over regulation obstacles, but was placed in bumpers and over hurdles and filled the runner-up spot on her chasing debut at Naas last month.

Philip Dempsey’s charge was a 15-8 shot to go one better under Donagh Meyler and dug deep from the final fence to see off the rallying Rolly Bowley Boy by half a length.

“That was great, she backed up her Naas run. She’s a great jumper, she’s a lovely mare and she won well there,” said Dempsey.

“There is novice handicap at Naas at the end of the month and the Ulster National could be a plan, distance would be her thing.”

Idol (100-30) landed the SkyBet Request A Bet Mares Handicap Hurdle for trainer Sam Curling and jockey Philip Enright, while Shark Hanlon and Shane Fenelon combined to take top honours in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase with Easy Bucks (18-1).

The SkyBet Build A Bet Amateur National brought proceedings to a close, with victory going to the Ted Walsh-trained Hardwired (11-4 joint-favourite) and 7lb claimer Alex Harvey.

Mystical Power moved to Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favouritism with a dominant display in the SkyBet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old is impeccably bred as a son of Galileo out of the brilliant Champion Hurdle-winning mare Annie Power and could hardly have made a better start to his career for the powerhouse ownership trio of JP McManus, John Magnier and Rich Ricci.

Following a winning debut debut in a Ballinrobe bumper in May, Mystical Power made a successful switch to hurdling at Galway two months later – and having sidestepped the rearranged Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle on Friday, he was sent off at 5-4 for his comeback in a Grade Two contest his trainer has previously won with the likes of Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Min (2015) and Impaire Et Passe (2023).

Mark Walsh – looking to complete a big-race double in the McManus colours following Grade Three success aboard Spillane’s Tower in the previous contest on the card – settled his mount at the rear of the four-runner field for much of the two-mile journey while his stablemate Lombron adopted a pacesetting role.

There was the odd moment of worry for Mystical Power’s supporters, with his rider having to get lower in the saddle on the home turn, but the further he went the better he looked and he fairly rocketed clear in the straight to score by seven lengths from Jigoro.

Mullins’ assistant David Casey said: “I was very impressed with him, he wouldn’t show that at home. He seems to save his best for the track, which is a great trait to have.

“We were a little bit worried about the ground today as he’s coming from a summer campaign. We were a little worried if he would handle that heavy ground, but it looks like he went through it very well.

“We gave him a break after he had his couple of runs in the summer and brought him back to see if he would handle a winter campaign.

“Mark rode him a couple of weeks ago and thought he had improved hugely from when he had rode him earlier in the year. He showed that today.”

Sky Bet make the winner their 9-2 favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, just ahead of fellow McManus-owned ace Jeriko Du Reponet – trained by Nicky Henderson – at 5-1.

“At the moment you probably wouldn’t go any further than two miles until you have to. Mark said he rides a lot quicker on the track than he does at home,” Casey added.

“I thought he showed a fair turn of foot there. I know the camp have the second-favourite for the Supreme as well so they might want to split them up, but at the moment until you have to you wouldn’t go further, I think.”

Frank Berry, McManus’ racing manager, said: “That was grand. Mark said they didn’t go mad early on, but he quickened up well.

“Hopefully he’ll have learned a little bit jumping wise today and you could only be very pleased with him.

“We didn’t know coming here how he was going to cope with the ground, but he coped with it quite well.

“He’s keen anyway and the small field suited to get him settled.”

When asked if he could run again before Cheltenham, Berry added: “The experience part of it would do him good but we’ll leave that up to Willie.”

Spillane’s Tower inflicted a shock defeat on red-hot favourite Blood Destiny in the Betting Better With SkyBet Novice Chase at Punchestown.

The Grade Three contest has an illustrious roll of honour in recent years, with Carefully Selected, Envoi Allen, Bob Olinger and Impervious the last four winners, and the Willie Mullins-trained Blood Destiny was a 2-5 shot to add his name to the list following an impressive fencing debut at Naas.

Just as he did a month ago, Blood Destiny set out to make every yard of the running in the hands of Paul Townend, and for much of the two-and-a-half-mile contest he appeared in complete control.

However, it became clear on the run to the final fence he had a real race on his hands as Mark Walsh conjured a late charge from Spillane’s Tower (7-1), who was bidding for back-to-back course wins for trainer Jimmy Mangan and owner JP McManus.

Blood Destiny was still in the lead jumping the final fence, but he was unable to resist Spillane’s Tower’s finishing kick, with two lengths separating the pair at the line.

The winning owner’s racing manager, Frank Berry, said: “He jumped well, they went a good gallop and he stayed well. You could only be pleased with him.

“I’d say the step up in trip was a big help to him. Mark said he was a bit flat out early on but he got home well.

“We’ve no plans, we’ll see where he goes and where he slots in. It’s nice to see Jimmy with a nice horse, all his runs have been good and he’s improving all the time. It was a nice performance.”

Connections are confident a patient approach will see Energumene return at his best next season.

Willie Mullins’ dual Champion Chase hero was imperious when defending his two-mile crown at the Cheltenham Festival last March, but has been denied the opportunity to bid for a hat-trick having suffered an injury which has ruled him out of the current campaign.

Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion chief Tony Bloom, Energumene is unlikely to be seen on track again until the 2024-25 season, as the Closutton team seek to give their high-class operator as much time as possible to recover from his setback, something seen as key to Energumene returning in the form of old.

“He’s recovering well,” said Bloom’s racing manager, Sean Graham.

“It was an injury that needed a little bit of time and he’s doing well and is recovering. The signs are good, but you never can tell so we will have to wait and see. The vets are very happy with him so fingers crossed.

“It was a case of if we can’t go to Cheltenham then we give him the whole of the season off and give him plenty of time to recover for next year.

“The way we are talking at the minute we will be giving him as plenty of time to recover as we possibly can. It’s not a career-threatening injury and it is just a case of us being patient. Tony is very patient and he will give him as much time as the horse needs.”

Meanwhile, the exciting Bunting will attempt to hit the bullseye at the Dublin Racing Festival next month where he could secure his ticket to the Cheltenham Festival.

An impressive winner when trained in France, he doubled up when making a blistering start to life in the care of Mullins at Limerick, producing a taking display to score by an ever-widening eight lengths.

That saw the Bloom-owned juvenile handed quotes as short as 7-1 for the Triumph Hurdle in March, but with both victories coming in testing conditions, connections are keen to see if he can repeat his exploits so far on a sounder surface.

“He won his first ever race in France and we bought him after that, so his run at Limerick was only his second ever time on the track and he’s open to loads of improvement,” said Graham.

“He handles soft ground very well because it was very soft when he won in France and very soft when he won his maiden hurdle at Limerick, so we just wonder how effective he will be if the ground gets a lot quicker.

“We don’t know and we’re just hoping he turns out he is as good as you hope he is going to be.”

Bunting will now head to Leopardstown’s Grade One McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle on February 3 and a contest his handler has won the past two years with high-class pair Gala Marceau and Vauban.

That will be the perfect opportunity for connections to check out Bunting’s Triumph Hurdle credentials and a contest where he could meet well-regarded stablemates Storm Heart and Salvator Mundi as well as ante-post Triumph favourite Burdett Road, who could be sent on an enterprising raiding mission to the Irish capital by handler James Owen.

Graham added: “The Dublin Racing Festival is his next target, he’s entered in the juvenile hurdle on the 3rd and we wait and see. That will tell us whether we should be going to the Triumph Hurdle or not.

“He’s a horse for the future and he’s only had two races. Expecting him to go and win a Grade One on his third-ever race on the track is a big expectation, but we will see what happens.”