We are less than three weeks away from the Cheltenham Festival, but trainers are still trying to get one final run into their horses before the four-day National Hunt extravaganza begins on March 12.
There will be some lively festival contenders taking to the track this weekend and we pick out THREE of them that could prove to be prominent figures at the Cheltenham Festival next month.
Angels Breath - Runs In Dovecote Novices' Hurdle - Cheltenham Target = Supreme Novices' Hurdle
Prior to Al Dancer winning the Betfair Hurdle and propelling to the head of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle betting, Angels Breath was flying the flag for Dai Walters in the betting for the Cheltenham Festival opener, but Angels Breath will look to leapfrog Al Dancer on the Walters pecking order with victory at Kempton Park on Saturday.
The Nicky Henderson-trained star is a warm order to win the Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton Park, where he will lock horns with Scarlet Dragon, but the Seven Barrows inmate impressed on debut and is one to watch this weekend during a stellar National Hunt card at the dual-purpose track.
Glen Rocco - Runs In 888Bet Handicap Chase - Cheltenham Target = Entered In Handicaps And Graded Races
Nick Gifford's Glen Rocco is entered in a host of Cheltenham Festival races, but Saturday's outing in the 888Bet Handicap Chase at Kempton Park will determine where he lines up at Prestbury Park next month.
Entered for the two handicap chases on the opening day of the festival, Glen Rocco is also entered in the RSA Chase and the Kim Muir Handicap Chase. Should he prevail impressively on Saturday then he could be heading to the Grade 1 RSA Chase, but if he fails to show he is top class then he could be a lively player in one of the competitive handicap chases.
Adonis Juvenile Hurdle
One of the premier juvenile hurdles on the calendar, the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle can often unearth a late developing four-year-old that can go on to be a leading contender for the JCB Triumph Hurdle, which in 2019 will take place on Friday 15th March at 1:30pm.
Zarkandar landed victory in the Adonis before going on to win the Triumph a few seasons ago, and this year's Adonis is a wide open affair that could throw up some notable challengers, so it's certainly worth grabbing the notebook for this race, with not only Triumph Hurdle clues, but also Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle clues also being on offer.