Each week, our betting offers expert, Del Pugh picks several big races from the upcoming weekend meetings and briefly looks at the big hitters and the current ante-post favourites in each. 

This weekend, Cheltenham hosts all three featured contests, including the Cotswold Chase, the Unibet International Hurdle and the Cleeve Hurdle, as we start to see potential candidates for the Cheltenham Festival in March.

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 *Odds are correct at the time of publication and subject to change.  Start times are for UK.

The Clarence House Chase features nine entries in this Group 2 contest, with the 3m 1f trip expected to take place on good to soft ground.

According to the betting, this is expected to be a two-horse race, with L'Homme Presse (2/1) leading the market. Venetia Williams' former Brown Advisory and Scilly Isles Chase victor returned to action at the turn of 2024, having been out for over a year. After a fourth in the Gold Cup, he returned for his seasonal debut in the King George VI Chase, placing third, some 12 lengths adrift of Banbridge. A drop to Grade 2 arguably puts him in the driving seat, but questions remain on whether he can find his top form once again.

Un De Sceaux is the most successful horse, winning in 2016, 2017 & 2018.

The biggest threat to the favourite comes from Gentlemansgame (11/4), with this "Mouse" Morris-trained runner's last win coming in the Charlie Hall Chase in November 2023. After disappointing runs for the remainder of the season, he made his seasonal bow with a third (of nine) in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, finishing 12.5 lengths back from Galopins Des Champs. Although he has won on good ground, most of his wins have come under soft conditions, so more rain could push him into favouritism on the boards.

Behind these leading candidates, Capodanno (7/1) will be looking to win for a second successive time, having beaten The Real Whacker in 2024, while Nicky Henderson will look to extend his record as the most successful trainer in this race with Chantry House (8/1), who won the Class 2 - Betfair Handicap Chase on New Years Day. The remainder of the field is 20/1 bar.

It would be a big surprise to see any other than the leading two taking the spoils and with minor concerns over L'Homme Presse's ability to reach top form after a long absence, I'm beginning to side with Gentlemansgame to take the win.

The Unibet International Hurdle plays host to six entries and ultimately this looks to be a case of the favourites' to lose.

That favourite is Constitution Hill (1/4), with Nicky Henderson expected to add to his previous six victories in this race. Constitution Hill returned after 366 days away and wind surgery to win the Grade 1 - Christmas Hurdle at Kempton last Boxing Day, beating race rival Lossiemouth by 2.5 lengths, staying on well. Capable on varying ground, it's believed that only an error will stop a tenth successive win.

Lossiemouth (3/1) takes on her nemesis again after the Boxing Day defeat. Willie Mullins' mare pushed Constitution Hill all the way but didn't have enough to take the spoils. There is no question of her talent, having won Grade 1's including the Irish Champion Hurdle and Hatton Grace Hurdle in 2024 and softer ground this time could make a difference.

Richard Johnson is the most successful jockey, winning this race six times

The gap between the leading pair and the rest is more of a gulf, with the next best, Brentford Hope available at around 20/1 for the win, with Harry Derham's charge winning a couple of Class 2 contests in his career. The rest are 50/1 bar.

It's almost impossible to bet against Constitution Hill here, especially having beaten Lossiemouth last time out, but softer conditions underfoot may just give Willie Mullins' mare a chance here.

The Cleeve Hurdle is contested over 3m, with ten runners currently entered for this race, which was won by Noble Yeats in 2024.

Compared to the previously featured races, this looks to be shaping up as a more competitive contest, with a handful of runners in with genuine chances, led by favourite, Crambo.

Paisley Park (2019-2022) & Lady Rebecca (1999-2001 have won this race three-times.

Crambo (2/1) has bounced between the sublime and ridiculous over the last year, struggling for form at the end of last season in Grade 1's (Stayers Hurdle and Liverpool Hurdle) before returning to action with a win on his seasonal debut in the Long Walk Hurdle, beating Hidden valley lake by a neck. Despite this 8-yo's clear talent, consistency is an issue for Fergal O'Brien's runner.

Strong Leader (9/4) will be expected to bounce back from a poor run in the Long Walk Hurdle, finishing last of ten in an error-strewn performance. Having won the Liverpool Hurdle in 2024 and returning to action with a Grade 2 win at Newbury last November, this latest run looks no more than aberration with Olly Murphy confirming that he has had wind surgery since that run. Expect a big improvement here.

Gowel Road (5/1) leads the best of the rest, looking to break a series of four successive seconds, including the Relkeel Hurdle last time out, when 0.75 lengths adrift of Lucky Place. Monmiral (8/1) has not won since taking the Pertemps Network Final at the Festival last year and finished 3.5 lengths behind Strong Leader back in November, while Buddy One (10/1) needs to find improvement after poor recent performances,

It's 14/1 bar those.

Crambo may be the favourite, but I fancy Strong Leader to bounce back in style, especially with wind surgery behind him. Gowel Road cannot be discounted buy may have to settle for places yet again.

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