UNOWHATIMEANHARRY looks a ready-made replacement for Thistlecrack and should justify favouritism in the JLT Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

In recent years the staying hurdling division has been blessed with some real superstars, with Baracouda, Inglis Drever, Big Buck's and Thistlecrack all dominating the division.

They may not make for great punting races, but it is always a pleasure to see champions in action.

With Thistlecrack sent chasing there was a gap at the top of the pecking order and it looked a wide-open scene this season.

It is normally accepted the winner of the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham will step into the mix, but before Harry Fry's charge turned up at Newbury for his first run the form looked average at best.

However, he was in a different league to his rivals there, suggesting his rapid improvement from last season had not yet stopped, and it is hard to see any of those behind him there turning around the form.

Reve De Sivola was fifth and it is true he is far more at home at Ascot, and only Thistlecrack prevented him from winning this race four years on the bounce, but he would prefer much softer ground.

The same can also be said of the French raider Alex De Larredya.

Tony Martin's Golden Spear sneaked in as the last horse for the Wessex Youth Trust Handicap Hurdle, or the Ladbroke to most of us, and can make the most of the opportunity.

While he progressed on the Flat through the summer to a mark of 87, beating the rock-solid yardstick Nakeeta in the November Handicap at Leopardstown, his hurdles mark is still only 124 as he has not been jumping since winning a decent pot at Listowel in September 2015.

With good form in big fields on the level the hurly burly will not be a barrier to success and with the excellent Donagh Meyler taking another 3lb off his back, he will feel like he is running free.

It is widely accepted he could be absolutely thrown in, but with last year's dead-heaters Jolly's Cracked It and Sternrubin back again, along with the likes of Meet The Legend and Who Dares Wins, his hurdling will have to be up to scratch.

At Haydock all eyes will be on Nicky Henderson's Buveur D'Air, who makes his eagerly awaited chasing debut in the Racing UK Anywhere Novices' Chase.

Right up with the best novices over timber last season, he was third behind only Altior and Min in the Supreme at Cheltenham.

With those two absent he bagged his own Grade One at Aintree, but always looked the type to jump a fence.

Yala Enki, a winner over fences in France, could outclass his rivals in the Tommy Whittle Chase.

Venetia Williams had some fun over hurdles with him, with his only poor display behind Yorkhill at Cheltenham on ground much too fast.

He looks to have improved again for a summer at grass, having finished third in the Fixed Brush Hurdle on his return, two places better than 12 months previous off a 9lb higher mark.

Hainan is an interesting contender in the Vertemam Twitter Chase for Sue Smith at Newcastle.

Only five, he looked all stamina when winning at Catterick last January and proved that on his return there over a year later

His two runs over fences this seasons have been over trips too short and he steps up to three miles for the first time over bigger obstacles.

Marco Botti's Grendisar is a standing dish in all the decent contests at Lingfield over 10 furlongs and he should take the beating in the Betway Quebec Stakes.

Just touched off in the contest 12 months ago, he is favoured in the weights on this occasion.

In the last all-weather season he went on to win the Winter Derby Trial, the Winter Derby and the Easter Classic to prove he was the best around at this distance.

With a recent run under his belt he has the look of a good thing.

In the opening 32Redbingo.com Novice Stakes the in-form Simon Dow has found the perfect opening for Mr Scaramanga.

A winner of his second start for Richard Hannon, he went on to run very creditably at a good level without getting his head in front again.

Fourth at 50-1 behind Guineas favourite Churchill at Royal Ascot, he then pushed Escobar close in a Listed race at Newbury.

His new owners parted with 90,000 guineas to get him and they look sure to get a small fraction of that back straight away.

SELECTIONS:

ASCOT: 12.40 Walt, 1.15 Top Notch, 1.50 Orbasa, 2.25 UNOWHATIMEANHARRY (NAP), 3.00 Le Mercurey, 3.35 Golden Spear.

HAYDOCK: 11.50 Baratineur, 12.20 Buveur D'Air, 12.55 Splash Of Ginge, 1.30 Ut Majeur Aulmes, 2.05 Colin's Sister, 2.40 Trickaway, 3.15 Le Rocher.

LINGFIELD: 11.45 Mr Scaramanga, 12.15 Hamelin, 12.50 Port Master, 1.25 Bargain Buy, 2.00 Grendisar, 2.35 Reckless Wave, 3.10 Stormflower, 3.40 Fly True.

NEWCASTLE: 12.05 Kimberlite Candy, 12.35 Hainan, 1.10 Annie Alainn, 1.45 Pemba, 2.20 Pretty Miss Mahler, 2.55 Bun Doran, 3.25 Nevada.

DOUBLE: Unowhatimeanharry and Grendisar.