We’ve got a six-race National Hunt programme to look forward to on Friday, Oct 20th, from Uttoxeter. Action takes place in Staffordshire between 13.40 and 16.35.

Stacks of top jocks are on view – among them Sean Bowen, Harry Skelton, Jonjo O’Neill Jr and Paddy Brennan.

Weather warning – Inspection at 07.30, Friday

13.40 – Go To War @ 2/1

The Fergal O’Brien/Paddy Brennan combo team up here with a talented bumper horse making his hurdling debut, over just short of 2 miles.

By Soldier Of Fortune, himself a son of Galileo, Go To War is bred to go a bit and took a National Hunt flat race at this very track on rules debut very cosily. Subsequently pitched in to a hot Aintree bumper, he finished only 7l adrift of some very promising types trained by the likes of Nicky Richards, a certain WP Mullins, Jonjo Snr, and Gordon Elliott – proper form.

He’s sure to have been well schooled for this, and though the opposition doubtless contains many dangers and potential improvers, I wouldn’t swop his undoubted promise for any of the others. Looking forward to what should be a fascinating affair.

14.15 – Havock @ 9/4

Team Skelton are firing several arrows at this meeting and it will be a mild surprise given their renown if they leave empty-handed. Havock is one such entry – and to date in all candour this 5-yr-old gelding has achieved very little in his 3 racecourse appearances.

However – this is an extremely modest little contest, division 2 indeed of the first race, again over a smidge less than 2m. There’s nothing in the field that I’m drawn towards on what they’ve achieved on the racecourse so far, unlike in the first division with Go To War.

Havock’s 3 career starts have all been in bumpers, including one very respectable effort at Warwick, recording a Racing Post rating of 102. Efforts either side were ordinary, but we’re talking team Skelton here. Masters at every level, but I bet they’ve identified this as a suitable start point after being off since March, and it might not take the world of winning.

Not one for any heroic stakes, and I can’t say I fancy it as strongly as my hope in the first, but fingers crossed for a bold show from one of the best trainer/jockey combinations in the game.