WELCOME TO THE WEEKLY BLOG: For those that don’t know me, my name is Gavin Cromwell and I’m a brand ambassador for BETDAQ. This is the first of my weekly blogs and I’m looking forward to going through my runners’ chances as well discussing the talking points from the previous seven days.

We haven’t run too many over the past week due to the ground, which has meant I’ve been able to head off on a short skiing trip which was great. I don’t get the chance to go on holiday much, so it’s lovely to be away for a few days.

We’ve got plenty entered over the next few days, though, and here are my thoughts on them.

FAIRYHOUSE: Saturday

We run three in the opening maiden hurdle (2.10pm) at Fairyhouse on Saturday. Mutadaffeq, Cray and Earl Of Bunnacurry are all nice horses, but I think they’ll be better when we get them into handicap company later in the season. This race should tell us more about each of them and we’ll be able to plot a path for the rest of the season afterwards.

It’s the same story in the next race (2.45pm). Bronson Blue, Captain Courageous and Tashman all have potential, but we are very early in their careers and it’s handicaps where they’ll be more competitive.

Darver Star takes his chance in the 2m4f maiden hurdle (3.20pm). He ran pretty well the last day and we’re back in grade here. This is a race for horses that haven’t been placed in their opening three outings and I’d like to think he’ll be competitive.

He should go there with a good each-way chance in a race he looks well suited to.

 In the final race of the day, Global Racing looks to go back-to-back in the handicap hurdle (3.55pm). He’s up 9lbs, but he looked to win with a bit in hand last time and I think he was a fair bit better than the winning margin.

He worked well earlier in the week and I’d be pretty hopeful of a big run. If he can put in a similar performance to his win at Punchestown, he’ll be bang there.

NAAS: Sunday

We have a few entered for the first race on Sunday (1.20pm) and of all of them, I’d say Quantatemental would have the best chance.

He’s been schooling well over hurdles and while he was disappointing the last day, he’d have a solid place chance if he was back to the form of his yard debut in December.

The horse has been freshened up since Punchestown and based on his Flat form, I’d be hopeful there’s plenty of improvement left in him.

The big race of the day is the Limestone Lad Hurdle (1.50pm) and we’re looking forward to running Espoir D’Allen again.

He’s two from two this season and has been in great form since his eight length win at Limerick last time. He’s got to give 7lbs to the likes of Tombstone which doesn’t make things easy, but his work at home has been good, so we’re hoping for another big performance.

He has an entry in the Champion Hurdle, but he’s obviously in the same ownership as Buveur D’Air so I’ll have to discuss things with Frank Berry and JP [McManus] depending how Sunday goes. He’s only a five-year-old so has time firmly on his side.

Both runs so far this season have shown he’s improving all the time, but he’ll need to continue doing that to be competitive in races like the Champion Hurdle. He hasn’t done much wrong so far and we’ll train him like he’s a good one, so let’s just hope he is!

My final runner of the weekend is Power Sail in the handicap hurdle (3.20pm). He had some decent form on the Flat for Tim Easterby, but he hasn’t quite gone on from his first run for us which was really promising.

I don’t think the handicapper has done us too many favours, though I’m hoping I’m wrong! We’ll see how he goes and the race should show us where we are with him.

Presenting Percy

You had to be impressed with Presenting Percy at Gowran Park on Thursday, I don’t think he got out of second gear to be honest. He’s a very worthy favourite for the Gold Cup now and it will take a good one to beat him in March.