Marlacoo and Gibbs Island set for Chepstow returns

Gibbs Island’s assignment comes in the £50,000 DragonBet ‘Welsh Champion’ Hurdle (3.12pm), where he will line up as one of 17 runners. It was at this meeting last year that Gibbsy really announced himself, running out an impressive winner of the four-year-old hurdle and giving RaceShare owners a day to remember. This is clearly a much stiffer test than 12 months ago, but he has shown that he can run a big race when fresh, so we’ll be hopeful of another strong performance.

Marlacoo has had a great preparation for his return and arrives on a mark that gives him every chance, while the current good to soft ground should suit him well. His first assignment of the new Jumps season comes in the LSL Racing Handicap Hurdle (4.55pm). Last year, he was narrowly denied into second in a thrilling finish, and it would be fantastic to think he could go one better this year.