Former Pertemps Final favourite makes comeback after 735-day absence and Grade 1 winner returns at Kelso

Punting pointers from some of today's race meetings . . .

Galway stat: Ross O'Sullivan has strong course record

A £1 stake on all seven of Ross O'Sullivan's runners at Galway this season would have yielded a return of £29. The trainer has a chance of enhancing his 57 per cent strike-rate should Bid Up become his fifth winner at the track this term in the three-year-old maiden hurdle (1.53).

Bid Up13:53 Galway

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Jky: Danny Gilligan Tnr: Ross O'Sullivan

Galway: Byrnes brings out Cheltenham winner

One-time Pertemps Final favourite Shoot First returns from a mammoth absence to make his return in Galway's 2m6f handicap hurdle (4.13).

The eight-year-old has not been seen since beating subsequent dual Grade 2 winner Botox Has by two lengths at Cheltenham in October 2022. After success in that Pertemps qualifier, the son of Westerner was ruled out of the final at last year's festival having "given himself a bang", according to his trainer Charles Byrnes.

Shoot First: leading player for the Pertemps Final

Shoot First: last seen winning at Cheltenham in October 2022Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Shoot First has top weight to defy as well as the 735-day layoff and it will be interesting to see how he fares under Byrnes's son Philip. His rivals include course winner Hgranca De Thaix, who bids to complete a hat-trick on his seasonal debut, having won over fences at Limerick and in Listed company at the Punchestown festival.

Michael O'Sullivan's mount won by 17 lengths in a handicap hurdle on his last visit to the track.

Shoot First16:13 Galway

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Jky: Philip Byrnes Tnr: C Byrnes

Kelso: Apple Away makes handicap chase debut

Grade 1 winner Apple Away makes her seasonal reappearance in the Edinburgh Gin Chase (3.55), a race which her trainer Lucinda Russell won with One For Arthur in 2016.

Russell ran her other Grand National hero Corach Rambler in Kelso's feature 3m2f contest last year and Michael Scudamore, who is set to join her on the licence in the future, also saddled back-to-back winners of the £50,000 event in 2019 and 2020 with Mysteree and Some Chaos.

Apple Away (right) fends off favourite Instit to win the Listed Mares' Chase

Apple Away (right): winning at Perth in AprilCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Apple Away receives 4lb from last year's winner Elvis Mail but competes off the same rating of 142 as fellow last-time-out winner La Renommee on her first handicap start over fences. The seven-year-old was last seen winning a mares' Listed race at Perth in April.

Ahead of her reappearance, Russell said: "She has got a lot of weight. It was a choice between this race and the mares’ race at Carlisle for her first run of the season. Conditions are right for her at Kelso and potentially she has got a great chance."

Apple Away15:55 Kelso

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Jky: Derek Fox Tnr: Lucinda Russell

Kelso stat: Greenall and Guerriero double-handed to boost record

Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero have enjoyed two winners from three runners at Kelso this season. Dog Fox (3.20) and El Borracho (4.30) make the 450-mile round trip to the Scottish track and could boost the training combination's 67 per cent strike-rate.

Dog Fox15:20 Kelso

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Jky: Henry Brooke Tnr: Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero

El Borracho16:30 Kelso

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Jky: Henry Brooke Tnr: Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero

Newbury: Haggas seeks outright record win in Group 3

William Haggas has the chance to become the outright most successful trainer of the St Simon Stakes (3.45) should Al Aasy justify favouritism at Newbury.

Stable stalwart Hamish helped Haggas equal the late Sir Henry Cecil's four wins in the Group 3 when winning the race, which was moved to Newmarket due to Newbury being waterlogged, last year.

Al Aasy has won four times and finished runner-up once from six starts at Newbury and Jim Crowley, who steered the seven-year-old to victory in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at the Berkshire venue on his penultimate start, is back on board after the son of Sea The Stars was second under Cieren Fallon at Ascot last time.

Haggas also has a strong chance in the other Group 3 on the card, the BetVictor Horris Hill Stakes (3.10), courtesy of the hat-trick seeking Yaroogh. Supermodel could also add a Listed prize (2.00) on a productive afternoon for the Newmarket trainer.