Marine Nationale makes long-awaited return and Jeriko Du Reponet debuts over fences - punting pointers on a super Sunday

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

Ffos Las: Cheltenham winner steps up

Entries flooded in for Sunday's meeting in west Wales with soft in the going description and The Kemble Brewery is among an exciting bunch of prospects in the second division of the 2m novice hurdle (12.40).

The Kim Bailey-trained runner was marked up as a huge talent when sauntering clear in a Cheltenham bumper last October, and the form has been boosted by runner-up Valgrand, but he was beaten at odds-on a month later before missing the rest of the season.

Connections were able to raise a glass after the five-year-old, named after a local pub, won following a 332-day break at Worcester last time and takes the next step towards a higher grade.

That Worcester form was boosted by the runner-up, Jurancon going one better at Chepstow on Wednesday. The fifth-placed Hartington also beat Ben Pauling's odds-on favourite Roysse by four lengths to get off the mark at Newbury on Thursday.

The Kemble Brewery12:40 Ffos Las

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Jky: Tom Bellamy Tnr: Kim Bailey

Key stat: Kim Bailey is a trainer to note

Kim Bailey is 3-3 (100 per cent) with his runners in the 3m handicap hurdle (2.25) at Ffos Las and returns to Wales with Fair Frontieres, who makes his first start since undergoing wind surgery.

Fair Frontieres14:25 Ffos Las

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Jky: Tom Bellamy Tnr: Kim Bailey

Naas: Marine Nationale out to bounce back

Last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Marine Nationale makes his first start for 281 days in the Barberstown Castle Chase (2.35) at Naas.

The seven-year-old defied a longer absence of 288 days to make a successful chase and seasonal debut at Leopardstown last December but has a bit to prove after his latest outing at that track in February.

The dual Grade 1-winning hurdler was 4-7 to win on his first attempt at the highest level over fences in the Irish Arkle but beat only one of his five rivals.

Marine Nationale missed the Cheltenham Festival with a setback after that Dublin Racing Festival disappointment, but his run in the Irish Arkle may not have been as bad as it first looked as the winner, Il Etait Temps, won further Grade 1s at Aintree and Punchestown, and the runner-up Found A Fifty subsequently landed the Maghull Novices' Chase on Grand National day.

Barry Connell's Marine Nationale is two from two on the same good ground he will encounter on his reappearance in Grade 3 company.

"It's great to have him back and I'm looking forward to it," said jockey Michael O'Sullivan. "It's the perfect race to start him off in as it's going to be nice ground which will suit and he has a bit of a weight allowance.

"He's going to come on for the run but it's an ideal starting point."

Marine Nationale14:35 Naas

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Jky: Michael O'Sullivan Tnr: Barry Connell

Sandown: Jeriko Du Reponet kicks off chasing career

There is a high-profile chasing debutant at Sandown as Jeriko Du Reponet makes his first start since the Cheltenham Festival.

His unbeaten record came to an end when he was pulled up in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in March, but the Nicky Henderson string had been in poor form and his below-par performance was among the few which ultimately led to the trainer removing his high-profile runners from the meeting.

JP McManus's highly touted five-year-old takes on just three rivals in the 1m7½f novice handicap chase (2.15). Le Patron won on this card before following up in the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices Chase at Sandown a month later, and perhaps a similar path beckons.

Henderson said: "He has enormous potential. He won his sole point-to-point in Ireland before joining us last season and he won his first three races before being pulled up at Cheltenham.

“He really is the most gorgeous big five-year-old and he should be top-class.”

Jeriko Du Reponet14:15 Sandown

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Jky: Nico de Boinville Tnr: Nicky Henderson

Key stat: Skelton top jockey

Harry Skelton was the top jockey at Sandown last season with five winners from 19 rides (26%) and he has two rides at the track's first jumps fixture, Don Hollow (2.50) and Thickthorn Tom (4.00).