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Alert runners and riders managed to avoid a potentially nasty incident at Newcastle on Saturday evening, as a deer shot across the track. The opening Betway Casino Handicap was progressing without drama, as Jason Hart and the Stuart Coltherd-trained Jack Yeats led the eight-strong field on their way.

Nicky Henderson was disappointed but not dismayed after dual Champion Hurdle hero Buveur D’Air suffered defeat on his long-awaited return to action at Haydock. Having claimed Cheltenham Festival glory in both 2017 and 2018, the JP McManus-owned 10-year-old fell when bidding for the hat-trick the following season.

Dashel Drasher produced a tenacious performance to make every yard of the running and record a second Ascot triumph this season with victory in the bet365 Handicap Chase. The Jeremy Scott-trained gelding jumped left at several of the fences, only to pull out extra under Matt Griffiths and hold Bennys King by a length and a quarter.

First Flow put up a remarkable performance to outrun a clutch of established Grade One stars for victory in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Clarence House Chase at Ascot. Kim Bailey’s nine-year-old mud-lover was stepping up to the top level over fences for the first time in his career, but extended his winning sequence to six – taking on reigning Champion Chase hero Politologue from a long way out and staying on to win by seven lengths at 14-1.

Navajo Pass inflicted a surprise defeat on the returning Buveur D’Air in Haydock’s The New One Unibet Hurdle. Donald McCain’s winner was sent off the 4-1 outsider of three to beat dual Champion Hurdle hero Buveur D’Air and Ballyandy – who took this Grade Two 12 months ago.

Royale Pagaille looks a horse destined for the very top judged on a brilliant display in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock. The French import was beaten on his first two starts for trainer Venetia Williams and leading owner Rich Ricci last season, but appears much improved this winter, with this his third successive victory.

Roksana returned to the scene of her fine effort in the Long Walk Hurdle to readily outclass her three foes in the Matchbook Betting Podcast Mares’ Hurdle at Ascot. Ridden with cool confidence from off the pace set by Magic Of Light and Coded Message, the 8-15 favourite turned into the home straight with jockey Harry Skelton holding a double handful.

Fergal O’Brien believes the future is bright for Silver Hallmark following an impressive all-the-way victory in the Read Nicky Henderson’s Unibet Blog Novices’ Chase at Haydock.

Allaho bids to get his season up and running as one of four runners for Willie Mullins in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles. Twice placed at the Cheltenham Festival, having finished third in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and the RSA Novices’ Chase, the seven-year-old has failed to run up to expectations in his two previous starts this winter.

Tritonic emerged as a leading light for the JCB Triumph Hurdle with a debut success over jumps that will have taught him a great deal and elevate dreams for his owners of landing the juvenile championship at Cheltenham in March.

Haydock’s Peter Marsh meeting will go ahead after the course passed an early-morning inspection. Saturday’s seven-race card was subject to a scheduled 8am check because of the threat of frost, having already survived the ravages of the midweek Storm Christoph.

Victory for Knicks Go in the $3million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Saturday night would cement the rapid rise to fame of the Brad Cox-trained five-year-old. A Grade One winner as a two-year-old, Knicks Go joined the Cox stable at the start of last year and won two allowance races before heading to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Trainer Charles Byrnes has lodged an appeal against the decision of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board to suspend his licence for six months and fine him €1,000 after one of his horses tested positive for a banned substance.

A return to Lingfield for next month’s Kachy Stakes is on the agenda for Fizzy Feet after securing her fifth course victory on Friday. David Loughnane’s speedy mare carries the colours of owner David Lowe, whose Kachy produced several front-running victories at Lingfield before tragically suffering a fatal injury at the track last February.

Buveur D’Air makes his long-awaited return after 420 days on the sidelines at Haydock – but The New One Unibet Hurdle is unlikely to be a “gimme”, despite only two horses taking on the former champion.

Shishkin is set to continue his education over fences in the Lightning Novices’ Chase at Doncaster next weekend. Nicky Henderson is favouring the Grade Two contest over an extended two miles as the next race for the exciting seven-year-old ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.

Owner John Hales is confident Politologue will prove hard to beat in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Clarence House Chase. The Paul Nicholls-trained grey appeared to be on the decline after he was found to have broken blood vessels when suffering his sixth successive defeat in the 2019 Tingle Creek at Sandown.

Dan Skelton is hoping Roksana can repeat her excellent Long Walk performance on her return to Ascot for the Matchbook Betting Podcast Mares’ Hurdle. The nine-year-old was beaten only two lengths when third to Paisley Park in the Grade One over an extended three miles in December and runs against own her sex again on Saturday.

Francis Lui is expecting the Hong Kong Stewards’ Cup to provide another significant test for his superstar Golden Sixty as he bids for a 12th consecutive victory at Sha Tin. Golden Sixty will be a long odds-on favourite as he vies for Sunday’s HK$12million prize against seven rivals – six of whom he has defeated previously.

Coronavirus has brought worldwide restrictions for millions – but for fledgling trainer Keri Brion, a new international opportunity has arisen amid the pandemic. American jump racing had to forego several of its highest-profile autumn fixtures last year as limitations were imposed on US sporting events because of Covid-19.

Willie Mullins believes his nephew David could have become his stable jockey one day – but nevertheless supports his decision to retire from the saddle earlier this week. Winner of the Grand National aboard the Mouse Morris-trained Rule The World aged just 19 in 2016, David Mullins also enjoyed several big-race victories for his uncle – most notably Grade Ones on Al Boum Photo, Bellshill, Faugheen and Kemboy in 2018.

Lord Glitters returned to his best when producing a power-packed finish to land the Group Two Singspiel Stakes at Meydan. The David O’Meara-trained grey was winning for the first time since the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2019 – with that Group One success coming three months after he had finished third in the Dubai Turf.

Veteran chaser Dawson City battled to victory for Polly Gundry and Millie Wonnacott in the Somerset National Handicap Chase at Wincanton. The 12-year-old, who was second in the extended three-and-a-quarter-mile contest in 2016 and third in 2018, was given a patient ride and saw off The Kings Writ after the pair jumped the last virtually together to triumph by three-quarters of a length.

Aidan O’Brien was given a £4,000 fine following a hearing into the confusion which surrounded his runners in last year’s bet365 Fillies’ Mile. The Ballydoyle handler was doubly represented in the Newmarket Group One in October, and it was initially thought his 50-1 shot Snowfall had finished a close-up third in the hands of James Doyle, with stablemate Mother Earth eighth of the 10 runners under William Buick.