UK and Irish horse racing fans have five meetings to look forward to on Thursday with cards from Ludlow, Taunton, Newcastle, Clonmel and Southwell.

Ludlow gets things going at 13:00 and their seven race offering goes through until 16:00.

Betfred are offering their Extra Place Race promotion on the 15:30 but it is the Handicap Chase at 14:00 that really catches the eye due to the presence of the Super Extra Place Race.

A small field with decent quality throughout, attention has to go to 4/5 Karl Philippe who won at this course over the same 2m4f trip on January 20 and may still have more in the locker regardless of his 6lb raise.

They also head over the jumps at Taunton on seven occasions, with the Somerset circuit's card running from 14:08 to 17:08.

The opener carries Betfred's Free Bet if 2nd offer and this Handicap Hurdle could suit 10/3 Iberio. Philip Hobbs' gelding is another recent course and distance winner, having triumphed over the same 2m3f here on February 8 and the 5lb added by the handicapper may again prove too little.

Cheltenham Festival Betting Odds

Onto the first of the day's two all-weather cards and Newcastle hosts six races between 14:15 and 16:46, with both the 15:46 and 16:46 carrying Betfred's Extra Place Race promotion.

Both are Handicaps and, in the former, recent Kempton winner Imperium (5/2) may have too much for last year's Northumberland Plate hero Nicholas T, while in the latter, Tom Marquand's presence aboard 7/1 Old News undoubtedly catches the eye.

There is also Irish afternoon action on Thursday, with seven races scheduled over the jumps at Clonmel from 14:20 to 17:21.

The 14:50, 15:51 and 16:51 all carry Betfred's Extra Place race offer and in the last of those, a Handicap Hurdle, pedigree seems to suit Wild Hunt. A full brother of Yibir and Wild Illusion, both Group 1 winners, Denis Gerard Hogan's five-year-old is 4/1 to break his maiden.

Finally, into the evening and Southwell's eight-contest offering, which takes place from 17:00 to 20:30.

The Extra Place features on both the 20:00 and the closer but added attention goes to the card's second race, a Handicap at 17:30, which carries the Super Extra Place Race promotion.

Baby Steps is 6/1 to triumph here after a third last month at Wolverhampton, his first start in 131 days. A drop of 1lb makes him eligible for this step down in grade and trainer David Loughnane looks to have chosen well with this race.

Today's Horse Racing Odds