The Scout has named four selections for this week's horse racing action at Chepstow and Newmarket, with Glynn Brae fancied to uphold family tradition in the Wasdell Group Silver Trophy at Chepstow on Saturday.
Glynn Brae and Cosmic Connection lead Chepstow selections
Nigel Twiston-Davies, who shares the Grange Hill Farm licence with his son Willy, has previously won the Silver Trophy with Mister Morose (1998), Mistanoora (2004), Ballyoptic (2016) and Josh The Boss (2024). The stable's Masked Man, the ante-post favourite, won a novice's hurdle at this meeting last year by 12 lengths and has an unexposed profile.
Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the five-year-old finished second to Diamond Hunter in a Grade Two at Haydock, a race in which the third, Sticktotheplan, went on to take a silver medal in the County Hurdle at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. Masked Man was off a mark of 138 then and could be nicely weighted on 132, but 4-1 is considered a little short in a race likely to have plenty of runners.
At double the price, stablemate Glynn Brae is entitled to plenty of respect given his rock-solid rating of 136 and his record of winning half of his 12 races under Rules. Two-and-a-half miles seems to be his best trip, and he has scored first time up in each season he has raced. Glynn Brae also likes to be ridden handy, a useful trait around Chepstow early doors.
In Friday's Grade Two DragonBet Persian War Novices' Hurdle, Lord Byron sets the standard after excellent efforts against the best at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown festivals. However, odds of 3-1 for Cosmic Connection (3.43) appeal, as he thrived for the switch to Chris Gordon's yard last term and finished up by readily shouldering top weight in Sandown's bet365 Novices' Championship Final.
Time To Turn and Paddys Policy selected at Newmarket
Jockey Sam Twiston-Davies suggested the target for Cosmic Connection, and with course form in the bag, he looks ready to step up and is an exciting prospect for 2026-7.
Time To Turn (2.25) made a big move on his first run back in the Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown before emerging with credit in the Group One Jean Prat at Deauville. The only three-year-old in Newmarket's Group Two Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes on Friday, he was impressive in the Horris Hill last October, and we could now be about to see the best of him in 2026.
On Thursday, Knighton has the ability to win a little contest, but it may take a few weeks before the best of the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero string is seen, so the preference is for Paddys Policy (1.56). The top weight has had his issues, so he should be firing first time out, and he is now 3lb lower than when finishing a length-and-a-half behind Max Of Stars on his return from a 209-day break at this time last year, with William Maggs taking his mount's weight down again by the same amount.
