An extremely classy renewal of the Racing Welfare Handicap Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday afternoon. The betting is led by progressive four-year-old Silver Streak, who couldn’t have looked any more impressive on his return in a handicap event in October. Evan Williams will expect further progressive now, but the softer…
1pt win Amour De Nuit @9/2, 13:40 Doncaster, Saturday
Flying Tiger drops in to more comfortable handicap territory having finished 4.5l behind Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D’air in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth. That form read literally means he should be favourite for this. But it wasn’t the most truly run race up at Newcastle, and I don’t think…
1pt win Momella @11/2, 15:40 Cheltenham, Saturday
I’m following Dan Skelton’s mare MOMELLA as she’s pitched into handicap company in the closing race of Cheltenham Saturday card. Put up on her previous start in graded company, also at Cheltenham, she ran a blinder to finish second to On The Blind Side, a nine-length winner next time out. Back against…
1pt win Clan Des Obeaux @4/1, 13:55 Cheltenham, Saturday
CLAN DES OBEAUX is a deserved favourite for Saturday’s Caspian Caviar Gold Cup over two-and-a-half miles around Cheltenham. His novice chasing form is working out really well with Whisper, who has beaten him less than a length on two occasions in the past year, going so close in the Ladbrokes…
1.5pts win Finian's Oscar @9/4, 13:45 Sandown, Saturday
If the Tingle Creek this year doesn’t look the deepest of renewals, the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase earlier on the card looks vintage with four of the top ten in Cheltenham Festival’s Arkle market going to post. I was a little surprised to see Nicky Henderson’s Brain Power…
0.75pts each-way Westerner Point @12/1, 13:30 Aintree, Saturday
The Becher Chase has a familiar looking feel to it with last year’s winner Vieux Lion Rouge re-opposing Highland Lodge (second), The Last Samuri (third) and Portrait King (sixth) all in attendance. David Pipe’s charge is 10lbs higher, and it was a bit of a lacklustre comeback run behind the…
1pt win Ar Mad @16/1, 14:55 Sandown, Saturday
For the second year running Willie Mullins and his star chaser Douvan have let down ante-post punters by flirting with participation in the Grade 1 Tingle Creek… before pulling the plug at final declarations. Zzz. Sadly it’s left just Fox Norton as a truly top-class participant in this year’s renewal.…
0.75pts each-way Coneygree @16/1, 0.75pts each-way Missed Approach @22/1, 15:00 Newbury, Saturday
Formerly known as the Hennessy Gold Cup, this race has parted ways with a long time affiliate and takes on a new identity as the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase. The substance of the race remains unchanged, however, with the complex mixture of improving second season chasers taking on the higher-rated and…
1pt win Traffic Fluide @33/1, 15:00 Haydock, Saturday
Grade 1 action returns to Britain this Saturday as the opening top-level race of the season, the Betfair Chase, takes centre stage at Haydock. Three-time winner Cue Card would usually be favourite for this race but he’s pushing twelve years old and has fallen on two of his previous three…
0.75pts each-way Theinval @22/1, 14:25 Cheltenham, Saturday
The feature Betvictor Gold Cup on Cheltenham’s Saturday card looks really tricky with no obvious class horse and no horse with obvious claims to being well handicapped either. If there is a class horse it might be Kylemore Lough for new trainer Harry Fry who makes his reappearance and saddles…