Author: Paul Davidson

The Betfred Becher Chase is always an excellent precursor to the Grand National and with unseasonably quick ground and a high quality field, it looks a cracking opening race over the National fences this season. There ought to be plenty of pace on with the likes of The Last Samurai…

Gordon Elliott has no fewer than eleven runners in a bid to win the Troytown Handicap Chase for a third year running at Navan. His challenge is headed by current favourite, NOBLE ENDEAVOUR, who looks to be going in to this off an extremely handy mark based on his efforts…

The last race at Haydock looks set to be an attritional staying handicap. Firebird Flyer was a winner of the Midlands Grand National last year in similar conditions, but it will take a career best off his current mark to be victorious here. Midnight Prayer will also need to produce…

An incredibly open listed handicap hurdle with six co-favourites all priced at around 8/1. Fingal Bay (2/2 over timber at Cheltenham) and Irish Saint drop in class, switching from fences for their opening run of the season. They occupy the top two spots in the handicap for the Hobbs and…

The Melbourne Cup has become one of the highlights of the international flat racing calendar, with many trainers and owners sending their best flat-staying talent. Willie Mullins, Aidan O’Brien, and Saeed Bin Suroor are all represented with the European challenge looking strong. Godolphin are mob-handed with five entrants in the mix,…

The Balmoral Handicap finishes off one of the best cards for a Champions Day since it came to Ascot. The race could have been filled twice over with 45 declared, instead only 20 take part. GM Hopkins loves this track and has Ryan Moore booked, so you fancy him to…

Following the well-treated horses in yesterdays British Cesarewitch Handicap paid dividends, and we are taking a similar approach to pick out the winner in the Irish version of the Cesarewitch at The Curragh today. Three-year-olds have a strong recent record in this race, in part down to the substantial weight-for-age-allowance…

Johannes Vermeer returns to action after a year off-the-track and is clearly the class act in this Group 3 contest, which brings a fantastic card to a close. It is completey unknown whether he will be fit and raring to go, but if he is up-to-speed then he will be…

The Prix De La Foret appears sewn-up by Limato, who looks unstoppable in claiming this prize at the second attempt. There are no challengers with the quality of the likes of Make Believe, or Mecca’s Angel to take him on this time, and unless the ground goes soft, he is the…