Paul Nicholls horses always come to the fore at this part of the season and I see no good reason not to be on VICENTE, who seeks to claim a historic treble of Scottish Grand National victories. He comes in to this race 4lbs higher than his winning mark last…
1pt win Connect @14/1, 15:10 Newbury, Saturday
Flat racing is back at Newbury with the Greenham Stakes – which so often produces Group One winners – the feature race on Saturday’s card. Favourite Expert Eye flopped at Newmarket when odds-on at the back end of last season and connections aren’t giving out positive noises about his chances…
1pt each-way Braqueur D'Or @10/1, 14:20 Ayr, Saturday
BRAQUEUR D’OR looks well handicapped and will appreciate good ground in the 14:20 at Ayr on Saturday, while his excellent trainer Paul Nicholls, who farms these late season races, seems very confident having saved him for the race. He was an excellent fourth in Newbury’s Ladbrokes Trophy – a top-class staying…
Scottish Champion Hurdle selections: Verdana Blue and Chesterfield
We should have good ground for the Scottish Champion Hurdle, a race we won a couple of year’s back by the re-opposing Ch’tibello, who carries top weight this time and looks very much in the grip of the handicapper. There must be so many well handicapped good ground horses thanks…
1.5pts win Dame Rose @4/1, 14:05 Cheltenham, Thursday
DAME ROSE has gone up with nothing returned twice this season but she’s just not got home on desperate heavy ground. We have spring ground at long last at Cheltenham this Friday and I fancy her to bounce back to form back against her own sex. The form of her Newbury…
1pt win Robin Of Navan @9/2, 15:00 Newmarket, Wednesday
We’re backing an old favourite today in ROBIN OF NAVAN, whose gets his optimum trip of nine furlongs and is proven at Newmarket. Good to soft ground should be no issue – though the nice weather may see that dry out to good by post time – and he has the…
2018 Grand National Tips: 0.75pts each-way Seeyouatmidnight @16/1, 0.75pts each-way Regal Encore @33/1, 17:15 Aintree, Saturday
The Grand National had its first Scottish winner of the race for a number of years in 2017 with One For Arthur, who unfortunately misses out through injury for this renewal. But the Scots could follow up again with another winner in the race with Sandy Thomson-trained SEEYOUATMIDNIGHT, who I…
1pt each-way Lostintranslation @14/1, 14:25 Aintree, Saturday
Black Op got closest to Samcro at the Cheltenham Festival, but was a clumsy jumper and the gap from 2nd to 1st possibly flatters him. He runs over two-and-a-half miles in the Grade 1 novices’ hurdle on Aintree’s Grand National card and is up against Nicky Henderson’s much hyped On…
1pt each-way Coole Cody @40/1, 16:20 Aintree, Friday
Sam Spinner and Wholestone re-oppose in the Aintree Stayers’ Hurdle after placing 5th and 3rd in the Cheltenham Festival equivalent, and they both have something to prove turned out again 30 days later. The ground will be similarly soggy – unseasonably so for this time of year – and those…
1pt each-way Tower Bridge @10/1, 16:40 Aintree, Friday
I’m a big fan of TOWER BRIDGE, who runs for Joseph O’Brien in the three-mile Grade 1 novices’ hurdle, the penultimate race of Aintree’s Friday card. He was a good fifth in the Albert Bartlett after clattering the last and would have hated the ground that day, so there are plenty…