Saturday Ante-Post Tips: Back gala performance from Skelton's 6/1 Liteaux at Cheltenham

• Four ITV4 races from Cheltenham on Saturday

• Will Corach Rambler opt for Prestbury?

• Alan has four ante-post plays on the Sportsbook

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This Saturday we welcome back Cheltenham to the ITV screens and four races have been priced up on the Betfair Sportsbook. Meanwhile, two of the races for Doncaster's Futurity card are also up nice and early on the Sportsbook.

The up and down weather forecast (mostly down) will push us towards soft ground horses, as Cheltenham is in for rain. But it always warms the cockles when Cheltenham is back, even if it could be monsters of the deep in terms of the going.

Cheltenham - 13:15: Back Triple Trade

We'll deal with the four at Prestbury Park on Saturday and the first 13:15 2m Handicap Chase has a good betting feel to it with a 7/24.50 the field market, but there's no Willie Mullins' representative this time around, as he took the race 12 months ago with Dads Lad.

That's a good thing for me, as I must be one of the few who doesn't have a great record in backing runners from Closutton.

Henry De Bromhead's Dancing On My Own holds an entry but no jockey booking on Tuesday morning, and the Red Rum winner from Aintree last term is a fair 8/19.00 price. He had a spin in June to maintain his fitness, but he jumped hesitantly at Listowel behind Easy Game, although on the plus side there's a fair bit of heavy ground form for him in the past.

My old friend Guy is shorter in the market at 5/16.00, and while he has been so often an in-running horse to lay with quite a few defeats, he's come back well and may be a reformed character with a couple of wins. Nigel Twiston-Davies does like to lay down an early marker in these autumn races, but I will leave him alone too as he's in deeper here.

At a slightly bigger price at 6/17.00, I like Joe Tizzard's Triple Trade, and a good pace will suit him. He's got a win in heavy too, and the 7yo has a progressive profile.

He won a 0-135 at Kempton in April, and flew home by nearly 10L, so he fully warrants his rise of 10lb for this to a new mark of 129. He also clocked a decent time at Wincanton in the spring. He shouldn't be bothered about heavy if it goes deep, as he did win as a novice over hurdles when claiming the scalp of Shearer over 2m4f.

He stays, is progressive and his jumping seems better now, so I am happy to play him at 6/17.00.

If you are looking for an in-running lay, Guy has six odds-on defeats to his name and I'd be looking to take him on at around 2/13.00 in the run.

Cheltenham - 13:50: No bet

Lucinda Russell has started the season strongly with a couple of northern trebles, and I was interested to see Bois Guillbert in the entries as he was a horse who done me a favour in my multiple column with a recent win. Perhaps I am too loyal, but Russell has a good team there at Kinross, as they buy well, usually jump well and stay.

Bois Guillbert is very much in the formative stages of his career, but he was a good winner at Kelso last time from 116 and is certainly built like a typical Russell horse that will be chasing sooner rather than later.

He's 8/19.00 on the Sportsbook and way down from the top two in the betting with Blueking D'oroux at Evens and Spirit D'aunou 2/13.00 - who are much shorter in the market.

Blueking D'oroux is by far the top-rated here from 138 and Harry Cobden takes over from Angus Chelada, and Cobden is different class at the moment in terms of tactics, strength and timing. The best rider by far.

He showed plenty of class winning at Ascot last term, but you don't need me to tip an Evens shot, and this race also has the potential to cut up.

Cheltenham - 14:25: Back Galia Des Liteaux

The 3m1f Handicap Chase at 14:25 is the best punting race by far and 25 are in the entries at the time of writing with a maximum field of 20 allowed and Grand National winner Corach Rambler is in at 10/111.00 as he embarks on his new season and this race will certainly be lit by his filial presence.

He holds an entry at Kelso too, and Russell said this week: "We don't know where he will run just yet, we'll speak about it and see what the week brings before we make a decision. Both tracks should have that perfect ground for us and we're hoping he'll run this weekend."

It's not ideal for an ante-post bet with two options, but he has a terrific record at Cheltenham.

Gordon Elliott has a couple of entries and won the race with Definite Plan in 2021. His two are Tullybeg 16/117.00 and Ballykeel 14/115.00.

Galia Des Liteaux could be off top weight from 145 if Corach Rambler doesn't run (Corach Rambler from 159), and this could be an ideal sort of race for Dan Skelton's mare as she is proven and relishes testing ground. More rain the better for her please.

She was a fast improving novice last term and shot up 20lbs. She has also won fresh and first-time out, namely last season with an easy win at Bangor, jumping superbly there too.

With the ground in mind, she rates a bet in handicap company, as she hasn't quite cut it at Grade 1 level.

Cheltenham - 15:00: Back Bugs Moran

The 15:00 is the Pertemps Qualifier over 3m and another huge field and open market at 6/17.00 the field, and there are entries from the cream of Ireland from Willie Mullins and Noel Meade.

Meade's Bugs Moran 13/27.50 is one of the market leaders and he's certainly one for these big field handicap hurdles. He ran a super race at the Galway festival in Listed company, and while that was over shorter, I do see him as a 3m horse.

He might have been a shade unlucky at Ballybritt as the winner came from a lot further back and Bugs Moran was ridden right up with the pace.

I'd like to see a more patient ride, one that he got when winning in style at Fairyhouse over Saturday's sort of trip, and while the ground (if it goes testing) might be a slight worry, his run on comeback at Galway was a cracker and there's a lot more to come from him off a mark of 136.

It's a race for an each-way punt too and I imagine this will go in the extra place bracket. Considering the form of Kim Bailey at the moment, his Espoir De Romay is a price at 16/117.00.

Bailey is 4-9 at 44% this week and his 9yo runs after wind surgery and looks off a cracking mark of 138 over hurdles considering he is rated 160 over fences.

He looked a pretty good novice chaser at one stage and has a win in heavy to his name. He's not progressive, but with the ground and the mark, I'll take him each-way for a yard that really have been hitting their straps early.

Doncaster - 14:45: No bet

The ritual and finery of the Flat blue-bloods head to Doncaster, and the Group 1 Futurity Trophy, otherwise known as the Aidan O'Brien testimonial and lap of honour race is the star turn.

The ground less so.

Diego Velazquez is 11/82.38 to continue O'Brien's dominance with the Ballydoyle horse whisperer holding five of the 11 entries. It's a real shame that the UK top dogs, from what must be around 300 juveniles on the books, have barely anything in opposition, as there is just one from Charlie Appleby and one from Johnny G. Nothing from Roger Varian or Ralph Beckett at all.

Ground of course is crucial, and it's not ideal running a 2yo in hock deep turf - and it's heavy as I write on Tuesday.

Diego Velazquez could be the next greatest 2yo Aidan has ever trained, and a parachute is the only thing that could stop him.

Ancient Wisdom is 7/42.75 for the Godolphin opposition, and between the top two in the market, they cost 4.4 million between them, and this really is one to watch rather than have a punt in.

Diego is 7/18.00 for the Derby, and a good performance on Saturday will probably see that halve in price.

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Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat Diary: Elite Hurdle at Wincanton next for impressive Rubaud