Horse Racing Tips: Get minted with Imperial Cup pick for Saturday 17/1 multiple

• Without Conviction a 6.6 single winner yesterday

• Playful the Betfair Imperial Cup pick

• Alan Dudman is out to add to his tally of five single winners in the last week with a 17/1 Saturday double

Saint to be mint on Imperial day

Back Playful Saint @ 11/2 in the Betfair Imperial Cup 14:25 Sandown

A superb display from Lucinda Russell's Without Conviction for yesterday's instalment and she ensured the fifth winner of the last week for the column, and while not quite on a par with Russell's own golden spell, winners have come at 4.2, 9.5, 9.8 and 6.6.

Saturday I am sticking with Playful Saint in the Betfair Imperial Cup, a horse I highlighted earlier in the week standing in for Tony Calvin on ante-post duties, and he very much deserves to be single figures. And backed too this week from 8s.

The case for the selection is a pretty simple one with the ground testing - and the hurdles' track could be like a swamp today, but Playful Saint has winning form with the mud flying around, in fact he'll relish it.

The 6yo completely outclasses the opposition when down in grade at Leicester last time. He was sent off 2/1 favourite and never traded higher than 5/2 in the run.

He motored around the far side, and when the 126-rated Washington had had enough and wilted going into the straight, Playful Saint whizzed down the long straight travelling with ease on the inside and his jumping was spot on too.

His second to Love Envoi over CD in December with the front two well clear is a super piece of form, and with his liking for going left-handed, a rise of 7lb to 135 shouldn't be enough to stop him.

Trainer Dan Skelton won this race in 2021 with Langer Dan, but Playful Saint is more unexposed at this stage of his career, and looks to have a lot more potential.

He drifted too this morning from 9/2 to 11/2.

Hard to ignore another Russell Ayr runner

Back Traprain Law @ 7/4 in the 15:20 at Ayr

While 7/4 isn't exactly a "worldie" price for Traprain Law, it's impossible to shun Lucinda Russell's runners at the moment as Without Conviction gave the Kinross trainer her sixth winner from nine runners yesterday.

Traprain Law has won twice this season at Kelso on soft and heavy, and while the ground conditions might not be as testing today, he has acted on good in his light career thus far, and could be a lot better than a mark of 114.

He landed a novice last time under a penalty by nearly 5L from the front last time with a dead straightforward display from Patrick Wadge, the yard's 7lb conditional, and he maintains the partnership again this afternoon.

His other Kelso victory was even more impressive, and the switch to front-running tactics have worked ever so well with this 5yo.

Lightly-raced and sure to stay further, he'll be hard to catch down the long straight at Ayr and the rain forecast won't go amiss either.