Saturday Racing Tips: Show some Loyalty at Wolverhampton this weekend

The sexy "story" horses dominate the betting for the Imperial Cup at Sandown tomorrow but - in life as well as betting - there is often more value and longer-term riches in siding with the more mundane.

So I am going to cast aside the wannabe-strutters on next week's big catwalk - if the likes of Regal Encore and Vibrato Valtato win, you will see them at Cheltenham - and split my stakes on a couple of stalwart stompers.

So step forward Skint and Somemothersdohavem - I am really asking for it, tipping horses with those names - at odds of 60.059/1 and 28.027/1 respectively in the 15:15. 

Of course, it would be no surprise at all were one of the aforementioned market-leaders sluice up here.

Anyone with a pulse could have spotted that Champion Bumper runner-up Regal Encore has been campaigned with handicaps very much in mind all season. 

And even judged on his 1-4 defeat at Hexham last time he could be chucked in off 130, given the 2-length winner Seeyouatmidnight, who was getting 7lb, has won his next two starts and is now rated 155.

But the Anthony Honeyball stable is badly out form, and a little bird told me that the horse didn't impress physically when sent for a racecourse gallop recently.

At around the same price, Vibrato Valtat makes most appeal of the front pair in the betting, as the handicapper could have raised him a lot more than 1lb for his Exeter win last time, and you get the impression the horse is much better than his mark. He certainly travels like it.

But the market has found him too - he was 6-1 when the market opened - and I am happy to chuck a couple of darts at outsiders, starting with the complete rag, Skint.

I am not put off by the fact that he hasn't raced since a good third at Wetherby in December, as he goes well fresh, and I am surprised that he has been dismissed in the betting to such a degree.

He won the novice handicap hurdle final on this card three years ago when with Nicky Henderson, and I like the fact that he has winning 2m4f form as this could develop into a real slog in the tacky, drying ground.

The Henderson camp thought Skint idled in front when they had him, so it is interesting to see the up-and-coming Ali Brewer outfit put first-time blinkers on him.

I can see him massively outrunning his odds, as I can Somemothersdohavem.

He has come back to form with a vengeance in his last two starts, and gave the well-handicapped Caesar Milan (who runs in the 14:05) a real fright at Taunton last time. He has been raised 5lb for that - that is more than justified - but he is still 4lb lower than when a fair fourth to Ptit Zig over course and distance last April.

I am not getting involved in the other Sandown races but for those interested my selections in the other Channel 4 races, at a push, would be Brother Brian, Goring One and Pressies Girl.

There are a couple of interesting races at Wolverhampton, and my preference in the opener at 14:20 would be Alben Star. But for my other bet on the day I am going for another complete outsider in the shape of Loyalty in the 14:55.

Honestly, I am not being contrary for the sake of it. Back him at odds of 30.029/1 or bigger.

He was only beaten 3 lengths over a trip a touch too far for him over 1m2f at Lingfield last time, and the 1lb drop in the weights is a bonus.

He has been doing much of his racing on the other all-weather tracks recently, winning at Kempton in November, but he acts just as well here, and was winning off much higher marks here just over a couple of years ago. And the stable are in fair form, having sent out a 16-1 winner at Kempton on Wednesday.

Loyalty may turn out to the ugly duckling that his price suggests, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And I would absolutely love him to bits were if to bounce back to his best and win this, and considerably boost my Betfair balance before next week's shenanigans at 'racing's greatest amphitheatre'.

Sorry, but you've got to get your clichés in early when it comes to the Cheltenham Festival...

Recommended Bets

Back Skint in the 15:15 at Sandown at 60.059/1
Back Somemothersdohavem in the 15:15 at Sandown at 28.027/1
Back Loyalty in the 14:55 at Wolverhampton at 30.029/1 or bigger