Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet: Best bets for ITV Racing and Paul Nicholls' big chance

• Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet for eight races on ITV

• Get our tipsters' best bets for Sandown, Leopardstown and more

• Rachael Blackmore on the DRF and Paul Nicholls' on his big chance

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Tips Summary

Race	Tipster	Tip	Odds
13:25 Sandown	Alan Dudman	Risk De Pluie	Win @ 10/34.33
13:43 Musselburgh	Katie Midwinter	Gibbs Island	E/W @ 14/115.00
14:20 Musselburgh	Sam Turner	Teddy Blue	Win @ 9/25.50
14:40 Sandown	Alan Dudman	Kitzbuhel	Win @ 10/111.91
15:10 Sandown	Sam Turner	Henri The Second	Win @ 11/43.75
15:30 Leopardstown	Katie Midwinter	Galopin Des Champs	Win @ 6/42.50

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Saturday horse racing tips and insight

13:25 Sandown - Alan Dudman:  Take a Risk on De Pluie

With a name such as Risk De Pluie he really should be running over in Ireland with the DRF seemingly submerged in water at the time of writing.

Sandown won't be for the shirkers either, and for this 2m4f Novices' Handicap Chase, I am hoping Ben Clarke's Risk De Pluie can put his experience to good use and finally get off the mark.

In six attempts over the larger ones, you wouldn't say he has been on the ropes, but I suspect Clarke is still searching for his best distance.

Exeter last time over 17f was too short, and Cheltenham previously in December was too far at 3m2f. He didn't give himself a chance of staying either at Prestbury Park as he made the running and also hit a couple of fences.

I'd like to see the positives tactics here employed and the form of his second in soft conditions behind Donnacha as a novice in 2025 (12 months ago now) looks a lot better following Donnacha's recent win.

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13:43 Musselburgh - Katie Midwinter: Further improvement to come

Gibbs Island warrants each-way consideration at double-figure odds, only 4lb above his previous success when prevailing by five-and-a-half-lengths in good ground at Chepstow on his reappearance in October. He hasn't been in quite the same form in two runs since, including in the Greatwood when carrying a high weight from a mark of 140 as a four-year-old.

The Tom Lacey-trained contender, who was previously a useful performer on the Flat, has softer ground form and landed his maiden on hurdling debut over Surrey Belle at Sedgefield twelve months ago. He doubled up with a dominant six-length win over now 140-rated Give It To Me Oj at Haydock, with 127-rated Lavender Hill Mob in third, impressing to record a fourth win of his career.

This is only his eighth hurdling start and there could be further improvement to come from the five-year-old. He's a likeable type and can make his presence felt from his current rating in this field.

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14:20 Musselburgh - Sam Turner: Teddy fancied to give rivals the blues

Adjectives such as mercurial and enigmatic could have been coined for Teddy Blue and punters siding with Harry Derham's eight-year-old must be aware he can be a real Jekyll and Hyde character.

When he consents, the selection is a very talented chaser and, with all three of his wins achieved going right-handed since being from Gary Moore, conditions should be ideal here.

Teddy Blue steps back up in trip to contest this event and that might suit him as it has looked on occasion that he finds everything happening a shade quickly over the minimum trip.

While he is yet to confirm today's distance is to his liking, he hit the line strongly enough over two-and-a-quarter miles at Kempton last March and the handicappers rated that victory as a career-best performance.

He is clearly no good thing in this event, but a 70-day break is reported to have worked the oracle and he goes well fresh as was evidenced by his impressive Ascot comeback.

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14:40 Sandown - Alan Dudman: Irish raider set to land Grade 1 Scilly Isles

As you can see from the rather extensive pace map, three like to lead and as I worry about the ground with Miami Magic, Kitzbuhel's form over 3m from last time at Kempton will stand him in good stead with more testing ground and assured pace.

I revisited his round of jumping at Kempton and at times a few of the leaps were spectacular. He was ever so brace and took off at some, and while he stuttered slightly at the fourth, he was better at the next (the open ditch) stood off and winged the 13th and attacked the 14th with zest.

The grey is likely to be in the Turners over 3m at the Festival and I do not see the drop back to 2m4f here as a negative at all

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14:55 Leopardstown - Rachael Blackmore: Romeo is the logical favourite

It's not surprising that Gordon is running Romeo Coolio here on the ground instead of in the longer race on Sunday, and he is the logical favourite.  He was a top-class novice hurdler last season and, already, after just three runs over fences, he looks like a better chaser.

He was impressive in winning the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse in November over two and a half miles.  That is probably his ideal distance for now, but he stayed on well to win the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, over Saturday's course and distance.  He needed every yard of the two-mile-one-furlong trip and up the hill to catch Irish Panther there, but the softer ground should place an emphasis on stamina over the trip, and that is in his favour.

Kargese is a worthy opponent, she's a high-class hurdler as well, she was a dual Grade 1 winner as a four-year-old and she won the County Hurdle at Cheltenham last March.  

She was well beaten by Kala Conti on her chasing debut at Cork in early December, but she showed the benefit of that run last time at Leopardstown over Christmas when she ran out an impressive winner of a good beginners' chase.  And she receives the 7lb mares' allowance.

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15:00 Musselburgh - Paul Nicholls: Doyen is Absolutely the one to beat

He will have an entry in the Pertemps Final, but he is creeping up the weights. We used his seven-pound claim to big advantage over his last few runs - he had no weight at all at Wincanton, though he bolted in - and he has a penalty for this, and we are not claiming because you can't claim in this race. He still has a bit to prove but he is an improving young horse, he stays three, the track will suit him, so he must be the one to beat.

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15:10 Sandown - Sam Turner: Back Henri to go one place better than Second

If Paul Nicholls could request the perfect ground for Henri The Second then borderline unraceable would be his chosen terrain.

Form figures at Sandown of 1P44122 suggest the selection should be in the mix again this afternoon in a race he was runner-up in 12 months ago, while most of his career best efforts have also been recorded in fields of six to twelve runners where his strike rate reads an impressive four wins from seven starts.

The stars are aligning for a positive showing from Henri The Second who looked much happier back over hurdles at this venue on ground sounder than ideal earlier this month, while the two-and-a-half mile trip probably didn't maximise his staying qualities.

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15:30 Leopardstown - Katie Midwinter: Superb GDC can make it four in a row

In a hugely competitive edition of the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown, defending champion Galopin Des Champs, who is bidding to become the first horse to win four successive renewals, equalling Florida Pearl's tally, is the one to beat.

The legendary 10-year-old suffered his first defeat over fences at this track when last seen finishing third to Affordale Fury. It was a pleasing return to action for the Willie Mullins-trained gelding, however, as he shaped well for a long way on his return from a 242-day break, appearing to be travelling best of all at one stage as they turned for home. He usually comes on for his first outing of the season, and, at his current age, he's likely to take a significant step forward for his latest appearance.

This is his race and he's exceptionally difficult to beat on a going day. He's a Leopardstown specialist, has plenty of proven form in the contest, as is the joint highest-rated along with Inothewayurthinkin. Whilst he faces stiff opposition, Galopin Des Champs is the proven champion and remains the horse to beat, capable of retaining his crown once again under Paul Townend.

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