Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet: Best bets and Paul Nicholls insight for Newbury and Newcastle

• Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet for Newbury and Newcastle

• Tips from Daryl Carter, Kevin Blake and more

• Read Paul Nicholls' exclusive insight on his runners

• Place £10 bet on any sport on the Betfair Exchange to start your Free Bet Streak

---

---

Timeform Superboost

Back Sir Gino to win today's Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcatle (14:10), now 6/42.50, super-boosted from the original price of 1/12.00.

Nicky Henderson's star 5yo has won all three career starts since arriving from France and he's strogly fancied to make it four from four today. To take advantage of this super-boosted price just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

*Please Note: This superboost is provided by the Betfair Sportsbook and not by any of Betfair's tipsters or writers

---

Racing... Only Bettor. Listen to the latest episode now.

---

Watch Paul Nicholls talk to Betfair about his runners

Paul's Ditcheat Diaries 🗒️

A busy Saturday for Team Ditcheat with eight runners at Newbury, plus the wraps are off Caldwell Potter at Carlisle on Sunday!@BetfairBarry caught up with Betfair ambassador @PFNicholls for the latest. pic.twitter.com/vgodUB0ie4

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) November 29, 2024

---

12:40 Newbury - Katie Midwinter says: Wiseguy can go close at a big price

Katie Midwinter: "The Sir Peter O'Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase has attracted a strong field of eleven runners for the extended 2m6f contest.

"Whilst there are plenty of chasers in here worth keeping on side this season, the horse that makes the most appeal in this contest is Nicky Henderson-trained Wiseguy who represents value at current odds.

"Whilst the Fame And Glory gelding will need to bounce back from a pulled up effort when last seen in April, there's plenty of reasons to suggest he can and he could be worth siding with from a potentially lenient mark of 125.

"It's well-documented that Seven Barrows weren't at the peak of their powers during the spring, which is one reason to forgive Wiseguy his previous effort at Cheltenham when he was reported as never travelling comfortably.

"The ground may have been quick enough too, considering all of his winning form has come on a ground with soft in the description. He hadn't been at his best around that time of year twelve months prior, either, but he was a winner when fresh last November and could return in good order once again following a 227-day break.

"On debut in a Doncaster bumper he beat the talented Hillcrest, before finishing a decent third to Datsalrightgino in his first hurdling appearance off the back of a 307-day absence. He also finished second at Cheltenham in a competitive handicap when returning from a 337-day layoff and, considering he has a good record when fresh, this could be the time to catch him on a going day.

"His most recent victory came from a 2lb lower mark twelve months ago, in a highly competitive novice event at Exeter, the form of which has worked out well. He beat runner-up Pimlico Point by a length over the three-mile trip, a horse who is 8lb higher rated since, with Top Of The Bill, now 14lbs higher, in third, Makin'yourmindup, 11lbs higher currently, in fourth, and the likes of Pulling Stumps, Storminhome and Moon Hunter all further behind.

"Considering the level of that form, Wiseguy's current rating looks an attractive mark from which he can win, and he has the potential to improve further beyond 125. This is only his fourth start over fences, his first in open company, and he could spring a surprise under James Bowen.

"The yard has come into form and they're currently performing at a 34 percent strike-rate (at the time of writing), suggesting their horses are in good order, and, considering Wiseguy's profile, he makes each-way appeal at a value price.

"At odds of 16/117.00, Wiseguy is fancied to go close with plenty in his favour."

---

13:54 Newbury - Paul Nicholls says: Inthewaterside is a giant of a horse

Paul Nicholls: "He's a giant of a horse and the plan was to go chasing with him this season but given the lack of opportunities over fences for novices these days it makes sense to run him here to take the freshness off him before the switch to chasing.

"Despite a tendency to race a bit too keenly last season he was very progressive and probably ran his best race when third in a Grade 3 handicap hurdle at Aintree on his last start. He's had a wind op, has done plenty at home and should run very well."

---

14:10 Newcastle - Daryl Carter says: Sir Gino to enhance Champion Hurdle claims

Daryl Carter: "An exciting clash between this column's Supreme Novice selection, Mystical Power, and the brilliant Sir Gino - 11/102.11 on the Betfair Sportsbook. It isn't easy to choose between these two horses on paper. Still, Sir Gino represents the next National Hunt star to me, and I can't see how Mystical Power will have the finishing effort to live with him, having been soft in the finish on two occasions last term.

"Nico de Boinville heads up to Newcastle to ride, and all is in place for Sir Gino to prove an outstanding asset for Nicky Henderson. Everything adds up for this horse to be a top-class prospect, including the visual impression he left, and he makes plenty of appeal today at any odds against."

---

14:25 Newbury - Daryl Carter says: Jeriko Du Reponet to get back on track over hurdles

Daryl Carter: "A handful of interest in this race, including Queens Gamble and The Famous Five, and their time will come. However, Jeriko Du Reponet - 9/25.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook- should prove better than this rating of 135, even if getting him above that on the bare form is tough. At the same time, his full potential has not been exposed winning all three of his hurdle runs before the festival last term with a good bit in hand.

"The five-year-old is worth forgiving his chasing debut, but even then, during the round, he looked a classy horse than his rivals. He returns to hurdles and to Newbury, where he is 2-2 under ideal conditions, and he was a well-fancied horse for the Supreme Novice last season. He should be more at home returned to Newbury, and he must have more to come. He is the horse in the field you'd be disappointed with if he couldn't land this contest on his handicap debut, while others there will be another day.

"Back the selection that is a class above at 3/14.00 or bigger."

---

15:00 Newbury - Kevin Blake says: Broadway Boy can land Coral Gold Cup

Kevin Blake: "However, the one that makes the most appeal is the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Broadway Boy.

"The six-year-old made an excellent start to his chasing career last season, winning three of his first four starts over fences including a Listed novices' chase and a valuable handicap chase off a mark of 146, both at Cheltenham.

"At that stage it looked like he could develop into a serious contender for the National Hunt Chase or even the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but he hit a bump in the road when scoping very badly after finishing a well-beaten third behind Grey Dawning in a Grade 2 novice chase at Warwick in January.

"He was given time to get over that and returned for a Grade 1 novice chase at the Aintree Grand National meeting, but might not have been fully over it as he again disappointed in first-time cheekpieces.

"Broadway Boy made his return to action in a valuable handicap chase at Cheltenham in October off a mark of 149. Having jumped well on the front end, he was bang in the race until the lack of a recent run told in the closing stages and he faded to finish third beaten 12½ lengths.

"Dropped 1lb for that run, one suspects that his connections have had this race as his main aim for quite some time and everything about the test it presents should suit him well.

"As well as that, he could well be left alone in front which can only help his cause. The Twiston-Davies team continue to be in fine form and the six-year-old looks to have very solid prospects of running a big race."

---

15:20 Newcastle - Mark Milligan says: Gustavian very attractive off 124

Mark Milligan: "Newcastle is the other featured meeting on ITV and it's disappointing we aren't going to see Constitution Hill in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, but the writing was very much on the wall following his recent lacklustre workout with Sir Gino.

"In his absence, it's Sir Gino himself who lines up for Nicky Henderson in Newcastle's feature race of the season, and this looks a match between him and Willie Mullins' Mystical Power.

"There's little to separate the pair on ratings and in the betting, and I'd rather take a watching brief on this one.

"I'm much more interested in back Gustavian each-way in the closing Rehearsal Chase, again with four places available on the Sportsbook.

"Anthony Honeyball's nine-year-old was rated 137 at his peak and has been steadily dropping down the weights having not won since early-2021.

"However, he ran a really encouraging race from 4lb out of the handicap on his seasonal return at Wincanton, finishing third to Al Dancer, and he'd have finished closer still if not for being badly hampered by a faller as the race was beginning to unfold.

"Gustavian's current mark of 124 is very attractive and I can't let him go unbacked at 17/29.50."

---

Now read more horse racing previews and get our experts' tips

---