Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet: Best bets for Ayr plus Rachael Blackmore and Paul Nicholls

• Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet for Ayr and Newbury

• Get our tipsters' best bets and ambassador insight

• Paul Nicholls exclusive on his Ayr runners and best chance

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Timeform Superboost

The all-conquering Willie Mullins sends over a plethora of raiders to Ayr today as he bids to retain his Trainers Championship crown, including a much fancied runner in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at 14:15.

Ethical Diamond is the runner in question and he's finished first and fourth in his last two starts, and today you can back him at the super-boosted price of 1/12.00 (from 1/21.50) to finish in the top four again. To take advantage, just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

*Please Note:  This superboost has been provided by the Betfair Sportsbook and not by any of our tipsters or writers.

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Watch Paul Nicholls talk to Betfair about his runners

Team Ditcheat are heading north for the Ayr Scottish Grand National!@PFNicholls talks @BetfairBarry through several interesting chances across the two days... pic.twitter.com/wmKBiDmvAw

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) April 10, 2025

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Saturday horse racing tips and insight

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13:25 Newbury - Mark Milligan says: Ancient to have too much Wisdom in Newbury opener

Mark Milligan: "It's a belting Saturday of racing both on the flat and over jumps, and I'm hoping that Charlie Appleby's Ancient Wisdom can start making up for lost time as he begins his four-year-old career.

"The son of Dubawi appeared to have the world at his feet when winning the Futurity at Doncaster on his final juvenile start and was sent off favourite to thrust himself into the Derby reckoning on seasonal return in the Dante in 2024.

"However, he was put well in his place by Economics that day and could only finish eighth at Epsom on his next start.

"Ancient Wisdom was back on track when winning the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy at the Newmarket July meeting and then ran with credit to finish third in a Group 1 in Germany on his final three-year-old start.

"I'm hoping the selection can really take off this this season and, although this isn't the easiest race in which to make his comeback, I'm confident Ancient Wisdom will give a good account of himself."

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13:43 Ayr - Katie Midwinter says: Theformismighty is big value at 14/1

Katie Midwinter: "Dan Skelton-trained Theformismighty steps up in trip to three miles for the first time under Rules on only his sixth start over fences.

"The unexposed point winner has shown glimpses of form this term including when beating Kaituna River convincingly by ten-lengths at Southwell in December when equipped with first-time cheekpieces, and when narrowly beaten by New Order at Wetherby in February.

"Whilst he may have struggled with consistency during his novice chasing campaign, the eight-year-old has the potential to show further improvement on his previous efforts and he may not have reached the peak of his ability yet on a rating of 128. 

The step up in distance could allow Theformismighty to thrive as he has been seen staying on strongly over shorter trips. His dam Mimi Equal is out of Grade Two winner Maid Equal, who proved her stamina capabilities over an extended 3m2f and produced Total Assests, a winner over four miles.

"Considering he is yet to be fully exposed in handicaps, is still lightly raced and is untried over this distance for the yard, Theformismighty is an intriguing contender who appears to represent value at a price of 14/115.00 under Harry Skelton."

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14:15 Ayr - Paul Nicholls says: Kabral Du Mathan has been saved for the Scottish Champion Hurdle

Paul Nicholls: "He's smart and has been unlucky not to win again since hacking up at Kempton in November. He was beaten a whisker in the Ladbroke Hurdle at Ascot just before Christmas and was again second in another valuable handicap at Windsor on ground that was softer than ideal.

"It was then a toss-up between the County Hurdle or the Scottish Champion Hurdle and I decided to keep him for Ayr. He is fit, fresh, well and will love the ground."

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14:35 Newbury - Alan Dudman says: Back Chancellor to round off my 33/1 Saturday double

Alan Dudman: "The Greenham betting didn't offer too much of a clue when I first looked, and there doesn't seem to be an outstanding candidate for one of the early season trials, and there are enough negatives from the others to keep onside with Chancellor for the Gosdens.

"Gosden J's father Towser won the Fred Darling on this card back in the 1960s and this was also the race in which Kingman, the push-button horse, won in 2014 as a launchpad for his stellar career - if brief. Kingman is also the sire of the selection.

"Chancellor has got experience and progressed with each run last term after winning on debut at Doncaster, and returned to the Town Moor track under a penalty to beat Brave Mission by over 3L with a no-nonsense win from the front and he seemed dead-straightforward.

"The turn of foot was taking off a slow early pace. The race finishing speed was 108% and he was pretty rapid with his lengthening stride, and he displayed the touch of the Kingman extravagance.

"The Donny run could be a template for Newbury - ie a small field, down the centre and then a sprint. That could suit Chancellor he can take the step up in class here well en route to better things."

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15:35 Ayr - Kevin Blake says: Scottish Grand National can stay in Britain with Rock My Way

Kevin Blake: "The one I like the most is the Joe Tizzard-trained Rock My Way. The seven-year-old has looked a smart prospect from early in his career, winning a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Cheltenham on just his second racecourse start in January 2023, though his career did plateau for while after that. His initial forays over fences last season were solid rather than spectacular, but a switch to Anthony Charlton saw him gain his first win in that sphere in a novices' handicap chase at Doncaster last November.

Switched once again to Joe Tizzard not long after that, Rock My Way has found further improvement since then. His first start for Tizzard saw him finish a good second in a novices' handicap chase at Doncaster in January, but even better was to come when he ran in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Stepping right up in trip beyond three miles for the first time, he raced prominently and was bang in the mix when making a mistake at the second-last fence. He recovered well from that and galloped all the way to the line, just finding the well-handicapped Haiti Couleurs too good for him. He was probably quite fortunate that the handicapper only raised him 1lb for that effort and with him being unexposed over staying trips, it wouldn't at all surprise to see him run a very big race.

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15:45 Newbury - Timeform says: Crown Of Oaks could be a class above

Timeform: "William Haggas has won two of the last three renewals of this maiden, including last year with Economics, and he saddles the very interesting CROWN OF OAKS, who made a highly encouraging start when third in a Newmarket maiden in the autumn. 

"Ridden by Pat Dobbs on debut, he finished with running left under hands and heels when a length behind Secret Theory and he is open to significant improvement. 

"A brother to the smart 7f/1m winner English Oak and closely related to the 1¼m/10.2f winner Forest of Dean and winner up to 10.2f State Occasion, he looks sure to relish this extra furlong and is fancied to beat King Of Narnia and Point Of Contact. "

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15:50 Bellewstown - Rachael Blackmore says: Adaliz can progress going into handicap company

Rachael Blackmore: "Adaliz is making her handicap debut here. Her three runs in maiden hurdles have all been on soft or heavy ground, so we're hoping that the better ground here will bring about improvement.  

"She's a nicely-bred mare, a half-sister to Adagio, who was a top-class juvenile hurdler, and we're hoping that the step up in trip to an extended two-and-a-half miles on her handicap debut will help her too."

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