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Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet for Cheltenham Trials Day
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Tips from Daryl Carter, Kevin Blake and more
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Read Rachael Blackmore and Paul Nicholls' exclusive insight
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Timeform Superboost
Ginny's Destiny is a relatively strong favourite to win today's Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase at Cheltenham (13:50), but if you fancy the Paul Nicholls-trained 9yo to run well with the insurance that he might not win, then you can back him to finish in the top three at the super-boosted price of 1/12.00 (from 8/131.61).
Ginny's Destiny loves Cheltenham having won at the venue three times, and he's finished in the top three in six of his last seven starts. To take advantage of this latest superboost 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 our writers or tipsters.
Back Ginny's Destiny to Finish Top 3 in the 13:50 Cheltenham
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Watch Paul Nicholls discuss his Saturday runners...
Saturday horse racing tips and insight - Cheltenham Trials Day
Daryl Carter: "This is just the opportunity that Resplendent Grey - 4/15.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - needs to gain another well-deserved victory over fences. The seven-year-old ran a remarkable race at Sandown in the Grade 2 Betfair Esher Novices Chase when second to a subsequent winner, Handstands, who had the run of the race.
"Given how the race unfolded, Resplendent Grey was held up last of five and was never in a challenging position. Still, he made headway before a mistake at the penultimate railway fence but was then seen travelling best, turning into the pond fence, and he had to make his ground wide of the entire field.
"The amount he found for pressure was eye-catching, and he is a horse firmly on the upgrade based on that evidence. He has had 50 days to get over a tough race, and this looks like the perfect spot for him.
"Olly Muprhy's runner was worth an upgrade at Sandown, and this is effectively a dip in grade. Considering he will get a good clip to aim at and a less testing surface (it doesn't get much more testing than at Sandown) at a venue he has already proven to handle when an excellent Listed second makes him of serious interest in handicap company from a fair rating.
"He chased home Hyland here in November when again worth another upgrade, having been caught at the rear of a slow gallop in a four-runner field, and he clocked some eye-catching closing sectionals. Still, the winner chased home the brilliant Jukebox Man at Kempton next time, and the third slammed up for this column from a rating of 145 at the last Cheltenham meeting.
"His previous winning form at Uttoxeter on his chasing debut has worked out well. He won with any amount in hand, and the runner-up scored for this column and is rated eight pounds higher.
"The selection has everything in his favour now that he has switched back to handicaps from this rating of 143. He can make a big mark in this sphere, and this progressive youngster should relish a strong gallop and stiff finish. He is better than a rating of 143.
"Masaccio doesn't seem to be going forward, and the undulations of Cheltenham ask a different question of him. Whistle Stop Tour needs soft ground, but he is handicapped out of this, and Jagwar doesn't find much pressure. Therefore, Billytherealbigred is feared the most. However, the selection is the class act in this field and ticks all the boxes.
"Any 5/23.50 or bigger is acceptable."
12:40 Cheltenham - Back Resplendent Grey
Paul Nicholls: "He's an interesting recruit from France who won on his debut over hurdles in April, then finished second at Auteuil before showing improvement to land an £80,000 Listed event at the same track in June. We bought him shortly afterwards and gave him lots of time to acclimatise with three months out in a field so he was never going to be ready before Christmas.
"Sauvignon is a half-brother to Sauverne, a Group 1 winner at Longchamp. He is very laid back, has enjoyed a couple of away days, and we are keeping on the tongue strap he wore in France. Rated 138 he's really come alive in the last few weeks, working smartly and I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do though I expect him to improve for the run."
Mark Milligan: "With the Dublin Racing Festival and Cheltenham both looming large on the horizon, the National Hunt season really steps up a gear on Saturday, with a pair of cracking cards from Cheltenham itself and Doncaster on ITV.
"The Betfair Exchange Premier Handicap Chase is a belter and I'm keeping faith with Ginny's Destiny despite a pair of rather flat runs so far this season.
"Paul Nicholls' charge looked badly in need of the run when pulled up on his seasonal reappearance in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, with Timeform's on-course reporter suggesting he was carrying plenty of condition.
"I expected him to come on markedly for that at Huntingdon last time but again he disappointed, never really travelling with any fluency.
"It's entirely possible that Huntingdon's flat track just doesn't suit him that well (ran poorly on his only other start there), while the going had got also very testing and, though Ginny's Destiny goes well with cut in the ground, those deep conditions may just have found him out.
"The return to Cheltenham - where he's won three times - should be in Ginny's Destiny's favour and I'm prepared to give him one more chance given how progressive he was last season."
Back Ginny's Destiny in the 13:50 Cheltenham
Kevin Blake: "Trained by Venetia Williams, L'Homme Presse made an immediate impact when sent novice chasing in 2021/22, winning his first five starts over fences including the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown and the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He hasn't had the smoothest of passages since that wonderful novice chase campaign, as he has been restricted to just two and three starts in each of the two seasons that followed it. However, he has shown seriously strong form within those restricted campaigns.
"In 2022/23 he won the Rehearsal Handicap Chase at Newcastle off a rating of 164 and was running a huge race in the King George VI Chase at Kempton despite having jumped notably left all the way until he unseated his rider at the final fence when set to finish second. He returned last season to beat Protektorat in the Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield and went on to finish a fine fourth in the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival under what was perhaps an overly-positive ride.
"He made his return to action this season in the King George VI Chase at Kempton and shaped well to finish third behind Banbridge, again jumping out to his left. He is entitled to come on from that run and this represents a drop in class for him. As much as anything, the return to a left-handed track is sure to suit him. He looks to have an excellent chance of returning to winning ways in this contest."
Back L'Homme Presse in the 14:25 Cheltenham
Alan Dudman: "The staying division has been the subject of much discourse and merriment due to the lack of a zinger this term - and just when you need a horse to poke its head out of the bag to become a player, you get let down.
"Indeed, for Saturday's Cleeve Hurdle and key trial for the Festival Stayers, one should send for the old boy Tidal Bay, who came into this race via a slightly left-field route when winning many years ago.
"Crambo and Strong Leader are obvious players and the market could not split them earlier this week at 2/13.00 the pair, and moving onto the prices on Friday, Crambo is 5/23.50 and Strong Leader 11/43.75 on the Sportsbook, to evince a lack of confidence in both.
"Strong Leader ran a shocker at Ascot last time in the Long Walk and has since had wind surgery, while Ga Law is the flyer in the field.
"However, I cannot help but feel Monmiral looks overpriced for us to utilise the each-way angle with the eight runners.
"Paul Nicholls revealed exclusively in his Betfair column today: "He missed an engagement at a Plumpton when the card was abandoned and is one of mine in no man's land as his handicap mark is too high and he finds it tough against the best at level weights.
"He ran tidily when second to Strong Leader at Newbury in November, stays strongly, loves Cheltenham and has a sporting each way chance against a couple of Grade 1 winners in the field."
"And that's the crux of it here, he stays, he likes soft ground and won the Pertemps at the Festival last march so ticks the Prestbury box.
"He might not be good enough but this is not a strong Cleeve, but Crambo was thrashed in last term's Stayers' and Monmiral has not had an arduous campaign with just two runs, and one of those was a comeback on unsuitable going at Newbury when officially good.
"We just need the eight to stand their ground for our each-way bet."
Back Monmiral E/W in the 15:35 Cheltenham
Timeform: "The only novice hurdlers rated higher than Potters Charm with Timeform this season are Romeo Coolio, The Yellow Clay and The New Lion so Nigel Twiston-Davies' contender unsurprisingly has a clear edge over his rivals in the concluding Grade 2 novice hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.
"Potters Charm has to carry a 5lb penalty for his Grade 1 win in the Formby Novices' Hurdle at Aintree last month but, even so, he still sets a good standard on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings and comes out 6lb clear of the next on the list, Gamesters Guy.
"That performance at Aintree was of similar merit to Potters Charm's wide-margin win here on the Old Course on his penultimate start and they represent the two best pieces of form on offer. He's up against some progressive rivals but Potters Charm also has the Timeform 'small p' to show that he's likely capable of better."
Back Potters Charm in the 16:10 at Cheltenham
Fairyhouse insight
I'm really looking forward to riding Koktail Divin again in the two-mile maiden hurdle. He ran a really good race in a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas on his first run for Henry, he went down by just a half a length to Kaid D'Authie and he was well clear of the rest.
This looks like a good maiden hurdle, as it often is, it has been won by some good horses in the last few years. But Koktail Divin is a beautiful horse, he came out of Leopardstown really well and we're hoping that he can put up another good performance.