Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet: Best bets for ITV Racing on British Champions Day plus Paul Nicholls

• Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet for British Champions Day at Ascot

• Get our tipsters' best bets and ambassador insight

• Paul Nicholls previews his runners at Newton Abbot and Stratford

• Tips from Katie Midwinter, Sam Turner and more experts

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Tips Summary

Race	Tipster	Tip	Odds
12:55 Ascot	Timeform Verdict	Trawlerman	Win @ 1/21.50
13:30 Ascot	Katie Midwinter	Super Soldier	E/W @ 33/134.00
14:05 Ascot	Sam Turner	Kind Of Blue	E/W @ 13/27.50
14:45 Ascot	Katie Midwinter	Bedtime Story	E/W @ 172171/1
15:25 Ascot	Sam Turner	Never So Brave	E/W @ 172171/1
16:05 Ascot	Alan Dudman	Calandagan	Win @ 11/43.75
16:40 Ascot	Katie Midwinter	Tribal Chief	E/W @ 50/151.00

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Saturday horse racing tips and insight

12:55 - British Champions Long Distance Cup

Timeform Verdict - Trawlerman a sold fav to start Champions Day

A cracking opportunity for Gold Cup winner Trawlerman to cap off a stellar season and take this prize for a second time. Sweet William can complete a 1-2 for the stable. Al Qareem and Stay True might be found wanting for stamina when it matters, although Saratoga looks a promising stayer in the making and could outrun his odds.

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13:30 - British Champions Day 2yo Conditions Stakes

Katie Midwinter - Super Soldier can fire

Karl Burke-trained Super Soldier makes the most appeal having beaten Siren Suit when the pair chased home subsequent Mill Reef Stakes winner Wise Approach, now rated 114, over 5f here in April. Super Soldier had previously justified 11/102.11 favouritism on debut at Leicester, beating a couple of subsequent winners, before going on to place in a Listed Chantilly contest behind Graft, who has performed with credit in Stakes races since.

Purchased for £390,000 ahead of his Coventry Stakes assignment, the son of Dark Angel couldn't make an impression in the competitive Royal Ascot contest, sent off at odds of 80/181.00, but can be forgiven for a disappointing effort in deep waters that day, although he didn't have an obvious excuse.

He bounced back to form with a neck second to Green Sense in the Group Two Prix Robert Papin, beaten only by a filly who had previous form with the talented Lady Iman and has finished third in the Group One Phoenix Stakes since.

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14:05 - British Champions Sprint Stakes

Sam Turner - Kind Of Blue can call the tune

"A close relative to The Tin Man and Deacon Blues, Fanshawe's speedster has enjoyed a somewhat light campaign, but the signs are that he is peaking at the right time and ready to deliver another marquee performance at Ascot on Champions Day.  

"The selection's performance behind Big Mojo in the Betfair Sprint Cup was 7lb better than anything he had achieved in his previous three starts this campaign and he may have even troubled the cosy length winner had he enjoyed an uninterupted passage that.

"There appears plenty of raw pace for Kind Of Blue to aim at today with Witness Stand and the free-going Quinault in opposition and his record in races of 17 or more runners now reads 112 so the demands of a truly-run, big-field contest clearly suit."

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14:45 - British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes

Katie Midwinter - Bedtime Story is ready to turn the page

Bedtime Story enjoyed a brilliant juvenile campaign last term with four wins in her first four starts which included a nine-and-a-half-length Chesham Stakes success. The daughter of Frankel also claimed Group Two and Group Three honours before being sent off as the 4/51.80 favourite in her first Group One outing in the Moyglare Stud Stakes...

"For a hugely classy filly who appeared to have the world at her feet last year, it's a surprise that she has been unable to add to her four wins as of yet. Things haven't panned out favourably for her in any of her six appearances this term, with numerous excuses to be made. She is more than capable of posing a dangerous threat at this level, with the drop back to a mile-and-a-half in her favour. 

"Should she enjoy her return to Ascot, Bedtime Story holds leading claims under Christophe Soumillon, and can take this prize back to Ballydoyle for the first time since Magical's success in 2018."

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15:25 - Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Sam Turner - Never So Brave is a valid challenger

"There can't be many QEII contenders, in years gone by, that began the season with defeat in a Chester handicap, however Never So Brave has left those humble beginnings behind to develop into a valid challenger for this exciting renewal.

"While it is difficult to envisage him being quite good enough to match a peak Field Of Gold in his pomp, the selection has made giant strides since that narrow reverse on the Roodee, bolting up in a Royal Ascot handicap prior to claiming Group 2 glory at this venue.

"A game and geniune success in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes, upgraded this season to Group 1 status, may not satisfy those that doubt Never So Brave is truly a top-class miler, however he counted Rosallion among his victims that day so, with an affinity for the track confirmed and the suggestion he is well situated in stall 13, he looks worth playing with four places on offer."

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16:05 - Champion Stakes

Alan Dudman - Calandagan can do best of the big three

A cogent case can be made for all three at the head of the market as each possesses stardust, but Calandagan's record at Ascot reads 1-1-2, and his runner-up spot in the race 12 months ago was on soft ground, which is not his best.

He finished second to City Of Troy in the Juddmonte last term too, but I have a feeling he is a better horse now and is truly hitting his peak if with a little quirk. He stays further, so the pacemaker will suit him just as much, if not the X fellows and conditions could be dreamlike for him, just what Calandagan requires.

Of the others, Economics bled in the race 12 months ago and hasn't been seen all year, while Andre Fabre's First Look is a 1m2f specialist, travels and finds for pressure, but surely he wants it soft? Almeric won a Doonside Cup last time and his prize money earned thus far is peppercorn rent in comparison to the racing millionaires.

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16:40 - Balmoral Handicap

Katie Midwinter - Tribal Chief can compete at 50/1

"David Menuisier-trained Tribal Chief is a huge price at odds of 50/151.00 considering excuses can be made for his Cambridgeshire effort, and he remains on a workable enough mark from a rating of 94, 4lb above his last success.  He beat now 105-rated Treble Tee by half-a-length on that occasion, returning to the winners' enclosure having not had much luck previously during the season.

"Last year, the son of Sioux Nation was hugely progressive, winning from a mark of 61 on handicap debut before ending his season rated 90 following three additional wins. In his final start as a three-year-old and first start this year, Tribal Chief has finished second twice to Bullet Point, who's now rated 22lb higher than in the first of those two wins.

"Tribal Chief's performance can be upgraded in both runs, having been slowly away, particularly on his reappearance, but finishing extremely well. He remains capable of being competitive from his current mark, and has the potential to win a big pot such as this."

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Paul Nicholls' Saturday runners insight

16:55 Newton Abbot - Paul Nicholls: Great opportunity for Blueking d'Oroux

"We pulled him out of the race at Chepstow last weekend as that was very, very fast ground and we weren't prepared to risk him there. Good to soft at Newton Abbot will be perfect, and as it's turned out, this is a nice little race for him. It's quite valuable. He's got a nice weight allowance, because he's not run over fences, and it's a nice place to start.

"Obviously, we'd have liked to run Caldwell Potter, but he wasn't quite ready, and it's a great opportunity for Blueking d'Oroux to start his chasing career. It's not set in stone but Caldwell Potter will probably go straight for the Betfair Chase. That's what we're keen on doing."

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