Mark Milligan's Tips: Four Saturday selections at up to 17/2

• Mark has four selections across the cards on Saturday

• Ethical Diamond can win Scottish Champion Hurdle

• He also has three bets at Newbury including the exciting Chancellor

---

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.

---

13:25 Newbury - Back Ancient Wisdom

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.

---

14:15 Ayr - Back Ethical Diamond

Over at Ayr, Willie Mullins has sent a large raiding party as he attempts to get the better of Dan Skelton in the trainers' championship and his Ethical Diamond looks one of the strongest Closutton chances of the day in the Scottish Champion Hurdle.

The formerly useful flat campaigner is still unexposed after just six starts over timber and really caught the eye when fourth in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham on his most recent start.

In race that wasn't run at a break-neck gallop considering the big field, he passed a bunch of horses from what ended up as an impossible position, eventually being beaten less than four lengths by stablemate Kargese.

Ethical Diamond had previously won a 22-runner maiden and could hardly have shaped any better last time. He gets in off a mark just a pound higher here than at Cheltenham and I'll be disappointed if he doesn't run a very big race.

---

14:35 Newbury - Back Chancellor

Chancellor is bred in the purple and I've got high hopes he can win the Greenham on his way to confirming himself a genuine 2000 Guineas contender.

John Gosden's colt is by Kingman out of Breeders' Cup Winner Queen's Trust and he was wildly impressive when making a winning debut at Doncaster in July, readily brushing aside one who'd already shown a fair level of form.

He was sent of a short price to back that up at Ascot next time, but could only finish third to the Godolphin pair Al Qudra (reopposes here) and New Century.

However, that only tells half the story, as Chancellor was green in the preliminaries and in the race itself, and was also reported to have lost a shoe.

He was very much back on track on hos third and final juvenile start, returning to the scene of his debut win and making short wok of three rivals in novice company.

I've little doubt Chancellor can develop into a high-class performer as a three-year-old and expect him to give a good account of himself back up in grade here.

---

15:12 Newbury - Back Classic each-way

The Spring Cup Handicap is always a competitive affair, but it has a slightly different dynamic this season as it takes place on the round course rather than the straight mile.

The draw could well have a bearing and Richard Hannon's Classic looks ideally berthed in stall three.

He ran a tremendous race when runner-up on his second start at Sandown last season and he was probably unlucky not to win given he had to be switched a couple of times for a run.

He then wasn't seen to best effect on a few of his subsequent starts and consequently is starting off this season on a very attractive mark. The selection is a pound lower than when winning his last race in 2023 and James Doyle is a good jockey booking.

We also have the benefit of four places on the Sportsbook, which makes Classic an interesting each-way pick.

---

Now read more horse racing previews on Betting.Betfair.com

---