New Year's Day ITV Racing Tips: Mark Milligan with three to back at up to 7/2

• Nicholls' raider can strike at Musselburgh

• Unexposed O'Neill runner to land Premier Handicap

• Boomslang still unexposed over fences

• Get a completely Free Bet on horse racing multiples on New Year's Day

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Springwell Bay is fancied to run very well in the 14:05 at Cheltenham today having not finished outside of the first four in his last six completed starts.

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13:45 Musselburgh - Back Liari

2

Liari (Fr)

• J: Ben Bromley
• T: Paul Nicholls
• F:

With the forecast around the country particularly stormy for the coming days, let's hope that the New Year's Day racing goes ahead, as ITV are due to treat us to some excellent stuff from both Cheltenham and Musselburgh.

We'll start up in Scotland, where the evergreen Benson attempts to win the 2m4f Hogmaneigh Handicap Hurdle for the third successive year.

While he hasn't been in the best of form so far this season, Sandy Thompson's charge seems to come alive around here and he'll surely be popular with the locals as he attempts a hat-trick of wins in a race he's made his own.

However, Paul Nicholls makes the long trek north with the unexposed Liari, who's surely better than he showed when only sixth at Newbury last time.

I prefer to judge him on his comeback third at Chepstow in October and he's already proven around Musselburgh, having taken the Triumph Hurdle Trial last season.

James Owen's mare Sweet Fantasy makes up the shortlist and she shaped much better than the bare result last time when having something of a hopeless task from the rear at Cheltenham.

Expect her to be ridden a bit more prominently this time.

14:05 Cheltenham - Back Springwell Bay

4

Springwell Bay

• J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.
• T: Jonjo & A.J. O'Neill
• F:

Cheltenham are monitoring conditions ahead of their meeting, with very strong winds in the forecast, but hopefully they get the go ahead as there are some intriguing races for us to get stuck into, not least the Betfair Exchange Premier Handicap Chase.

The in-form Gemirande is the obvious starting point for a Venetia Williams yard that continues to have a decent time of things, and he comes here having taken both races he's contested this season.

He goes well at this track too, which is another plus point, but he will have to defy a career-high mark having been bumped up 8lb for his latest success.

He could well defy that, but I prefer the claims of Springwell Bay, who's still unexposed as as a chaser and ran a fine race when second to Nicky Henderson's Jango Baie in a novice contest at this track last time.

There was no disgrace in that defeat and an opening mark of 145 on his first foray into handicap company looks workable.

Of the rest, Jamie Snowden's Colonel Harry didn't get home over 3m 2f last time and it would be no surprise to see him bounce back to form returned to a more suitable trip.

14:20 Musselburgh - Back Boomslang

4

Boomslang

• J: Ross Chapman
• T: Rebecca Menzies
• F:

It's back to Musselburgh for our third and final bet of the day, and there's a belting 2m 4f handicap chase, where Paul Nicholls sends out another southern raider in the shape of Beau Balko.

As with Liari in the previous race, Ben Bromley will take off a useful 5lb, but Beau Balko's form does have a rather exposed look to it, and he could be vulnerable to something that's open to more improvement.

Although Boomslang is a couple of years older than Beau Balko, he's only had three runs over fences and produced an impressive success at Carlisle last time, winning with more in hand than the official margin of two and a half lengths implies.

Rebecca Menzies' charge was around seven lengths clear at the last before idling in front, giving the impression there was plenty more in the tank if it was needed.

He could well be open to plenty more progress and I'm taking him to keep this valuable prize in the north for a yard that's going reasonably well at the moment.

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