Saturday ITV Racing Tips: Mark Milligan with selections at Cheltenham and Newbury

Mark Milligan has previewed Saturday's ITV races

Mark has taken a good look at Saturday's ITV races and has selections over both jumps and the flat, including a NAP at Cheltenham...


Cheltenham Superboost

Talented chaser Broadway Boy is the favourite to win the 14:20 at Cheltenham today. In his chase career to date he's finished in the top three in five of his six races, including winning twice at Cheltenham.

Today the Betfair Sportsbook have boosted his price to finish in the top four from 4/71.57 to 1/12.00. To take advantage of this super-boosted price just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.


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14:20 Cheltenham - Back Broadway Boy

Broadway Boy has a fine record at Cheltenham, and he looks sure to give a good account bidding for a fourth course success in this 3m 1f handicap chase.

Nigel Twiston-Davies' six-year-old racked up three successes last season (including two at this track), the best of which was probably his premier handicap success in December.

He finished his season running in a couple of graded races and wasn't entirely disgraced but there's little doubt he'll be seen to much better effect back in handicap company.

He does have a big weight to carry, but that's testament to how much he progressed last season, and he's built to carry it in any case (a nice rangy gelding).

The chances are we haven't seen the best of him yet.


14:55 Cheltenham - Back Zain Nights

Zain Nights developed into something of a winning machine for Lucy Wadham last season and the handicapper has found it hard to keep a lid on him given he wasn't winning his races by very far.

He's won four of his last four starts and the biggest winning distance in those was just over two lengths at this track in April.

Zain Nights has been rising only steadily in the weights given the manner of his victories and a mark of 130 still looks workable in this first Pertemps qualifier of the season.

Gordon Elliott provides probably the stiffest resistance to our selection, as he fields both Beacon Edge and The Wallpark, with the latter looking most progressive having won his last three starts.


15:30 Cheltenham - Back Bottler'secret

He's not a big price but Bottler'secret looks to have plenty in hand of his opposition in this 2m conditions hurdle and he rates the NAP across Saturday's ITV races.

Progressive in three starts on the flat for Ciaran Murphy (winning twice), he made a successful hurdling debut for Gavin Cromwell at Naas in February, sauntering home by 11 lengths and having a subsequent winner well beaten back in third.

He followed that up with another ready success, this time at Fairyhouse, where he came home nearly four lengths clear of Karl Des Tourelles in a Grade 2 novice contest.

The selection ran a cracker last time, finishing second in the Champion Juvenile Hurdle at Punchestown, splitting a pair who'd made the frame in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

That form sets a high standard for these to aim at and a price around 2.111/10 on the Exchange at the time of writing makes plenty of appeal.

He'll likely go off odds-on and I'll be very disappointed if he's beaten in this company.


15:10 Newbury - Back Benevento

Over at Newbury a little earlier, Benevento should take all the beating the 7f Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes.

A winner on debut at Yarmouth in May, this son of Wootton Bassett improved on that to finish second to a promising sort who we haven't seen since in listed company at Ripon on his next start.

Benevento went one better himself in a listed race at Doncaster last time, proving well suited by stepping up to 7f for the first time and getting the better of the Charlie Appleby-trained Symbol Of Honour.

This ground (officially heavy) will be the most testing he's encountered so far, but he shapes as though he'll handle it and seems to have got better the more that the emphasis has been placed on stamina in his three starts to date.


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Recommended bets

13:55 Cheltenham – Back Broadway Boy @ 3/14.00

14:55 Cheltenham – Back Zain Nights @ 11/26.50

15:30 Cheltenham – Back Bottler'secret NAP @ 2.01/1+

15:10 Newbury – Back Benevento @ 3/14.00

Mark Milligan

Mark Milligan is a Senior Horse Racing Analyst with Timeform Sporting Life and has been contributing to Betting.Betfair since 2021.

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