Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet: Best bets for ITV Racing and Paul Nicholls' insight

• Saturday Racing Cheat Sheet for Ascot, Wetherby and Down Royal

• Get our tipsters' best bets and ambassador insight

• Paul Nicholls previews his runners exclusively for Betfair

• Tips from Katie Midwinter, Alan Dudman and more experts

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Tips Summary

Race	Tipster	Tip	Odds
13:30 Ascot	Alan Dudman	No Questions Asked	Win @ 13/82.63
14:05 Ascot	Timeform Verdict	L'eau Du Sud	Win @ 4/15.00
14:22 Wetherby	Alan Dudman	Strong Leader	Win @ 13/82.63
14:40 Down Royal	Katie Midwinter	Envoi Allen	Win @ 15/82.88
14:57 Wetherby	Paul Nicholls	Pic D'orhy	N/A
15:10 Ascot	Katie Midwinter	Alexei	Win @ 7/24.50
15:45 Ascot	Alan Dudman	Henry's Friend	Win @ 11/26.50

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Saturday horse racing tips and insight

13:30 Ascot - Alan Dudman:  No Questiona Asked about our curtain raiser

Playing more towards the top of the market for this weekend and No Questions Asked at 13/82.63 in a small field novices' chase can hopefully get us rolling.

Another painfully thin turnout is what we are used to in these types of races, so it's a good starting point for the Ben Pauling rookie chaser who enjoyed a decent campaign as a novice hurdler last term, taking his rating to 138.

Viroflay steps out of Hunter Chase company in opposition, but No Questions Asked has 2m speed and makes the running and could have too much pace here in what could essentially be a race of tactics with just three rivals. No Questions Asked ran in the Martin Pipe race at the Festival last term, but that turned out to be very much the wrong call as you need a stayer for that.

Over 2m3f on Saturday should be ideal.

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14:05 Ascot - Timeform Verdict:  Drop into handicap company can do the trick

Dan Skelton's L'eau Du Sud made great strides over fences as a novice last season, winning four times and also coming in fourth in the Arkle, and he is fancied to garner another victory dropped to handicap company for his seasonal return.

Henry de Bromhead's Special Cadeau is feared most on the back of a resurgent Roscommon second, although plenty of others also make appeal, notably General Medrano, Shakeyatailfeather and Sans Bruit. Last year's winner Martator completes the shortlist.

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14:22 Wetherby - Alan Dudman:  Leader a Strong fancy under Bowen

Yorkshire Hurdle time, Grade 2 time, and Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen time. The pair are boasting some serious early season numbers at the moment with the trainer 10-24 at 42% in the past two weeks, with Bowen 16-53 in the same period at 30%.

Strong Leader won the Long Distance Hurdle last November on good to soft for a successful reappearance, and the way to play him this campaign from Murphy might be to target the early "prep" races for stayers - which are often winnable in a desperately weak division.

He was last seen finishing runner-up in the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree and a messy round of jumping hampered his chances.

Potter's Charm clearly is a big danger as a fine novice from last season, but he isn't proven at 3m (yet) and this will be the first run for him since a wind op.

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14:40 Down Royal - Katie Midwinter:  Likeable Allen fancied for the hat-trick

A dual winner of this race, the extremely likeable Envoi Allen can land the hat-trick for Henry de Bromhead in familiar surroundings.

The 11-year-old has been a magnificent horse over the years winning multiple Grade One contests among his 16 career victories and, in his 30th start here, he is the one to beat. On six occasions previously, Envoi Allen has been able to win on his return to action. He's usually one to keep onside when fresh and better ground conditions have also seemed to suit him the most.

With conditions unlikely to be completely against him and the yard in good form, this a great opportunity for him to strike once again and Envoi Allen makes the most appeal as he bids for another victory in the race.

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14:57 Wetherby - Paul Nicholls:  Pic D'orhy in great form and he goes well fresh

He's a fantastic horse, all those races he's won for us, Aintree, Ascot, and places like that, he won the Betfair Hurdle, he's a great horse, and he's a great horse fresh, he's won first time up four times.

Loves decent ground, he seems very well at home. Obviously, he's not getting any younger, he's 10-years-old.  It's a competitive little race, but I'm very happy with Pic D'orhy, he's in good shape. I can't do any more with him. He had an away day to prepare for this so I  can't do any more.

Three miles is open to debate, he's never been three miles so that's the only question, but he stays on very strongly at Ascot over two-and-three-quarter miles, so I don't see it being a problem. It might even bring out some more improvement.

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15:10 Ascot - Katie Midwinter:  Lightly-raced Alexei can improve further

Five-year-old gelding Alexei makes only his sixth hurdling start in this competitive handicap, still open to further improvement on the back of an excellent second to Celtic Dino in the Welsh Champion Hurdle. He made a slight error late on, losing some momentum, but travelled into the race best of all and remains on an unchanged mark of 127.

The Joe Tizzard-trained contender impressed in his first couple of starts over obstacles, winning twice at Taunton when beating his rivals by a combined distance of 32-and-a-half-lengths. He wasn't in the same form in his two following outings but had some excuses and bounced back on his reappearance at Chepstow, placing at odds of 10/111.00.

An exciting horse for the season ahead, Alexei makes the most appeal as he has the scope for further improvement, still unexposed in handicap company. He could take another step forward and is one to note in the hands of Brendan Powell.

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15:45 Ascot - Alan Dudman:  Henry can be our Friend in ITV finale

Henry's Friend at 11/26.50 might be a little weak in the market at the time of writing, but he's the solid handicapper who stays well and his form at Newbury in two runs last term gives him an excellent chance.

Off 143 he is near to handicapped out of it, but his win by 6L in beating Hymac on good to soft came from 138 and off a 5lb higher mark in a race where rivals are not so hot, he looks the bet.

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