Saturday Horse Racing Tips: Katie Midwinter's best bets includes 25/1 tip

• Katie Midwinter has six selections across the cards

• Hardy Lump Sum can defy top weight in the Betfair Imperial Cup

• Richard Hannon-trained colt represents value in Lincoln Trial

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13:50 Sandown - Back Meetmebythesea @ 10/34.33

Exciting prospect Meetmebythesea is unbeaten under Rules having recorded three wins from as many runs since making his hurdling debut at Ludlow in November.

Making a successful start on debut for his new yard, Meetmebythesea pulled clear of eventual runner-up Rascallion approaching the line, and was able to take a step forward to beat the more experienced The Kemble Brewery, who had already earned a rating of 130 following four success including inflicting defeat upon both Valgrand and Jurancon, respectively, on his subsequent start over the same course-and-distance.

Meetmebythesea was in receipt of plenty of weight from his reopposing rival that day, and, although the pair are on much closer terms here, the Ben Pauling-trained gelding is entitled to continue improving with experience and remains completely unexposed.

On his latest start, the five-year-old narrowly beat Mythical Moon, who has shown consistent form over hurdles and beat Sixmilebridge by a length-and-a-quarter at Stratford earlier in the season.

In his sole point start, Meetmebythesea was beaten two-and-a-half-lengths by subsequent £300,000 purchase He Can't Dance, who is from the family of Master Minded and has performed with credit in two bumpers since, winning once as well as finishing third in a Leopardstown Grade Two.

There's plenty of substance to his form and there should be further progression to come from Meetmebythesea, who represents an in-form yard. Capable claimer Callum Pritchard takes 5lb off in the saddle, bidding to record a third successive victory aboard the promising youngster, who is the one to beat at odds of 10/34.33.

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14:25 Sandown - Back Lump Sum @ 15/28.50

Another yard to note is the Sam Thomas operation, whose form figures from their previous six runners, at the time of writing, reads 313122. They achieved a 33 percent strike-rate during February and are a team to keep on side, saddling top weight Lump Sum in this contest.

The consistent seven-year-old beat hardy stablemate Steel Ally to land the Welsh Champion Hurdle on his seasonal return in October, building on a promising novice campaign which included a Grade Two success over Fiercely Proud in the Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton.

Four from nine over obstacles so far, plus three second-place finishes, the tenacious gelding finished second to Joyeuse at Newbury when last seen, giving 18lb to the winner who was extremely well handicapped from 123. Joyeuse is now rated 15lb higher on 138 and holds Grade One aspirations at the Cheltenham Festival, having been supplemented for the Mares' Hurdle on Tuesday.

It was a gallant effort by Lump Sum, who, in hindsight, faced a near impossible task in beating a top class, unexposed rival. The fact he was able to perform with such credit makes him a horse worth sticking with, despite being given a 3lb rise for the eight-length defeat.

Dylan Johnston claims 3lb aboard the formidable contender once again, and the pair can be competitive in this valuable contest for an in-form team.

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14:45 Wolverhampton - Back Local Hero E/W @ 7/18.00

Four-year-old colt Local Hero can pose a threat from a mark of 92 under capable 3lb claimer Joe Leavy in this competitive contest. The son of Phoenix Of Spain made a successful start to his career at Kempton, before failing to give his true running in softer conditions when upped into Listed company at Doncaster.

On his first start as a three-year-old, the promising prospect became fractious beforehand, particularly in the stalls, and could be forgiven for finishing an eight-length second to now 98-rated Grey Cuban, who was in receipt of 7lb. It was a run worth putting a line through, despite the form working out well with the winner showing a good level of ability subsequently.

Since then, the Richard Hannon-trained colt has won twice, and has resumed his progression in recent months since finishing a close third to Bobby Bennu at Lingfield, before recording success over Altmore from a mark of 88.

In his latest start, he was ridden patiently at the rear of the field and made good headway late on but was unable to find a clear run early enough, given too much to do in the straight. He finished a staying on fourth, beaten two-and-a-half-lengths by Zoffandia, but was unfortunate and could have finished much closer if able to gain a more favourable position early on.

From an unchanged mark of 92, only 4lb higher than his previous winning mark, and with the 3lb claim, Local Hero makes appeal at the weights and can prove himself at this level, stepping back up in class. He has had an interrupted career so far, but has found his feet of late and can prove better than his current mark suggests, representing value at a price of 7/18.00.

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15:00 Sandown - Back Charisma Cat @ 15/82.88

A daughter of Nathaniel, Charisma Cat has shown plenty of potential in three bumper starts to date, including when narrowly beaten in Listed company when last seen. 

The five-year-old, who is out of a Grade One winning half-sister to Grade One winner Tidal Fury, Tidara Angel, was unfortunate to lose her unbeaten record on her latest start at Market Rasen, rallying gamely in the closing stages, showing an electric turn of foot to be denied on the line, having been stuck behind a wall of horses two furlongs out.

In her previous starts, the Alan King-trained mare had shown a similar turn of foot when winning her debut, flashing home to beat Everest and a subsequent dual winner in Rockola Vogue. In her following outing, she stayed on strongly to win by four-and-a-half-lengths at Warwick.

She's worth sticking with on the basis of her previous run especially, considering she proved she was able to be competitive, and has the ability to win, at Listed level.

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15:10 Hereford - Back Nothinelsematters E/W @ 18/119.00

Nothinelsematters has been in the tracker for a while, with some eye-catching point-to-point form from his first start at Charm Park. On that occasion, the son of Sageburg was a late faller when in contention against Touch Me Not, who fell at the next, who was subsequently purchased for £150,000 and has since achieved Grade Two success and a rating of 151.

Whilst this gelding is unlikely to replicate those achievements, he is capable of breaking his maiden and, although not appearing to be the most straightforward horse, could prove worth sticking with from a low mark of 74 with 5lb claimer Luke Scott aboard.

Last season, the Alex Hales-trained gelding was competitive on handicap debut at Huntingdon, staying on well to finish within two-lengths of winner Halligator when sent off at odds of 25/126.00. That was from an opening mark of 75, and he runs over the same trip here from a similar rating.

In recent efforts, things haven't gone his way following an unsuccessful chasing attempt, but he shaped well for a long way on his latest start at Southwell, before weakening quickly, and the addition of a first-time tongue-tie could help his cause, with cheekpieces applied once again.

Not one to give up on just yet, Nothinelsematters warrants each-way consideration at odds of 18/119.00.

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15:15 Gowran Park - Back Cozone E/W @ 25/126.00

Likely to encounter a sounder surface that on his latest effort at Punchestown, Cozone drastically drops back in trip having been last seen on 3m1f on heavy.

On form, the eight-year-old appears to enjoy a sounder surface, and, the last time he was able to pose a threat in a race was on good ground over a trip just shy of two miles, which makes his worth of note in this contest.

That run came in a Punchestown handicap, in which he was rated 14lb higher when chasing home runaway winner Vischio, a subsequent Listed winner at the Dublin Racing Festival, who has since improved 18lb on ratings from that success.

Cozone showed a turn of foot to sprint home that day, with his performance worth upgrading, and, from a much lower mark here, he warrants consideration despite his recent form figures.

Most of his runs since then have been in softer conditions, and, although the ground may not be good at Gowran Park, it should be less testing than the ground he's faced recently, which is a positive.

The Matthew Smith-trained gelding is on a mark from which he can strike, and he makes each-way appeal at a price of 25/126.00.

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