
It’s almost the weekend and we have some really amazing racing action coming up. But before I move onto my betting tips for Saturday, I just want to mention a couple of notable runners in the Bumper over at Punchestown with some well related sorts in the lineup. Churchill Sunset is a half sister to the Gallaghers winner Ballyburn and Jana Colombe is related to Gold Cup second Gerri Colombe so it will be interesting to see how the pair get on in the same race and on paper, they certainly offer a lot of promise. The race starts at 17:57, so be sure to watch this one.
There are no less than eight meetings on Saturday, so we are truly spoiled for choice (think kid in a sweet shop). But after much consideration, I’ve nailed my Saturday betting tips to four hot selections. The first is running over the water at Punchestown, then we have two coming from Haydock, and the fourth runs at Bangor On Dee. My NAP of the day runs in the competitive Group 3 Fillies’ Stakes at Haydock and although she is unexposed, I’m certain she is on her way up. We’ve got a lot to go through here, so let’s crack on and talk about our weekend winners.
Ladbrokes are sponsoring the Handicap Chase and Punchestown on Saturday, and they have a nice bonus offer to help you out with your bets.
Bet £5, and you’ll get £20 in free bets. With four £5 free bets at your disposal, why not give my selections some support?
The second race on the Punchestown card is an interesting two-mile Handicap Chase. Most of the runners here have been a bit off their game of late and I’m very keen to see which of them will bounce back to form here. There is little to choose between Uncle Phil for Willie Mullins and Gavin Cromwell’s charge, Final Orders. Both of them have bags of ability, but neither have been particularly trustworthy based on their most recent form.
The remainder of the field all have their plus point, but by a process of elimination I’ve decided to go for The Banger Doyle. He is a very consistent sort who has been running really well in defeat and he loves Punchestown. He’s had a couple of spins on the Flat over the last few weeks which seem to have freshened him up nicely, so it’s the perfect time to side with him. I think there is every possibility he has turned a corner and The Banger Doyle will be the one in the winner’s enclosure here.
Next, we are off to Haydock for the Betfred Handicap and this is a cracking little race. Maghlaak represents the Shadwell operation and he is a nicely-bred horse by Muhaarar, but this trip looks a little bit of a stretch for him and I would have preferred to see him dropped back in trip this time. Struth and Knightswood both have plenty of promise, and they are sure to go well, but I don’t think either of them are ready to win just yet.
In my opinion, this is all about Divina Grace. She is a beautifully bred filly, sired by Golden Horn, and he has been improving run by run. This will be her second start this season and I expect her to take another big step forward. She stays on really well, so the trip is no problem whatsoever and provided she gets a good position in midfield, I think she will be a tough filly to beat. She looks to be well ahead of the handicapper and I fully expect her to continue her progress here.
The next race on the Haydock card is the Group 3 Fillies’ Stakes and there are plenty of nice horses in here that hold strong credentials. My eye is immediately drawn to the Godolphin filly, Sapphire Seas, who is certain to be firmly in the mix at the end of this race. She sets a very high standard here and I see her as the biggest danger to the rest of the field.
That said, I’m going to take a chance on
Queen Of The Pride
for John Gosden. She is a lightly raced four-year-old, who was very green mid-race last time out, but made strong headway, albeit a little too late to make any impact on the winner.
She has a mark of 100 already, and I think she is open to plenty more off the back of that performance. She definitely has no issues with the trip and at a big price, she can easily outrun her odds.
For my final betting tip, we head over to Bangor-on-Dee for the Novices’ Chase and this looks like a fantastic opportunity for In This World to break his maiden over fences. Grain D’Oudairies is his main threat and he’s a solid type, but personally, I think he has already hit his pinnacle and lacks the potential to improve further over fences.
Which brings me straight back to Dan Skelton’s charge. In This World has improved with both runs to date and could be ready to strike. He was a beaten favourite last time out, losing by less than a length to Parc D’Amour, who is a nice sort too. On that day, In This World made a terrible blunder on landing at the fourth last fence, and lost a fair amount of ground, but the fact he was able to get back on terms after that speaks volumes about his ability. The mishap last time out cost him the race, but I’m sure he can take this one.
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