Horse Racing Tips: Best bets from the trading room for Saturday’s ITV Races

Our racing trader Joe Logue is sweet on The Real Whacker in the 13:50 at Cheltenham.

Horse Racing

By / Horse Racing Tips / 6 months ago

Joe Logue’s Saturday Racing Tips

13:15 Cheltenham – Victtorino
13:50 Cheltenham – The Real Whacker
14:05 Doncaster – Under Control
14:15 Fairyhouse – Jade De Grudgy
14:25 Cheltenham – Jonbon
14:40 Doncaster – Range
15:00 Cheltenham – Lossiemouth
15:15 Doncaster – Cap Du Nord
15:35 Cheltenham – Noble Yeats

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

    13:15 Cheltenham – Victtorino

    Venitia Williams’ VICTTORINO was bought from France and fits the typical ‘improver’ profile for her talents. He’s only run three times so far, in a novice hurdle on debut and has won two chases this season already, beating Yeah Man and Flegmatik last time out.

    Flegmatik came out and beat Chianti Classico next time and that’s good form. I can see him improving on his current rating of 140 and as he’s still only a six-year-old, more improvement is possible.

    13:50 Cheltenham – The Real Whacker

    A tricky race to call where Capadanno needs to improve to win but it’s interesting  that Willie Mullins brings him over. He finished third in the Savills Chase behind Galopin Ds Champs at Leopardstown, but sort of ‘fell in’ there as his stablemate had burned off all the challengers to win easily.

    THE REAL WHACKER was well beaten in the Paddy Power Gold Cup off a huge weight and not disgraced in the King George at Kempton although the race fell apart. At the current price, I’d take a chance on him returning to the sort of form that saw him land the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase from Gerri Colombe last season.

    14:05 Doncaster – Under Control

    UNDER CONTROL is a good play against the front two in the market as he has a good record over hurdles and won that strong handicap at Sandown at the end of last season. He beat Iberico Lord that day who franked the form very well when winning the Greatwood Hurdle at the Cheltenham November meeting.  Mark Walsh coming over to ride from Ireland is eye-catching.

    14:15 Fairyhouse – Jade De Grudgy

    On jockey bookings it looks like Pink In The Park is Willie Mullins’ first string with Sean O’Keeffe riding, which seems a bit crazy to me. Brian Hayes looks to have gotten the best ride on JADE DE GRUGY who was impressive at Leopardstown over Christmas. She’s open to plenty of improvement against some more exposed rivals.

    14:25 Cheltenham – Jonbon

    Hard to look elsewhere bar JONBON who is the class angle. I won’t be backing him at the likely prices but it’s hard to see him being beaten.

    14:40 Doncaster – Range

    I’ve narrowed it down to two as I put up Destroytheevidence last time out when he was second to Shanagh Bob. That was a good run but he is a lot more exposed now than a lot of these, and he is probably vulnerable to something improving past him.

    RANGE is the one that I like. He has good form behind Gidleigh Park at Exeter and then came out and won snugly enough last time out. He steps up in class now to Grade 2 level. He needs to improve but he’s only had two runs over hurdles, so that is very possible. Trainer Sam Thomas is very shrewd, so I’m happy to side with him.

      15:00 Cheltenham – Lossiemouth

      This 2m 1m Grade 2 Hurdle sees the long-awaited seasonal debut of LOSSIEMOUTH as she makes her debut in ‘open’ company after a stellar novice season. However, that’s always tough for those coming out of juvenile company.

      I was a bit concerned about her delayed reappearance but was told  that the mares’ programme for her doesn’t present a whole load of options, so she arrives her by design rather than default. She’s short in the market and that won’t be for everyone, but it is hard enough to look elsewhere.

      15:15 Doncaster – Cap Du Nord

      Maybe a bit of a chance taken here, but CAP DU NORD sneaks in off bottom weight and the owners and trainer like to target big pots and it’s a bonus that Jack Tudor can do the weight. Cap Du Nord has dropped 7lb in five runs since the summer, which sees him on a very winnable mark and won by seven lengths last February off a mark of 127. That shows what he can do when conditions are right.

      15:35 Cheltenham – Noble Yeats

      The former Aintree National winner Noble Yeats has only had two runs over hurdles and he’s won one. He was backed off the boards at Limerick at Christmas over 2m4f which I thought was too sharp a trip.

      He was beaten by Sa Majeste who had a good reputation when he made his debut at Punchestown last year, so there was no disgrace in that. It would definitely encourage me to chance him now back up to 3m at a stiff track like Cheltenham.

      The slight concern is the form of Emmet Mullins’ string who aren’t really finishing off their races. I can look past that given Noble Yeats’ profile. I wouldn’t be a big fan of this staying division as it’s very weak this season. Everyone seems to think there’s a dark horse lurking somewhere for the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle and Noble Yeats may be it.

      Saturday’s Racing Tips

      13:15 Cheltenham – Victtorino
      13:50 Cheltenham – The Real Whacker
      14:05 Doncaster – Under Control
      14:15 Fairyhouse – Jade De Grudgy
      14:25 Cheltenham – Jonbon
      14:40 Doncaster – Range
      15:00 Cheltenham – Lossiemouth
      15:15 Doncaster – Cap Du Nord
      15:35 Cheltenham – Noble Yeats

      *All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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