Mick Fitzgerald’s Saturday ITV Racing tips
12:15 Leicester – Butch
13:45 Newbury – Go To War
14:00 Leopardstown – Home By The Lee
14:20 Newbury – Surrey Quest
14:35 Leopardstown – Galopin Des Champs
14:55 Newbury – Regents Stroll
15:10 Leicester – Invincible Nao
15:35 Newbury – Shanagh Bob
*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.
12:15 Leicester – Butch
Olly Murphy’s runner, BUTCH, is highly thought of and connections believe he could take them to the bigger Spring Festivals next year.
He ran up a hat-trick of wins last season before Botox beat him in the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock. He can start his ascent over the larger obstacles in this 2m 4f Novices’ Chase.
13:45 Newbury – Go To War
GO TO WAR ran a good race on seasonal debut when second at Huntingdon to Bluegrass earlier this month on his first run for Nicky Henderson over two miles. The step up in trip to 2m 4f will suit and he could take a bit of beating with that first run under his belt.
14:00 Leopardstown – Home By The Lee
The 3m Grade 1 Savills Hurdle where HOME BY THE LEE tries to follow up a recent Navan win over Bob Olinger, but I think the latter will get his revenge. Henry de Bromhead’s runner will have benefited more from the race in my opinion, and can turn the tables today.
14:20 Newbury – Surrey Quest
A 3m 1f handicap chase that sees SURREY QUEST try to build on a very good run at the Cheltenham November meeting when second to Abuffalosoldier.
He looked like he needed the run that day and I was impressed that he was able to run as well as he did. That outing should have put him straight for this contest.
14:35 Leopardstown – Galopin Des Champs
What a race we have in the Grade 1 Savills Steeplechase over 3m. A dual Gold Cup winner GALOPIN DES CHAMPS who is the reigning champ against stablemate and rising star Fact To File.
Galopin Des Champs probably needed the run when he was third to Fact To File in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown last month, so he should be cherry-ripe for this test. It’s a bit of a coin toss, but I just favour Galopin Des Champs to win.
14:55 Newbury – Regents Stroll
The Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle is a cracking contest where The New Lion, It’s Hard to Know, and REGENTS STROLL are bringing in unbeaten records.
Dan Skelton’s reckon The New Lion is the best they’ve had for a while, and that’s saying something. However, Regent’s Stroll could be the best that Paul Nichols has had for a while also. He’s one of the best-looking horses I’ve ever seen in training! He’s smart and can prove that today.
15:10 Leicester – Invincible Nao
Gary and Josh Moore have their team in very good form, and INVINCIBLE NAO ran some good races last season, which made them have too many guns for this field. He made a pleasing reappearance effort at Sandown behind Mount Tempest and can build on that now to complement last season’s win at Fakenham.
15:35 Newbury – Shanagh Bob
The usually reliable SHANAGH BOB was very disappointing at Uttoxeter on seasonal debut but can bounce back now. He was fourth in the 3m Sefton Novices’ Hurdle last season behind the like of Dancing City and the Jukebox Man.
This Novices’ Handicap Chase is a deep enough race, too, where Inthewaterside has plenty of potential if he can learn to settle better in the preliminaries and the early part of the race. If he gets away on the front end, though, he might be hard to catch, but there are a few ‘ifs’ about him, so the percentage call has to be Shanagh Bob.
Mick Fitzgerald’s ITV Racing tips
12:15 Leicester – Butch
13:45 Newbury – Go To War
14:00 Leopardstown – Home By The Lee
14:20 Newbury – Surrey Quest
14:35 Leopardstown – Galopin Des Champs
14:55 Newbury – Regents Stroll
15:10 Leicester – Invincible Nao
15:35 Newbury – Shanagh Bob
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at the time of publishing but subject to change.
READ MORE
- Get all the latest Horse Racing News and Racing Tips at Paddy Power News
- Horse Racing Tips: A 13/2 each-way shout tops Matt Chapman’s Saturday ITV Racing picks
- David Power Jockeys’ Cup: All you need to know about the biggest prize in Jumps racing history
The latest racing odds are on PaddyPower.com now
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO SAFER GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
