Saturday ITV Racing Tips & Preview

Unbeaten in two trips to Kempton, the globetrotting DAYS OF HEAVEN (Best price ) could be a spot of value to upset favourite Clic Work. Nicky Henderson enjoyed a good Festival and he looks to have made good use of the new directive which allows horses to run in races even if they are a pound or two outside the permitted weight band. With a mark of 136, Days Of Heaven looks quite nicely treated on the best of his hurdles form and, although it is difficult to interpret his efforts in the States, the fact he is unbeaten in two starts at today’s venue and enjoys good ground suggests he is worth siding with.

Arguably one of the most competitive races of the week with a number of Cheltenham refugees entered. GOLDEN SPEAR (best price 9-2) held a host of entries at the festival, but lines up here and a couple of his efforts in competitive handicaps at Leopardstown and Ascot would give him a huge chance in this company. Martin is a brilliant exponent of this type of contest and he may just have exploited a decent opportunity with the son of Kyllachy who is bred to appreciate the better ground and likelihood of a strong pace.

BANDSMAN (Best price 9-1) beat Imperial Cup winner London Prize when last seen and has been clearly saved for this event by a handler who is prepared to wait for the right opportunity. He goes well fresh and enjoys a right-handed track so is worth supporting as well.

The handicap won by Poker School at this track over Christmas has worked out extremely well and MAX WARD (Best price 5-1) was in the process of running a solid race before he crashed out three fences from home. He has since posted a sound enough effort at Newbury where I was just left with the impression that the deep ground found him out a little. A return to today’s track on a faster surface should help and he is narrowly preferred to Romain De Senam who was balloted out of his intended engagement at Cheltenham and will also love the track and ground.

The booking of Richard Johnson, fresh from a successful week at Cheltenham, for BROUGHTONS RHYTHM (Best price 9-2) catches the eye and the prospect of better ground should suit. The selection was a slight disappointment on heavy ground at the Potteries track last time, but had previously shaped with some promise in some warm races and could be ready to deliver. Graasten was outclassed in a fiercely competitive Ascot handicap last time and looks a strong contender back in this grade.

A handicap which wouldn’t have looked out of place at Cheltenham and CROSSPARK (Best price 15-2) is a tentative choice to win a fascinating event. The return to three miles should suit the selection who stayed on strongly to score in style at Leicester and his run here before Christmas behind Pobbles Bay looks quality form given the subsequent performances of others. Pougne Bobbi is a huge threat as this trip will suit him a good deal better than at Sandown last time, while American could prove the class act in time and he missed the Festival as the ground was too quick.

The first time cheekpieces could be the catalyst to a better showing from SKY KHAN (Best price 20-1) who was good enough to be placed at Cheltenham last term yet has side-stepped the Festival this year. The selection has markedly dropped in the handicap following some subdued efforts, but a break should have refreshed him and he could be the answer to a tricky race at a big price. Harry Fry hit the woodwork a number of times at Cheltenham but Dashing Oscar looks an interesting proposition with conditions likely to suit and could be worth a saver for those inclined to bet two in the race.

The David Pipe operation have found the Betfred Midlands Grand National a happy hunting ground in the past and GEVREY CHAMBERTIN (Best price 16-1) could enhance their handsome strike rate today. It almost seems a lifetime ago when the grey was being lined up and sent off favourite at the Festival to win one of the early runnings of the conditional jockey’s handicap hurdle run in the name of David’s father Martin. While there have been one or two wins along the way since, most of the nine-year-old’s career has been a shade underwhelming, but there were signs he was in good heart at Newcastle in the Eider Chase before he jettisoned Tom Scudamore from the saddle when still going well. That display came hot on the hooves of a positive display at Kempton and, although the selection was seemingly a disappointment at Haydock on his previous start, the time of the race won by Bristol De Mai suggests is was the best handicap chase run all season.

Read Sam Turner's tips in the Daily Mail every day or at www.dailymail.co.uk/racing