Steve Ryder's Saturday Racing Tips

This looks like a competitive 7f handicap but proven form over this course and distance on soft ground should mean that both Tomfre (best priced at 5/1) and Orbaan (best priced at 8/1) are both involved in the finish with up to six places available. 

The Ralph Beckett trained Tomfre won twice over this course and distance last season on soft and heavy ground including in this race off a mark of 101. The four-year-old is yet to win this season but has finished 2nd three times and has now dropped down to a mark of 102 for this race. Rob Hornby knows the horse well and he should run well off only 1lb than his victory last year. 

The second selection is Orbaan who despite not winning on either of his starts at Doncaster brings some good recent form into the race. The six-year-old finished a close 5th in the Lincoln handicap over a mile here on his reappearance off a mark of 102 before finishing a close 2nd over this course and distance last time on soft ground. That 2nd came off a mark of 94 so he is clearly well handicapped on old form and should really suit the riding style of Jamie Spencer in this race. 

The nine-year-old Calipso Collonges (best priced at 4/1) ended last season with a close 4th in a Grade 3 Handicap Chase at Aintree and he should hold strong claims down in grade off 1lb lower. He has had a wind operation since his last run and the Olly Murphy stable are also in much better form this season with the yard currently operating at a 38% strike rate in the last two weeks. 

Calipso Collonges drops back down into a Class 3 handicap off a mark of 127 with the cheekpieces retained and I feel he should prove hard to beat following a wind operation.  

The Jamie Snowden trained Hogan’s Height (best priced at 15/2) put in one of the most impressive performances over Grand National fences when he won this race by 16 lengths in 2019. He was targeted at the Grand National that year but it was cancelled because of coronavirus so the following season connections decided to take an unorthodox route to the race. He ran well in the race to finish 12th but didn’t stay the trip and winning this race again has been the target since. 

Hogan’s Height always needs his reappearance run so you can forgive his latest hurdles run at Newton Abbott and that should put him spot on for this race. He won this race in 2019 off a mark of 134 and he is now only rated 4lb higher (has been dropped 8lb for his run in the Grand National) so he should run well with five places on offer. 

The majority of this field are having their first runs of the season and despite having to take fitness on trust,  I will take a chance on the Sue Gardner trained Emmpressive Lady (best priced at 8/1) in this. She won a novice hurdle at Exeter in November last year before winning a mares’ handicap hurdle on Sandown on her next start off a mark of 115. Her 2nd behind Molly Ollys Wishes at Kempton on her next start now looks strong form following that rival’s win in a listed race last weekend and she now races here off only a 2lb higher mark. 

The handicapper has dropped Emmpressive Lady 2lb for a below par effort at Haydock in April which means she runs here off a mark of 122 and that should mean she runs well with four places on offer. 

The seven-year-old Ofalltheginjoints (best priced at 10/1) looked as if he was going to make up into a Graded novice chaser last season when he defeated St Barts at Exeter but like many of Colin Tizzard’s horses last season he completely lost his form approaching Christmas. He showed more life at Aintree when 5th behind Happygolucky in a Grade 3 Handicap Chase off a mark of 141 and now looks well handicapped now off a mark of 137. 

Brendan Powell has been getting the pick of the Colin Tizzard horses so far this season and has had some successes this season on the likes of Eldorado Allen and Fiddlerontheroof. He looks to have opted to ride Ofalltheginjoints over Storm Home who has better recent form and that that looks a huge positive. Connections fit the gelding with first time blinkers and he should run well with five places on offer. 

The ground looks to be the crucial factor in this Grade 2 Elite Hurdle and I feel it will make last year’s winner Sceau Royal (best priced at 11/8) extremely hard to beat. Goshen is the unknown quantity in this race and if he repeats his Kingwell Hurdle form then he will win this but all of his best performances have come on soft and heavy ground. 

However, Sceau Royal much prefers better ground as he showed when winning this race by 7 ½ lengths last season. He returned with an impressive victory against Silver Streak at Kempton and despite having to concede weight to most of the field, I feel Sceau Royal should prove hard to beat.