Steve Ryder Saturday Racing Tips

The Paddy Power Gold Cup is always an extremely competitive handicap but I feel ZANZA (best priced at 10-1) is the one to be with on his first start over 2m4f. Despite having form figures of FP on his previous two starts at Cheltenham he has actually been really unlucky in both of those. He was travelling best of all in a competitive 2 mile handicap chase won by Sky Pirate in December when falling at the third last fence and was still in contention when brought to a stop in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival in March. Zanza was once again unlucky at Aintree on his next start when badly hampered by a faller 3 out with the jockey losing both of his irons before staying on to finish a never nearer 6th.

Zanza made a fantastic reappearance in the Haldon Gold Cup when running 4lb out of the handicap where he stayed on well over 2m1f to finish only four lengths behind the winner Eldorado Allen and Hitman. The handicapper has raised him 4lb for that effort up to a mark of 148 meaning he runs here 4lb “well in” off a mark of 144 and he should be suited by this step up in trip for the first time. Bookmakers are offering up to seven places in this race so even if his stamina gives out up the hill, I expect him to finish in the frame.

The booking of Hollie Doyle on the Mike Murphy trained CLARAKHANI (best priced at 50-1) really catches the eye and I feel she is worth taking a chance on at a wild price. The daughter of Territories has shown very little in her career so far to justify her 48,000gns price tag but a better performance can be expected upped up to 2 miles for the first time and with first time headgear (blinkers) fitted.

Hollie Doyle is 3/16 for the Mike Murphy yard which actually results in a +33pt profit to a 1pt level stake following 18/1, 16/1 and 12/1 winners so it looks a notable jockey booking. This isn’t the strongest 0-60 handicap that you will ever see and a chance is taken on the three-year-old filly to spring a surprise.

Dan and Harry Skelton will be hoping for better luck than yesterday and I feel they should get a well deserved win from PROSCHEMA (best priced at 11-4) in this race. He was an impressive 6 ½ length winner on the new course here in April before following up that success at Aintree staying on well to beat Sebastopol by a neck over 2m4f.

Proschema looked outpaced over 2m3f at Chepstow on his reappearance in the Silver Trophy and put in a career best performance last time when 2nd at Wetherby in the Grade 2 West Yorkshire Hurdle on his first attempt over 3 miles. He split former Cheltenham Festival winners Indefatigable and Paisley Park that day with the likes of Thomas Darby and Master Tommytucker further back in the field. The handicapper has raised Proschema 3lb up to a mark of 145 for this race which seems very fair and I expect him to prove hard to beat.