Wednesday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

This looks a competitive 0-125 handicap hurdle but preference goes to MR GREY SKY (best priced at 3-1) who is only 6lbs higher than his impressive victory at Leicester last month. The lightly raced eight-year-old won his first two starts in bumpers before finishing behind the likes of Grade 2 winner Master Debonair, the 143 rated novice chaser Pats Fancy and 128 rated One True King in maiden and novice hurdles.

Mr Grey Sky returned from a 370 day break with respectable reappearance run at Lingfield before getting off the mark over hurdles last time at Leicester. The gelding made all that day under David Bass to win by 4 ¾ lengths off a mark of 113 so a 6lb rise up to a mark of 119 seems very fair. The Kim Bailey yard have started to come back into form with two winners and four places from their previous six runners and I expect him to run well.  

This is a high-quality Veterans’ Handicap Chase but I do feel the favourite BELAMI DES PICTONS (best priced at 15-8) will prove hard to beat. The eleven-year-old is one of the more consistent runners in this field and has run with credit on all three of his starts so far this season. He finished only six lengths behind Snow Leopardess at Bangor on his reappearance before finishing 6th in the Silver Cup at Ascot in December.

Belami Des Pictons returned from a 57-day break to finish 2nd at Exeter last time when only beaten 2 ¾ lengths by course specialist Run To Milan on soft ground. The handicapper has raised him 3lbs for that run but he gets to run here off his previous mark of 134 so he should prove hard to beat with him racing 3lbs “well in”.

The Colin Tizzard trained SLATE HOUSE (best priced at 9-2) has never reproduced the form of his Grade 1 Novice Chase victory at Kempton but he has put in much improved performances in blinkers on his previous two starts. The once 156 rated chaser has dropped down to a mark of 132 and he should be competitive in this 0-130 handicap off top weight.

Slate House finished 2nd behind Killer Clown at Wincanton in first-time blinkers in January before finishing 2nd behind Revels Hill at Taunton on his previous start in the same headgear. He pulled seven lengths clear of the third that day so the handicapper has been kind leaving him on a mark of 132 and I expect him to get back to winning ways in this race with Freddie Gingell claiming 7lbs.