Saturday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

Autumn Festival is respected in his bid for a six-timer but he looks vulnerable off a 3lb higher mark following a 180 day break and preference instead goes to last year’s winner Gweedore (best priced at 13/2). The Katie Scott trained six-year-old won this race on his reappearance last season off a mark of 83 before finishing a short head 2nd over the same course and distance off the same mark in June. He went on to finish 2nd again over this course and distance in August off a mark of 88 before finishing a length behind Autumn Festival in October over this course and distance off a mark of 90.

The handicapper has left Gweedore off a mark of 90 which means he has a 3lb swing in the weights with Autumn Festival but the booking of Billy Loughnane is a huge positive for the selection in this race. Bookmakers are offering four places on the race and I expect him to hold strong claims of repeating his victory from last year.

The Philip Hobbs & Johnson White trained Iberio (best priced at 10/3) was a winning selection for the column nine days ago and the top weight should hold strong claims off a 6lb higher mark. The six-year-old has form figures of 121 in handicaps on soft or heavy ground including when bolting up by 20 lengths last time at Taunton on heavy ground.

The handicapper has raised him 6lbs for that success which seems lenient based on his previous form and he also drops in class from a Class 3 0-125 handicap into a Class 4 0-115 handicap in this race. Ramo, Barrier Peaks and Carlow Farmer all arrive into this race in good form but I feel Iberio is the most likely winner if able to reproduce his form from nine days ago.

It seems a long time since Cornerstone Lad (best priced at 6/1) beat Buveur D’Air in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in 2019 but he looks worth taking a chance on now that he has dropped into a 0-130 handicap for the first time. The Micky Hammond trained nine-year-old is only 1-12 over fences in his career but he does come into this race having finished 2nd at Haydock last month off a mark of 134.

Cornerstone Lad eventually finished 6 ½ lengths behind Grey Diamond that day but he finished in front of the in-form favourite One Fine Man so the form looks strong. The handicapper has dropped him 2lbs for that run which seems extremely generous and I am willing to take a chance on him off top weight in this race.