ITV Racing Tips: Saturday Double for Cheltenham Trials Day

Love Envoi and Rubaud have the advantage of fitness and are genuine solid performers, but this race should be run to suit last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner LOSSIEMOUTH (best price 10/11), who can register a third win at the highest level and a second course-and-distance win here.

The fact that Willie has picked this five-year-old ahead of the stable's other runners to make her return this weekend instead of staying on home soil is indeed interesting. Last season’s leading juvenile hurdler beat stablemate Gala Marceau three times, and the latter has two Grade 1 wins to her name and was last seen claiming a high-quality Grade 1 race in France.

Neither Rubaud nor Love Envoi have succeeded at the highest level, yet this mare has already registered two, and Paul Townend comes over to Cheltenham this weekend to ride. His mount is a class act who will love the set-up of the race, along with the conditions. I’m confident she has the attributes to beat these before heading into the Festival in March as a leading player.

Emma Lavelle’s PAISLEY PARK (best price 11/4) has looked as good as ever in his two narrow defeats this season and is strongly fancied to confirm his superiority over a few of his old foes by claiming a fourth win in this contest.

This brilliant stayer only just failed to reel in and concede 6Ib to the determined Dashel Drasher in the Long Distance Hurdle on his return at Newbury when a short head second, before comprehensively reversing that form on equal terms in the Long Walk Hurdle last time out.

The way he travelled and battled to force the younger legs of Crambo to pull out all the stops was impressive, and he had the re-opposing Dashel Drasher and Champ in behind. The conditions will suit him this weekend, and he’s already developed a good partnership with Tom Bellamy.

Noble Yeats could run well, but I wasn’t impressed with the way he finished off his race in a much weaker race, and I just can’t see past the three-time winner and former Stayers’ Hurdle winner, who has an excellent chance to raise the roof here in what could be his final appearance in this race.

Extra ITV Racing Tips

The Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase looks like a good race to tackle from a betting point of view. I am very sweet on the chances of two runners who ran really well in last season’s Ryanair Chase.

The first one is GA LAW (best price 9/1), who won the Paddy Power Gold Cup here last year, albeit off an 8Ib lower mark, and caught the eye last time out when a staying-on seventh in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, which was a big step forward from his reappearance.

I am surprised his connections persevered with him over, even though he looked set to go close in the SkyBet Chase until he came to grief at the final fence when holding every chance. The cheekpieces worn last time are retained, and I think a mark of 150 back over a shorter, favourable distance is workable.

The race will be run to suit, he will relish the drying ground, and we know he likes the course having beaten II Ridoto in that Paddy Power last year. I really like this horse, who should be coming to the boil after a couple of spins so far this season, and, at the odds, with firms paying four places, he is an each-way steal to at least make the frame.

I was toying with also putting up Excello in the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase; given an opening mark of 144 looks fair, but with Ga Law on side, I also want Paul Nicholls HITMAN (best price 15/2) who has the assistance of the excellent Freddie Gingell.

This eight-year-old has been poor the last two times, but his only previous start here saw him finish two places in front of Jamie Snowden’s runner when third in the Ryanair Chase. I was really impressed with how he travelled and jumped, and he was only a whisker behind Shishkin at the finish.

That is the best form on offer, and he will strip fitter from his comeback run at Aintree. He has undergone a breathing operation since, and Freddie can claim a valuable 5Ib, which is really essential. He has the best piece of course form, so while he needs to be forgiven for his latest disappointment, he should prove a different proposition this time around.

I know he was behind Jetoile last time, but if he can return to the form he produced here last March, I’m confident he will run a huge race. I much prefer to back him than stablemate II Ridoto, who, in my opinion, isn’t as good as the two selections. Most firms are offering a generous four places as well.

Jonbon is going to be hard in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase, but I am keen on backing ELIXIR DE NUTZ in the w/o Jonbon at a best price of 7/2 and also as an each-way single at 16/1, because there’s no way he should be such a big price given how well he’s done this term.

The ten-year-old, a former Grade 1 winner, has been in cracking form this season, winning the Grade 2 Haldon Gold Cup back in November before following up at Newbury under a big weight last month. Coincidentally, both those wins were gained under today’s rider, and the pair are reunited for this Grade 1 contest.

He didn’t jump as well as he could when third in the Desert Orchid Chase last time, but was still only beaten three lengths, and I am optimistic about him reversing that form with the winner, Editeur Du Gite. The reasoning is because I believe Freddie is the man for the job on his horse in particular, as he can get this horse into a superb rhythm, which has resulted in two wins together this season.

It is likely impossible to beat Nicky Henderson’s charge, but anything can happen, and this ten-year-old will be ridden positively. He has two historical wins at this course, and his rating and form do put him right in contention to at least finish second, so he’s worth the bet in the two advised markets. After all, he provided us with a memorable day in December.

Willie Mullins has won this race twice in the past, and he has deployed both Ashroe Diamond and GALA MARCEAU (best price 2/1), with preference for the latter, who is fancied to make a winning return and beat her stablemate under Danny Mullins.

I am surprised she isn’t the favourite, as she’s a dual Grade 1 winner who has the best form over two miles over hurdles. She is the only horse to have beaten Lossiemouth to date, which is the best form in the field, and given the price differential between herself and the favourite, she is the value.