Saturday Horse Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

Not many of the eleven remaining runners in the Eider Chase this year will relish the 4m1½f trip on heavy ground but one who will is FLOWER OF SCOTLAND (best priced at 11/2) who should relish this test. The Sandy Thomson stable have been in great form recently with four winners from their last eight runners and this nine-year-old is unexposed at marathon trips.

Flower Of Scotland won the Borders National last year by six lengths off a mark of 114 over 4m½f on soft ground before finishing 3rd in the Edinburgh National over 3m7½f on her next start. She can be forgiven her reappearance run over a trip too short at a time that the stable were struggling for form. With bookmakers offering up to five places, she looks sure to run well.  

This looks an open renewal of the Grade 2 Pendil Novices’ Chase and preference goes to BLOW YOUR WAD (best priced at 11/4) following his impressive course and distance on his penultimate start. The Tom Lacey trained six-year-old is 2/2 at Kempton in his career and was trying to concede a stone of weight to Le Patron when 2nd at Sandown earlier this season but is now 17lbs better off with that rival.

Blow Your Wad recorded a good speed figure when victorious by 1 ½ lengths over this course and distance on his penultimate start before finishing 6th behind Ginny’s Destiny at Cheltenham last time. This return to Kempton will suit him better and he is expected to take this step up in class in his stride in first time cheekpieces.

It is easy to see why Vanillier has been well backed for the Grand National after the weights have been published but I feel he will struggle to win this race en route. Preference instead goes to I AM MAXIMUS (best priced at 2/1) who has shown his best form at this track including when winning the Irish Grand National on his final start last season off a mark of 149. He won the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase on his reappearance over 2m4f before chasing finishing behind Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown on his next two starts.

This represents a drop in class and I Am Maximus is expected to win this despite having to concede weight to his other three rivals.