Saturday Horse Racing Tips, Best Bets from our Experts & Key Races to Follow

Steve Ryder runs through the key races on 22nd February and names his best bets for the day.

There is jumps racing at Kempton, Chepstow, Newcastle and Fairyhouse on Saturday 22nd February while Southwell and Chelmsford stage all-weather meetings.

Today’s Best Bets from Steve Ryder 

With an official rating of 149, RUBAUD (best priced at 11/8) looks to hold strong claims of proving Paul Nicholls with a record extending fourteenth victory in the Grade 2 Pendil Novices’ Chase. The seven-year-old won a Group 2 and two listed races over hurdles at the track including on his reappearance this season.

Tasked with facing the likes of Sir Gino, Ballyburn and L’Eau Du Sud on his first two chase starts, this looks a much easier race for Rubaud to get off the mark over fences if coping with the step up in trip to 2m4½f for the first time.

1:50 Kempton- Rubaud 11/8 (1pt)

ROYAL CHAMPION (best priced at 11/8) won on his stable debut for Karl Burke at Lingfield in the listed Quebec Stakes and he should be able to follow up in the Group 3 Winter Derby. The seven-year-old was a dual listed winner for Roger Varian and looked to relish his first start on the AW last time on his first start for Karl Burke.

The form of that victory has been boosted since with the runner-up Tyrrhenian Sea, who he beat by 1 ¾ lengths, upsetting Maljoom by 2 ¾ lengths at the same track on his next start. Conceding only 1lb to Military Academy, Royal Champion should prove hard to beat.

3:15 Southwell- Royal Champion 11/8 (1pt)

This race looks less competitive than the numbers suggest and I expect HYLAND (best priced at 4/1) to justify favouritism. The Nicky Henderson trained eight-year-old had looked a relatively moderate hurdler but has taken his form to a new level over fences this winter. He beat Transmission by 15 lengths at Cheltenham in October before beating both Resplendent Grey and Springwell Bay in November in listed novice chase at Cheltenham.

Hyland was then tried in Grade 1 company when 2nd behind The Jukebox Man in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Christmas when he finished 16 lengths clear of the solid yardstick Masaccio in third. A mark of 147 could still underestimate him and he should prove hard to beat with conditions in his favour.

3:35 Kempton- Hyland 4/1 (1pt)

Lightly raced six-year-old GLEN BUCK (best priced at 6/4) is clearly fragile but he has a good strike rate when he makes it onto the track. Victorious on his first two career starts, he was entitled to need his first run for 656 days when 3rd at Wolverhampton on his handicap debut in November.

The Roger Varian trained gelding stepped forward from that effort to win over 1m3f here on his next start beating Old Harrovian who less than a length. That rival has since boosted the form winning at Newcastle in impressive style on his next start and is now rated 12lbs higher.

Glen Buck therefore looks well handicapped off only a 6lb higher mark and he can make it 4/5 in his career.

3:50 Southwell- Glen Buck 6/4 (1pt)

The Ben Haslam trained HORN CAPE (best priced at 15/2) was dropped 2lbs for his latest run at Kelso which means he can contest this 0-130 handicap off top weight. The eight-year-old has a superb record at Newcastle with form figures of 1121 at the track including a victory in this race last season.

Horn Cape won over this course and distance in April by 2 ½ lengths off a mark of 124 before finishing a head 2nd at Hexham on his final start of the season off a mark of 130. He was well beaten on his reappearance but connections will have no doubt highlighted a race at Newcastle as his target and he looks overpriced to repeat his success in it last year.

3:55 Newcastle- Horn Cape 15/2 (0.5pt ew)