ITV will be covering action from Cheltenham’s Festival Trails Day and Doncaster’s Great Yorkshire Chase Day on Saturday with a total of eight races including five Grade 2’s, two Premier Handicaps and a Cross Country Chase.
- 12:55 Doncaster: Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places River Don Novices’ Hurdle – The Price Of Peace @ 7/1
- 1:15 Cheltenham: Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase – Uncle Bert @ 11/1
- 1:30 Doncaster: Virgin Bet A Good Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle – Feet Of A Dancer @ 9/4
- 1:50 Cheltenham: Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase – Favori De Champdou @ 10/1
- 2:05 Doncaster: Virgin Bet Great Yorkshire Chase – Docpickedme @ 6/1
- 2:25 Cheltenham: Betfair Cotswold Chase – Grey Dawning @ 8/13
- 3:00 Cheltenham: Unibet Hurdle – Sir Gino @ 4/11
- 3:35 Cheltenham: Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle – Impose Toi @ 6/5
The opening live race on Saturday comes from Doncaster with an open looking River Don Novices’ Hurdle. Favouritism could be between Dans Skelton’s Carlenrig, who won the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, and the horse that beat him the previous month, Rocking Man for Sam Thomas. Our pick for an each-way bet is The Price Of Peace for Rebecca Curtis who won with plenty in hand at short odds at Chepstow in December.
The Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase has the Festival Plate Handicap Chase winner Jagwar at the top of the market, but we are backing Uncle Bert for Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies to put his Welsh Grand National fall behind him and get in the places at least here.
Paul Nolan’s Feet Of A Dancer found Gordon Elliott’s Mares’ Hurdle prospect Wodhooh too good at Leopardstown over Christmas but won’t be facing the same quality in Doncaster’s Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle and is a worthy favourite for this Grade 2.
Gavin Cromwell’s Final Orders and Emmet Mullins’ J’Arrive De L’Est were first and second respectively in the December Cross Country Chase and are weighted to finish closely in this race, with markets favouring the Mullins runner, who is three years younger, to come out on top. Gordon Elliott has a fantastic record in these contests, so we are opting for Favori De Champdou to go close here despite carrying top weight.
The £100k Great Yorkshire Chase is the next live race on our screens, with Richard Hobson’s Docpickedme looking to become just the second horse to defend their crown. The only horse to do so was Ziga Boy in 2017.
Just four runners are set to go to post in the Costwold Chase with Betfair Chase winner Grey Dawning the odds-on favourite for Dan Skelton. L’Homme Presse for Venetia Williams was victorious in this race last year and can’t be ruled out. Spillane’s Tower hasn’t quite reached the hights of two seasons ago but is a Grade 1 winner as a novice. Two-time Stayers’ Hurdle winner Flooring Porter completes the lineup.
Nicky Henderson’s Sir Gino continues his Champion Hurdle preparation in the Unibet Hurdle and is expected to win but it would be no surprise to see The New Lion, who fell in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle when second favourite to Constitution Hill, make this an interesting matchup.
Nicky Henderson again has the favourite in the Cleeve Hurdle with Impose Toi who should confirm placings with Olly Murphy’s Strong Leader for a third race in a row.