Betfred Saturday Horse Racing Tips: Matt’s best bets includes National nod

There's a good blend of flat and jumps racing on offer this weekend, but my focus is on the action at Ayr, where Willie Mullins sends a battalion in his quest to be Champion Trainer on these shores.

With plentiful entries too from Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton, who are also in the hunt, it means big fields to sift through north of the border, which in turn means plenty of value about my Betfred Saturday horse racing tips.

13:15 Ayr - Sans Bruit @ 3/1

Just six go to post for the opener and the 'big three' are all represented.

Uncle Phil heads over for Mullins and he came of age as a chaser when taking the Dan Moore Memorial at Fairyhouse in January. We haven’t seen him since though and the British handicapper has taken no chances, raising him 11lbs.

This is the easiest task Pembroke has faced for a while and all his chase wins have come in small fields (one was a walkover) so he has a chance.

But this looks one for Paul Nicholls' impressive Aintree winner SANS BRUIT.

That was just his second start over the bigger obstacles for the yard and he dominated from the front in a competitive Red Rum chase. The six-year-old been raised 10lbs, but he looks open to more improvement and could take some pegging back around here.

13:50 Ayr - Marble Sands e/w (4 places) @ 17/2

This is a wide-open contest.

Montgomery is on a four-timer for Venetia Williams and drying ground won't be an issue for the seven-year-old, but his tendency to jump right at Bangor last time might and he has a higher mark to defy.

Inch House could easily bounce back on better ground and his New Year's Day second at Cheltenham reads very well in the context of this race.

Willie Mullins sends over four-time Matheson Hurdle winner Sharjah, but he is not as good a chaser and has a big weight to defy.

A small each-way interest is advised on MARBLE SANDS.

He won here in November over two miles and then found Graded company difficult. He landed a second Scottish contest in February when winning at Musselburgh and despite a career-high mark he's always been highly-regarded and had a spin on the flat six weeks ago to aid his fitness.

14:25 Ayr - L'Eau Du Sud @ 10/3

What a brilliant and competitive renewal of the Scottish Champion Hurdle.

Paul Nicholls has two live candidates in Rubaud, last year’s winner who hated the heavy ground at Wincanton in the Kingwell and has bumped heads with the best hurdlers around this season, and Afadil, who has run well at Cheltenham and Aintree this spring and enjoys the Scottish air himself with two wins recorded at Musselburgh.

Mullins has three, with Paul Townend selecting Bialystok who has a clear chance if putting his best foot forward on his novice form this season. He is the jockey's chosen mount ahead of Westport Cove and Alvaniy.

The novice Favour And Fortune is handily-weighted on his second at Aintree on Boxing Day, but he never jumped with fluency when well-held in the Supreme.

However, it is folly to oppose the Skelton's in handicap hurdles, as they once again have proved at Cheltenham and Aintree this spring.

L’EAU DU SUD went so close to handing them another big success in the County Hurdle, just to be run down by the well-treated Absurde on the run-in with the rest well beaten.

He filled the same spot in the Betfair Hurdle behind Iberico Lord who subsequently ran in the Champion Hurdle. He deserves a big prize on these efforts, and he will have been primed by the team who have a knack of getting the job done in these contests.

15:00 Ayr - Ottizzini @ 10/1

Another wide-open race on the card - this staying handicap for the mares sees the three big yards once again all represented.

Nicholls relies on Wincanton winner Larchmont Lass who has a low weight and ran well when fourth in a rich Newbury handicap last time.

Dan Skelton saddles the outsider Presenting Nelly but has a clearer chance with the lightly-raced Coco Mademoiselle. She was pulled up on her only start over three miles but connections give it another whirl on her handicap debut.

Mullins meanwhile has three to saddle. Top-weight Saylavee, Pink in the Park ridden by his son Patrick and the likely favourite A Penny A Hundred who has bumped into some of the best novice mares in Ireland this season and steps up to this trip for the first time.

Phillipa Sue is a quirky mare who could run well, but this prize may still head to Ireland courtesy of OTTIZZINI.

She was an impressive winner at Musselburgh on Scottish Trials Day before going close in atrocious ground at Doncaster last month. That form worked out okay with the winner not disgraced at Aintree and she has been surprisingly dropped 2lbs.

She has proved she stays well, is ground versatile and looks well worth following at a big price to at least hit the frame.

15:35 Ayr - Inis Oirr @ 11/1 & Autonomous Cloud @ 20/1

The Scottish Grand National features 26 staying chasers heading to post for this big prize.

Willie Mullins saddles six in his quest for valuable prize money, including Macdermott who was a very easy winner at Fairyhouse on April Fool’s Day. That was his first victory at the fifth attempt over fences on his first attempt at three miles and the extreme distance could unlock more.

Paul Townend is on Spanish Harlem who is yet to score for the yard in seven attempts, but steps massively up in trip for this test and is respected. Mullins is also responsible for early Grand National casualty Mr Incredible, who got as far as The Chair last Saturday. He is closely matched with Beauport on their Midlands Grand National form and is another with good claims.

Dan Skelton relies on Ballygriffincottage. He has been largely disappointing this season but did show more sparkle at Sandown last time out and could still be a nicely-handicapped horse on his chase debut form.

Paul Nicholls has few peers in this race. He first won it in 1997 and went back-to-back with Vicente in 2016 & 2017. He saddles top-weight Stay Away Fay who was pulled up at Cheltenham, but he has a clear chance on his Cotswold Chase third and looks very likely to stay this trip. He also has the unpredictable Broken Halo under Bryony Frost as a viable second string.

Anglers Crag is unbeaten since joining Brian Ellison and won the Eider in February, form that was franked when fifth-placed Cruz Control won decisively at Aintree and he is respected.

I will have two selections in this huge field.

Lucinda Russell and Derek Fox were badly out of luck last Saturday when Corach Rambler came to grief at the first in his quest for a second Grand National. However, his stable companion INIS OIRR can claim a second ‘National’ this season in Scotland having already landed the Edinburgh edition in February.

I say ‘landed’, he won by 21 lengths, galloping strongly through the line. That proved he stayed the trip well; in fact he could have gone round again. The big question is the extra stone he has to carry, but it wouldn’t have stopped him at Musselburgh and he is only a seven-year-old having just his sixth chase start.

Going back to the Midlands Grand National form, I have always fancied AUTONOMOUS CLOUD for a big staying prize.

He was seven lengths back in fourth at Uttoxeter and didn't run his race when favourite for the Welsh National. His recent runs have all been in deep ground, but he has shown an aptitude for a better surface previously.

At around 20/1 with extra places available, I think he is well worth an each-way interest under Jonathan Burke, who rode a trio of winners at Cheltenham this week.