Betfred Saturday Horse Racing Tips: Bellas Bridge to shine at Sandown

A mix of jumps and all-weather action on Saturday with one final chance to boost the betting bank ahead of next week's Cheltenham Festival.

The traditional Saturday before the Festival features the Imperial Cup and one of my favourite races, the EBF final from Sandown, while Wolverhampton signifies the turf flat season is nigh with the competitive Lincoln Trial to solve.

13:50 Sandown - High Treason @ 20/1

One of my favourite races of the year is the EBF Final at Sandown on the eve of Cheltenham.

It was won last year by Stayers Hurdle hope Crambo and usually goes to an embryonic chaser.

Hasthing will likely carry the favourites tag despite being below par at Newbury a month ago. That was over two miles and his previous wins were over this trip and he looks well treated on this Aintree bumper third. He has already beaten the opposing Pic Roc and is 10lb better off with him.

Fire Flyer provided connections with an emotional success at Taunton last month, and trainer Paul Nicholls has won three of the last nine renewals, but he has a welter burden of 12 stone to carry.

There are three other hat-trick seekers in the contest, Westerninthepark, Awaythelad and Asta La Pasta who will all warrant consideration.

With the extra places on offer here, I will take chance at a decent price on HIGH TREASON. He is interesting for connections who won this race with Beauport at a big price in 2021. He shed the maiden tag last time at Fontwell last time despite still being green and will no doubt continue to improve.

14:25 Sandown - Jipcot @ 5/1

Another cracking punters puzzle to solve in the Imperial Cup at around 6/1 the field for the sixteen runners.

Ben Pauling has a strong hand courtesy of Bad, who has run some solid races in defeat on these shores, and JIPCOT, an easy winner at Huntingdon last Sunday.

The latter gets the vote as he is a horse I have always had in the tracker. He made his debut for the yard in last year’s Triumph Hurdle and then ran at Aintree in the big juvenile contest.

He started this season chasing but that didn’t work out and a change of tactics to being held up saw him saunter to success last weekend in a decent little contest. He has a seven pound penalty but the handicapper will want to burden him with more in the future, so he looks well in here. Conditions will hold no fears for him and he looks sure to be involved.

Making Headway is a novice doing just that for the Greenall/Guerreiro team and I was lucky enough to see him last week at the yard. He has Cheltenham entries too so he could be looking for a quick double.

Dan Skelton is always feared in these races and he saddles Ascot winner Knickerbockerglory and last year's County Hurdle hero Favoir.

Paul Nicholls runs an interesting French recruit in Sans Bruit, watch him for market confidence.

14:40 Wolverhampton - Mums Tipple @ 11/2

The Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes has a decent roll of honour including the reappearing MUMS TIPPLE who won the race in 2021, and he can regain his crown.

His form tailed off last season but was a huge eye-catcher at Lingfield on his return over six furlongs at Lingfield when repeatedly denied a clear run and Hollie Doyle takes over in the plate. He is second-best in on the numbers and with previous here can get back to winning ways.

The others to choose from include a short priced dual Group 1 placed runner, or a progressive five-timer seeking all-weather race fit specialist?

The former tag belongs to Shouldvebeenaring. Runner-up in the Haydock Sprint Cup and third in the Prix De Le Foret who has been absent five months since. This is the racing equivalent though of can he do it on a cold wet Tuesday night in Stoke, but instead is the all-weather at Wolves on a Saturday afternoon. Will he roll his sleeves up and get dirty? He has won on the all-weather and once at this trip, but his best form is on turf over shorter.

The rapidly progressive Doctor Khan Junior is two form two over course and distance and was impressive last time out. It looks the right race for him but he has to improve again on the book.

15:00 Sandown - Bellas Bridge @ 10/1

The Listed Mares bumper looks a very tough contest to decipher with rules debutant Honk Tonk Highway the current market leader for the Skeltons.

She won a four finisher Irish point-to-point quite readily on debut and is in the ‘could be anything’ category. Watch the market for further confidence.

Just Call Me Lucy is well regarded by connections and won by 17 lengths when last seen at Carlisle, while Magical Annie could make it a good day for the Pauling team. She won on debut and was sent off favourite for a similar contest at Doncaster in October. She was well beaten that day but we haven’t seen her since, suggesting she had an issue and is considered.

I will play BELLAS BRIDGE for Jamie Snowden. She too is a winning three-mile pointer who won cosily at Ludlow early in January on the back of a wind op. She was sent off favourite on her rules debut, and at a double-figure price, I can’t let her go unbacked each way.

15:15 Wolverhampton - Sir Busker @ 17/2

A wide open Lincoln Trial (which incidentally is nothing like a trial for the real thing, around two bends on the synthetics over an extra half-furlong) looks a tricky puzzle to solve.

Lots of eyes will be on the John Murtagh-trained Irish runner Final Voyage with William Buick booked. He was victorious at Dundalk a fortnight ago and comes here in good form, as does the hat-trick seeking King’s Code.

Smoky Mountain has only once finished out of the frame in eight starts and has the inside stall for an in form yard, but I can’t resist a play on the old boy SIR BUSKER.

His days of Group 1 efforts maybe behind him but he still proved at Southwell the fire burns bright when he ran a close fourth to Riyadh Runner-up Enemy and subsequent Winter Derby winner Military Order. The five pound claim from his excellent young jockey makes him an attractively handicapped proposition and although his recent form has been over further, I expect they will go a good clip for this contest.

Kingdom Come is another to note but his good recent form has been over shorter and although he was flying home at Lingfield last time, there is a question over the extra trip.

15:35 Sandown - Golden Sun @ 3/1

The one and only chase on ITV this Saturday and it can go to GOLDEN SUN for the Nicholls/Cobden combo.

A debut second to Turners bound Iroko was a very promising effort, so it was disappointing to see him pulled up on his next two starts, albeit in fair company.

He was given a couple of months off and found plenty for pressure to win at Kempton a fortnight ago, beating subsequent Greatwood Gold Cup winner Heltenham by half a length, with some progressive rivals a little further back.

A three pound rise is far from excessive and he looks open to more improvement than his rivals.

They do include plenty of in-form horses. Hat-trick seeking Kotmask won well over two miles at Sandown in January, but has another rise to overcome for his victory over Scarface four weeks ago at Plumpton, while Invincible Nao and Terresita are also last time out winners to consider.

Find more Horse Racing Tips here at Betfred Insights.