Horse Racing Tips: Take a Tour in the opening trial

Jump racing holds sway in the UK and Ireland on Saturday, with four of the six meetings taking place across the afternoon and into the evening providing action over obstacles. 

Among our Saturday selections is a seven-year-old handicap chaser representing Lucinda Russell at Cheltenham. 

12:40 Cheltenham - Whistle Stop Tour (each-way) @ 12/1

WHISTLE STOP TOUR should be considered one of the best each-way bets of the day when he contests the eight-runner Class 2 extended 2m4f Novices' Handicap Chase that opens Cheltenham's Trials Day card on Saturday afternoon, representing Lucinda Russell. 

Russell went 6-35 (17%) with her runners in the 14 days leading up to Friday, and Patrick Wadge, who is 26-126 (21%) when riding over fences for the yard, takes over from Derek Fox in the saddle.  

The ground is likely to be a mixture of soft and good to soft which could suit the selection, who won an Irish point on testing ground in March 2023 and was successful on two of his six starts over hurdles last season. 

The seven-year-old finished a respectable third of five, on good ground, on his debut over regulation fences at Ayr - a run which was also his first start of the new season in November. 

The Saddex gelding improved from that initial experience to win well over an extended 2m7f on soft ground at Kelso in December and he followed up from a 6lb higher rating over 3m on soft ground at Ayr three weeks ago. 

He is just the type of progressive chaser to excel in this sort of contest and he is taken to complete the hat-trick from a 7lb higher mark of 137.  

Racing Post Ratings (RPRs) allocated a figure of 142 for that latest pushed-out success, and the drop back in trip on testing ground is considered a plus, if anything, when contesting a chase over fences on Cheltenham's New Course.

13:50 Cheltenham - Ginny's Destiny @ 5/2 

Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden combine through GINNY'S DESTINY in the 11-runner extended 2m4f Premier Handicap Chase from Cheltenham, and the nine-year-old is considered capable of outclassing his opposition from the head of the handicap. 

The selection is 3-6 on this course, 4-8 on a combination of good to soft and soft ground and 4-12 over this trip. 

From a mark of 152, he is only 5lb higher than when winning over this course and distance last January, and he went on to finish a relatively close second to the now 164-rated Grey Dawning in the Grade 1 Turners Novices' Chase at the festival in March. 

The Yeats gelding pulled up on his reappearance in the big handicap chase at the November meeting on good ground, but he took a big stride back in the right direction when third in Huntingdon's Grade 2 Peterborough Chase last month.

Super Extra Places Race - We are paying four places instead of three at 1/5 odds

16:10 Cheltenham - Potters Charm @ 5/6

The final selection is POTTERS CHARM, who is representing Nigel Twiston-Davies in the seven-runner Grade 2 extended 2m4f Novices' Hurdle. 

The six-year-old has won his last five races, including his first four starts over hurdles from 2m1f to 2m5f since the end of September, while he is ground-versatile and is 2-2 on this course. 

Despite a 5lb penalty, he comes out clear top on the book, as well as on RPRs, on these favourable terms. 

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