ITV Racing Tips: Time for our Saturday belle to shine once more

A new month dawns and we've got terrific live ITV racing for our entertainment on Saturday, February 1. FIVE contests from Sandown, THREE from Musselburgh, and the small matter of the Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup from Leopardstown.

Graded heats, Listed action, serious handicaps - it's frankly an added pleasure to be involved in generating our ITV racing tips today, such is the quality of the sport on offer. Enjoy!

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

Full ITV menu;

Sandown
13:25 - 2m 4f VirginBet Price Boosts Novices' Handicap Hurdle
14:00 - 1m 7 1/2f VirginBet MoneyBack Handicap Chase
14:35 - 2m 4f VirginBet Scilly Isles' Novices' Chase - Grade 1
15:07 - 2m 7f VirginBet Heroes Handicap Hurdle - Grade 3
15:42 - 3m VirginBet Masters Handicap Chase

Musselburgh
13:42 - 1m 7 1/2f bet365 Scottish Triumph Hurdle - Listed
14:17 - 1m 7 1/2f bet365 Scottish County Hurdle - Handicap
14:50 - 2m 4f bet365 Scottish Champion Chase - Handicap

Leopardstown
15:30 - 3m Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup - Grade 1

Rationale;

13:25 Sandown - De Kingpin @ 9/2

Novice hurdlers, likely heavy ground, that unforgiving Sandown hill - help!

Tough cookies are required on Saturday, and at first glance it might seem odd to select a horse carrying topweight of 12st under such conditions. However - it's hard for me to escape from the conclusion that De Kingpin is the best horse in the race, as evidenced by that rating of 117, and his win at Newbury last time is the best piece of form on offer.

That was 45 days ago, his best effort to date in four starts (also appeared in two PTP contests, nothing out of the ordinary). That it was at Newbury, another proper Grade 1 track, is a factor in my book too.

Rising trainer Ben Pauling calls once again upon regular pilot Ben Jones, and the pair ran very well here in November - useful track familiarisation. Fingers crossed that he can give the weight away.

13:42 Musselburgh - Solar Drive each-way @ 17/2

Juvenile hurdlers clash up north, and I'm on an Irish raider.

Solar Drive is trained by Paul Flynn, and Gavin Brouder is in the plate. This modest flat handicapper has made a good start over hurdles, is quietly progressive, and when last seen at Punchestown in October was a good second.

The third that day has since gone in at the same track and this one has undoubted ability. Let's hope he can nick a place at the very least.

14:00 Sandown - Martator @ 3/1

Another Sandown topweight, looking to get his season back on track after a considerable hiccup last time.

Martator looked imperious in two runs in November, both at Ascot. Two superb wins off 134 then 140; and over £100k pocketed along the way. Then ran ok in a Kempton Grade 2 over the Christmas period before tanking at Ascot back in a handicap a fortnight ago, beaten a mile and with connections offering no insight as to why.

Trainer Venetia Williams will be hoping that whatever went amiss won't be repeated, and the far more positive memory of those earlier successes is hard to ignore.

The eight-year-old gelding has won here before and handles heavy ground. If he's back to his best then defying this mark of 150 would be feasible, and this isn't the greatest Class 2 handicap field I've ever seen assembled.

14:17 Musselburgh - Balhambar each-way @ 5/1

Another four places each-way Betfred race, so why not take advantage?

Balhambar is with Harry Derham in Berkshire, and will be ridden by Paul O'Brien, who knows the six-year-old gelding well. He's taken a step up on his last two spins, and raised just a pound for a fine run at Southwell a month ago chasing £39k he looks well worth a tilt at this.

Three career wins from 17 starts so far - and I strongly feel there's going to be more.

14:35 Sandown - Jango Baie @ 5/6

Fantastic-looking horse race, light in terms of numbers, tremendous in relation to quality.

Jango Baie is a Nicky Henderson-trained novice chaser that's presently in both the Arkle and the Brown Advisory at the Festival. Stablemate Sir Gino is massively in the way for the former, so a win here would set the six-year-old gelding up nicely for a tilt perhaps at the longer race.

It's 2m 4f this afternoon, and on chase debut 50 days ago at Cheltenham no less Nicky's charge put up a terrific display to easily dispose of one of Jonjo O'Neill's that's readily won since himself, Springwell Bay.

I've a feeling this could be very, very smart. Future Gold Cup star perhaps, and on ratings he's the best horse in the field. Time to put that Festival marker down in earnest.

14:50 Musselburgh - Fidelio Vallis each-way @ 9/1

The Scottish Champion Chase, a handsome prize, and another Harry Derham raider.

Fidelio Vallis is a 10-year-old gelding who won here over course and distance just over 12 months ago. Alice Stephens was on top on that occasion and is once again in the saddle on Saturday too, claiming a useful 3lb.

The selection has seven wins lifetime from 22 starts which is a brilliant strike-rate, and after two runs since reappearing in November, at a track he's excelled at in the past, just might be about to put in a performance.

15:07 Sandown - What A Johnny each-way @ 7/1

We're paying four places each-way, and I'm taking advantage of that in this competitive-looking heat.

What A Johnny is with Olly Murphy, but there's no Sean Bowen on top - he's at Wetherby, and as soon as I've finished scribbling here I'm going to check out what he's gone up there for!

'Gorgeous' Gav Sheehan is a more than able deputy on this seven-year-old gelded son of Yeats. He's been keeping some pretty tasty company in three spins this term and this huge pot, off his featherweight 10st 3lb, might well be within his grasp.

He's been running well of late without scoring but has risen only a pound in the handicap. He's got winning form on soft if not actual 'heavy,' so we're hopeful on that level too - and don't forget Gavin's fine record as the big-race jock for the Saturday prizes!

Fabulous contest; one of the day's highlights.

15:30 Leopardstown - Galopin Des Champs @ 8/15

Our Cheltenham Gold Cup hero from the last two years, and prior to that in Festival terms would have been a brilliant winner of the Turners too if not falling at the last when a mile clear.

Willie Mullins' nine-year-old champion is worthy of comparison with some of the very best. He was a G1-winning hurdler but over the larger obstacles he's been a revelation. He's not bomb-proof, and gets chinned every now and again - as by one of today's rivals Fact To File at Punchestown, in November.

There Galopin was making his seasonal reappearance and went down by just under 3l. However, when the pair clashed again at Leopardstown the following month he sauntered away by over 7l in a deeply impressive showing.

Galopin Des Champs is by far the most likely winner, has plenty up his sleeve in terms of official marks, but it's sport. It's a horse race. Let's enjoy the spectacle, and may the cards fall where they will. A champion in his pomp to savour, and Paul Townend, who else, will be doing the steering.

15:42 Sandown - In d'Or @ 11/4

Time for Venetia again - and here's hoping she's chasing a double by this point.

Amateur rider extraordinaire David Maxwell owns and rides this seven-year-old French-bred gelding, who sluiced up at Ascot 14 days ago. In d'Or is in career-best order and is rising through the ranks nicely.

A 119-rated hurdler, he's already at 133 over the larger obstacles and he'll only get better, as this will be just his third start over fences. David has his own individual style, one I suspect he didn't pick up from Richard Dunwoody, but it works nicely for him. He's brave, has boundless enthusiasm for the game, and has plenty of winners.

In d'Or is up 8lb from last time but he's going the right way and 11st 6lb isn't an insurmountable burden. Venetia is the belle of many a Saturday afternoon ball in the National Hunt season and let's hope we're drinking to her health by tea-time!

ITV Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.