Saturday Racing Tips: Owen’s selections includes 9/2 Nap

If Haydock passes an inspection at 08:30, which I'm more than hopeful about, there'll be six meetings to enjoy this Saturday. A welcome change to the last couple of weekends.

I've got four Saturday racing tips for consideration - including two that appeared in this very column a fortnight ago.

12:30 Ascot - Mondo Man @ 9/4

If Lulamba is as good as his reputation, he could be hard to beat in this juvenile hurdle over just shy of two miles.

Most people weren't even aware of Nicky Henderson's four-year-old before he was subject to a significant gamble for the Triumph Hurdle the other week. He's now 4/1 favourite for the Cheltenham Festival event and is trading very short ahead of his UK debut as a result.

However, this is no gimmie. He has to concede 10lbs to another exciting newcomer in MONDO MAN for Gary & Josh Moore, which mightn't prove easy.

The 111-rated Flat recruit sold for a lofty €520k (£438k) back in October after seven runs in France. In that time, he finished fifth in their Derby and went a place better in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Moores excel with juveniles, so I'm hopeful he can prove just as useful in this sphere. The fact he's declared against the talking horse would suggest he's been showing plenty at home.

If his ability translates over jumps, it'll take a very good one to give him 10lbs. Maybe Lulamba is just that, but at the prices I'd rather bet otherwise.

12:45 Haydock - Spirits Bay @ 9/2

Next, I fancy SPIRITS BAY for Nigel Twiston-Davies in this 0-135 handicap hurdle at Haydock just a quarter-of-an-hour later.

This seven-year-old was my Nap of the Day at Sandown the other week, but that meeting was unfortunately abandoned. He's now been found a similar contest featuring the reopposing Oh My Johnny.

That rival is likely to prove popular off a lowly mark of 116 but I'm unsure how his jumping, which has been suspect at times, will hold up against experienced handicappers.

I also think the selection is well-treated off his mark (126). He caught the eye when finishing fifth of 14 behind a tearaway winner on seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham last month having drifted before the off, and that ought to have put him spot on for Saturday's assignment.

He's lightly-raced for his age, so improvement can be expected on that front, and he'll love conditions. His form on ground officially soft or worse reads 2F11.

For me, he's a bet at 3/1 or bigger - so the 9/2 is of serious appeal.

13:30 Taunton - Jena d'Oudairies @ 1/1

Down in Somerset, I'm backing JENA D'OUDAIRIES to make amends for a slightly underwhelming effort last time out.

She was singled out as trainer Paul Nicholls' best chance of a winner on Boxing Day, on her hurdling debut at Wincanton, but she came up short.

Still, it was an encouraging enough run on her first start in 259 days, during which she underwent wind surgery, and I'm expecting the Buck's Boom mare to improve plenty.

This race doesn't look any trickier than the last and she's a confident selection.

14:50 Ascot - Doddiethegreat @ 6/1

Nicky Henderson's DODDIETHEGREAT was another one of my fancies for the abandoned Sandown meeting, and I'm also keeping the faith in him on Saturday.

The nine-year-old, who finished fourth in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury just under a year ago, was tried over fences at the start of the campaign but didn't enjoy himself, so reverted back to hurdles off a two-pound lower mark at Kempton on Boxing Day.

He was pulled-up after jumping just one flight - the result of getting hampered at the start and losing too many lengths on the rest of the field - and now turns up at Berkshire 23 days later ready to, fingers crossed, prove he's ahead of the handicapper back in this discipline.

The majority of his previous form over the smaller obstacles suggests 129 is on the lenient side and while he comes up against some interesting rivals, not least Altobelli and stablemate Bo Zenith, he ought to at least be very competitive.

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