Saturday Racing Tips: Champ to confirm staying superiority

It was a rewarding Boxing Day for Betfred Insights readers, courtesy of winners at 5/2, 7/2 (Nap) and 7/1, and I'm hoping to carry that form into Saturday.

I've highlighted four Saturday racing tips across the afternoon's five Jumps meetings that I fancy quite strongly.

12:37 Newbury - La Marquise @ 2/1

I've been waiting patiently for Jamie Snowden to run LA MARQUISE again, as her form has gone from strength to strength in the 65 days since we last saw her.

That was at Ludlow, where the four-year-old got off the mark at the first attempt over hurdles, beating the likes of Kalium (unbeaten in two starts since) and Oh My Johnny (unlucky not to have done likewise) who are now rated 116 and 121 respectively.

She did so much wrong in Shropshire, failing to travel or jump with must zest and getting badly hampered three out. However, her obvious ability saw her through and dare I say it was a fairly snug victory in the end.

I expect her to have improved bundles in the meantime, especially in the jumping department. She's had lots of time to work on that at home.

A five-pound penalty isn't ideal, but this 'Introductory' Hurdle over an extended two miles looks very winnable to me. The standard set by the likes of In Limbo, Wotter Trotter, Koapey, Peso and Noble Park is pretty modest.

Newcomers Akimos and Star Time are the main dangers alongside Paul Nicholls' Kap Boy, but I think La Marquise - touted as a Mares' Novices' Hurdle contender - should have enough to go 2-2 in this sphere.

14:10 Catterick - Siog Geal @ 6/5

I don't envisage her opening a big price, but Fergal O'Brien looks to have found a golden opportunity for his five-year-old mare SIOG GEAL to make a winning start over hurdles.

The daughter of Malinas cost a pretty penny (£80k) after her PTP victory back in February, before two highly-encouraging efforts in competitive mares' bumpers this winter.

Her most recent outing, when runner-up in Listed company at Cheltenham, looks particularly strong as the experienced winner brought some solid form to the table from across the Irish Sea.

Given a clear round, I expect her to be very, very hard to beat.

14:35 Leopardstown - Galopin Des Champs @ 11/10

Saturday's main event is the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, as Willie Mullins' Fact To File and GALOPIN DES CHAMPS - the top two in the market for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March - lock horns for the second time this season following the John Durkan at Punchestown last month.

Fact To File landed the spoils that day, finishing under three lengths ahead of his stablemate, but he was much more suited to the 2m3½f trip and it was well-documented that Galopin Des Champs endured an interrupted preparation.

With that run under his belt and back over a staying trip, I expect the dual Gold Cup hero to be very hard to beat.

I love Fact To File and he has enormous upside, but Galpoin Des Champs is one of the greatest staying chasers of all time and it's easy to forget he's still only eight.

His 23-length beating of Gerri Colombe in this race just last year, immediately after defeat in the John Durkan, was one of the best performances I can remember since following the sport, and I fancy him to impress again.

14:55 Newbury - Regent's Stroll @ 7/4

Last but not least, we go to Newbury for a cracking renewal of the Challow Novices' Hurdle.

Six of the seven intended runners go to Berkshire on the back of a win, with four - namely The New Lion, Regent's Stroll, Bill Joyce and It's Hard To Know - yet to taste defeat over timber.

Paul Nicholls has won this race a record six times, including the last four renewals, and I fancy REGENT'S STROLL to continue the Ditcheat handler's dominance on Saturday.

The five-year-old son of Walk In The Park sold for a whopping £660k in the summer and, following two easy bumper wins last term, he won in style on hurdling debut here at Newbury last month.

He powered over nine lengths clear of Warren Greatrex's useful Good And Clever, who was third in the G1 Formby Novices' Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day, despite a fairly bad mistake at the second-last. It's testament to his huge engine that he picked up the bridle so quickly and won by the margin he did.

Everything suggests this is a very, very good horse and I'm hoping he can prove it here in what's easily the best novice hurdling event of the season so far on these shores.

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