Saturday Racing Tips: 3/1 Nap heads Owen’s best bets

What a Saturday. There's Premier Racedays from Wincanton, featuring a couple of Grade 2s and the 64th Badger Beers Chase, and from Doncaster, for those of the flat persuasion. Aintree stages the Grand Sefton, alongside another seven events, while Gowran Park, Kelso and Wolverhampton also open their doors.

Lots to look forward to, then, and I've landed on five Saturday racing tips for your consideration.

10:45 Kelso - Walks The Talk @ 11/8

Multiple Grade 1-winning jockey J J Slevin is at Kelso on Saturday to ride Al Khaila for his employers in the 13:17, but the 33-year-old Irishman will be in Scotland from the very first race around two-and-a-half hours ago to get the leg up on John McConnell's WALKS THE TALK.

The selection, a six-year-old daughter of Walk In The Park, made a winning debut over timber at Roscommon in September, beating 15 rivals by over five-and-a-half lengths.

It doesn't look like she beat much, but she did so in style and there ought to be more to come, especially up in trip.

Scarlet Jet aside, the opposition is modest and I'm hoping the jockey factor proves decisive.

11:53 Gowran Park - Break My Soul @ 5/2

If her trainer Ian Patrick Donoghue was in better nick, I'd be a lot more confident, but I find BREAK MY SOUL hard to look past on chasing debut at Gowran Park.

The six-year-old was starting to come to hand for Nicky Henderson before switching from Berkshire to County Meath and she's gone from strength-to-strength in Ireland.

Her second to Willie Mullins' 153-rated Kitzbuhel in a Grade 3 over course and distance back in February was a clear career-best - and her fourth behind the outstanding Lossiemouth in the Aintree Hurdle at the Grand National meeting was a fine performance too. She was only half-a-length behind Take No Chances (146) who was just touched off in the bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby last weekend.

The Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival was probably one race too many, but she finished in front of Constitution Hill at least!

If she takes to jumping fences, which on pedigree - she's by Doyen and out of a Presenting mare - should be the case, Break My Soul is very much the one to beat for me in this mares' beginners' chase over the minimum trip.

13:30 Aintree - Hidden History @ 3/1

The Skeltons could have a lot of fun with HIDDEN HISTORY this term.

Dan acquired the seven-year-old son of Schiaparelli, owned by the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate, in the middle of last season following a spell for Chris Gordon, and it quickly became clear he was a fair way ahead of his mark.

At Uttoxeter in March, he beat Jonjo & A J O'Neill's Wellington Arch, who's rated 13lbs higher today after winning a Grade 3 handicap here at the Grand National meeting and placing in a Listed event at the Punchestown Festival, by over three lengths.

The selection was then runner-up to Olly Murphy's Rambo T, winner of the Silver Trophy at Chepstow's Welsh Racing Festival last month off four pounds higher, at Perth. Three lengths behind in third was Chasing Fire, who's favourite for the Pertemps Qualifier earlier on the card after bolting up on his latest start.

Hidden History was raised only three pounds for his exploits north of the border, and I'm convinced that continues to underestimate him. Greatly.

In fact, the point-to-point winner, who Skelton described as "definitely a chaser" with  "a good bit of improvement to come over fences" in a recent stable tour with Sporting Life, could be even further ahead of his mark if he takes to jumping the bigger obstacles as expected.

He's Nap material for me on Saturday.

14:40 Aintree - Our Power each-way @ 13/2

Is Sam Thomas the most underrated trainer in the business? The Cardiff-based handler has enjoyed six winners from just 10 runners (60% strike rate) so far this term - and his 20% strike rate over the past five seasons is highly-impressive, too.

His yard is always ready at this time of year, which bodes well for OUR POWER in the Grand Sefton.

Despite being 10 years old, the dual Grade 3 winner remains in rude health. He finished in the first three in all four starts last season, including in the Ladbrokes Trophy and Scottish Grand National.

On their meeting at Cheltenham in December last year, the selection is five pounds better off with King Turgeon, which must give him every chance of landing this £43k prize.

As it's a highly-competitive field and Betfred are paying five places, this is an each-way suggestion.

15:20 Gowran Park - Los Blanco @ 5/2

Last but not least, I'm backing LOS BLANCO in the penultimate race at Gowran - a novice handicap hurdle over two miles.

The Robcour-owned six-year-old, trained by Henry de Bromhead at Knockeen, made his debut straight from the point-to-point scene in Naas at the start of the year, finishing third of 21.

It was Willie Mullins' Joystick, rated 129 after placing in Grade 3 company a couple of starts later, who landed the spoils that way, with Gordon Elliott's Honesty Policy in second. He won his next three starts on the trot, including the G1 Mersey Novices' Hurdle, before a narrow defeat to Stayers' Hurdle champ Jasmin De Vaux at the same level at the Punchestown Festival. That's a seriously strong piece of form in the context of Saturday's race.

Los Blanco was disappointing at Naas in April, but reappeared last month with a fine second to Elliott's useful Ma Jacks Hill over course and distance.

I'll be shocked if the selection isn't better than his mark of 115 - and with race fitness on his side, he should be very difficult to beat on handicap debut.

Offers