Saturday Racing Tips: Five to star on an action-packed afternoon

Saturday's schedule is made up of EIGHT meetings - Sandown hosts the sole National Hunt offering alongside flat fare from the likes of Haydock, Navan and Doncaster.

I've had a good study of the cards and landed on five Saturday racing tips, including a NAP at Southwell.

13:45 Sandown - Wilstar each way @ 11/1

I fear Kadastral in the Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle at Sandown on Saturday. Very much so.

Dan Skelton's six-year-old could easily be ahead of his mark of 125 and I strongly suspect this £51k contest has been in the forefront of connections' mind for a while.

Saying that, I'm not sensing that trademark Skelton confidence in his chances, which is enough to put me off a 7/2 favourite in a 19-runner handicap.

Instead, I'll be having an each-way bet on WILSTAR, with Betfred paying five places instead of four.

Olly Murphy's six-year-old son of Doctor Dino is a half-brother to Douvan and Jonbon (talk about being bred in the purple) who unsurprisingly fetched €250k at the sales back in 2023.

Expectations were of course very high, but he's been very disappointing until this year, catching the eye in defeat at Ayr at the start of the year before back-to-back wins at Southwell and Warwick.

He gave well over a stone and a beating to the 122-rated Talakan, who reopposes on Saturday, at Warwick, giving the impression there's still plenty more to come.

I think he'll devour the hill at Sandown - and is there a more willing partner than champion jockey Sean Bowen? I'm very hopeful he'll be there or thereabouts.

14:00 Haydock - Symbol Of Majesty @ 8/11

Fifteen minutes later, at Haydock, I'm expecting the red-hot Gosdens to be in the winners' enclosure yet again courtesy of SYMBOL OF MAJESTY.

The three-year-old is a half-sister to 2022 Fillies' Mile heroine Commissioning, who won all three of her career starts for Team Gosden, and Military Academy, who reached a mark of 112 while at Clarehaven.

She made a winning debut at Chelmsford back in December, defying a slow start to beat a useful field by almost a length. Cosily, in the end.

The form is relatively strong. The runner-up, Capichera for Ed Walker, finished just a neck behind a 94-rated rival on his subsequent start at Newmarket recently. Siam Ruby, who was fourth at Chelmsford, has won two of three starts since, reaching a mark of 76 - while the fifth-placed Cherry Baker (80) bolted up on her next appearance at Southwell.

She's open to any amount of improvement on turf debut, with William Buick in the saddle. She'll be ready, too, if the yard's form is anything to go by.

I think there's a very, very good chance she's able to defy a seven-pound penalty against a modest field. The unraced trio, including Brighton Beach for William Haggas, might be the ones to give us most to think about.

14:55 Sandown - Thistle Ask @ 7/4

I really, really don't want to write this because he's one of my all-time favourite racehorses, but I do think Jonbon is vulnerable in the Celebration Chase at Sandown.

Nicky Henderson's 10-year-old is the picture of consistency, yet to finish outside of the top two in 28 starts. Just the 12 Grade 1s on the CV, too. What a career.

But the fact is, his powers are waning - especially over the minimum trip. He took his time to pass the reopposing Thistle Ask - more on him in a moment - over 2m1f on soft ground at Ascot in the Tingle Creek three months ago, and Saturday's assignment is over an extended 1m7f on a sound surface. Barring a monsoon, anyway.

I expect Jonbon to struggle to keep up with Solness and THISTLE ASK, who like to get on with things out in front.

The former is a huge danger if able to put his best foot forward, but he didn't seem to enjoy himself on his last visit to Sandown and it was a tough race he had at Aintree just over a fortnight ago. There's reasons to take him on too.

Dan Skelton's nine-year-old, meanwhile, has been kept fresh for this after the aforementioned second to Jonbon exactly 98 days ago.

On better ground, over a shorter distance, I'm hopeful he can reverse that form and spoil the celebration. Pun intended.

15:55 Leicester - Heyzoom @ 4/1

Owen Burrows might have a nice three-year-old on his hands in HEYZOOM, who can land this 1m2f maiden at Leicester.

The three-year-old son of Dubawi, in the blue and white silks of Shadwell who are big supporters of the Lambourn trainer, is a half-brother to stablemate Falakeyah who made a highly-encouraging debut on the all-weather at Wolverhampton in November last year.

He finished third of 10 in the West Midlands, just two lengths adrift of Richard Hannon's Sahara King, who was in receipt of three pounds. He advertised the form by finishing fifth behind Betfred Derby possible Maltese Cross in a red-hot novice at Newbury last week - while the runner-up Ranga Tang went close in a Newmarket handicap off an opening mark of 80. The fourth, fifth and sixth all won their next starts, too.

With general improvement, he's the one to beat for me, despite some promising opposition.

20:00 Southwell - Delinquent @ SP

Finally, I expect DELINQUENT to take a bit of beating for Karl Burke in this 0-70 handicap over a mile at Southwell.

The three-year-old son of Mehmas was third over course and distance last time out, in a race I felt was a fairly strong one for the track and grade.

He travelled strongly throughout, but was stuck for room at the two-furlong pole, before having to switch right to get a clear run. By that point, it was too little, too late.

Down in class off an unchanged mark, he rates a strong chance for a trainer bang in-form (30% strike rate in the past fortnight).

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