I’m the UK’s best tipster – here are my top four picks for this week | Racing | Sport

Melissa, aka The Scout, is the current Racing Post National Press Challenge champion after she led the field of 11 tipsters to the finish in 2025. The stamina-sapping competition was based on more than 9,600 selections throughout the year. A good final furlong helped her cause, but Melissa has maintained her form – and set a new record by finishing top of the standings for a fourth month on the trot in February before tipping this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Gaelic Warrior.

We’ve got a bit of everything this week, with the three-day Craven Meeting at Newmarket reminding us the core Flat season is not too far away.

And Ayr’s Scottish Grand National fixture gives National Hunt yards the chance to collect some valuable prizes with a few weeks left of the best jumps action.

I Am Maximus was a brilliant winner of the English National, sponsored by Randox, at Aintree on Saturday, a performance which earned him the highest Timeform rating in their history.

Despite winning £500,000 for first, trainer Willie Mullins has run out of time to catch Dan Skelton in the British Trainers’ Championship.

Skelton, his brother Harry and his team in Warwickshire celebrated a 10,581-1 four-timer on the card and their title is well-deserved as they were overhauled by Mullins in the final furlong for the past two years.

The Skeltons have a great chance of hitting a big target once more on Saturday, when TELLHERTHENAME (2.20) is set to line up in the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr.

The seven-year-old was registered with the yard in February and debuted respectably in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, keeping on into 12th on the run-in after being held up by Kielan Woods.

This horse was highly-tried in the past, running in the 2024 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Fighting Fifth and 2025 Aintree Hurdle – all at Grade One level.

He has had few chances in handicaps and Skelton often finds a bit of improvement from his transfers, with Supremely West and Kabral Du Mathan two examples this term.

I’m going to hold fire on the Coral Scottish Grand National at the moment, so we’re off to Market Rasen next for today’s Safer Gambling At CopyBet Maiden Hurdle.

JIMMY HURDSTROM (2.45) is the one they all have to beat here on ratings and this track often favours the type of positive ride he received in a handicap last time, when he held every chance at the final flight.

Tomorrow Haydock hosts Cheltenham’s usual April card, including the £80,000 Unibet Silver Trophy Handicap Chase, so drainage work can start at Prestbury Park.

I don’t have a strong view on the feature, but I do like MATTY’S GETAWAY (1.30) in the 2m 5f novices’ hurdle sponsored by the same bookmaker.

Intosomethinggood is most likely flattered by his rating of 133, so I have this between my selection and Nicky Henderson’s horse Padre Arthur, who has been given a 72-day break after finishing second to stablemate Reckless Spending at Kempton in February.

Kim Bailey and Matt Nicholls, the trainers responsible for Matty’s Getaway, saddled the fifth Step Ahead there so have a guide to the form.

Matty’s Getaway was only 5-1 for a Chepstow novice taken by subsequent Supreme Novices’ Hurdle runner-up Sober Glory and has been given a wind operation since beating Dalston Lad (hat-trick since) and Quay Item (has struck also) with ease at Doncaster in November.

At Newmarket, €900,000 yearling and Derby entrant POSEIDON’S WARRIOR (2.25) is the chosen one in the Listed Betway Feilden Stakes.

This Sea The Stars colt should get further in time and he really started to learn his job with a five-length supremacy at Goodwood in October.