Saturday horse racing tips for Cheltenham and Doncaster on ITV | Racing | Sport
L’Homme Presse (left) won last year’s Cotswold Chase and is back to defend his title (Image: Getty)
SPILLANE’S TOWER (2.25) can halt the British stranglehold on the Grade Two Betfair Cotswold Chase at Festival Trials Day.
Only one edition of the 3m 1½f contest in the last 20 years has been won by a racehorse trained across the Irish Sea.
But Jimmy Mangan and Jack Kennedy go for the feature with a mudlover who finished runner-up to Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs and the best version of his stablemate Fact To File on two of his last three chasing starts.
A couple of runs against lesser opposition over hurdles should have put him spot on for this and he is only rated 2lb lower than Grey Dawning, who concedes 6lb.
JP McManus has several other good chances, with IMPOSE TOI (3.35) favourite to carry on his winning streak in the Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle.
Three from three this term, he has come out on top in his encounters with Strong Leader, who has never been at his best at Prestbury Park.
And although Ma Shantou is respected on his course form, Impose Toi holds all the aces after collecting Newbury’s Long Distance Hurdle and the Long Walk at Ascot on his way here.
Followers of the green and gold hoops will be looking to JAGWAR (1.15) for the treble in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase.
The Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero trainee did well to take third considering how the December Gold Cup played out and he is tipped to go two places better on the New course he enjoys.
But ownermate The New Lion needs to find extra if he is to thwart Nicky Henderson’s top notch thoroughbred SIR GINO (3.00) in the Grade Two Unibet Hurdle.
Better off with Final Orders from their last meeting, PLACENET (1.50) has conditions in his favour in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase.
The distance the French raider was beaten was exaggerated by a bad mistake at the third last, when he was creeping into contention.
Saddled by David Cottin, who has success in this discipline, the nine-year-old gelding was rated 145 in his younger days and Sam Twiston-Davies is a positive jockey booking.
At Doncaster, THE PRICE OF PEACE (12.55, Nap) is a young horse on the up in the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places River Don Novices’ Hurdle.
Handler Rebecca Curtis says the seven-year-old is still a raw type but has similarities to her Gold Cup candidate Haiti Couleurs.
My pick finished second to Kalkbrenner in a good 2m 4f novice at Curtis’ home track Ffos Las, before he went away in eyecatching style over three miles at Chepstow.
Impose Toi goes in the Grade Two Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle (Image: Getty)
Another stayer DEEP CAVE (2.05) is likely to benefit from a strong gallop in the Virgin Bet Great Yorkshire Chase, with Grand Geste, Docpickedme, Josh The Boss and New Order all prominent racers.
Progressive for Christian Williams, the top weight received a couple of form boosts from his Bangor success in November and remains on a workable mark.
The admirably consistent FEET OF A DANCER (1.30) has solid claims in the Grade Two Virgin Bet A Good Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle.
