Channel 4 Horse Racing Best Tips

Channel 4 Racing Tips – It's another quality line up of races this Saturday on Channel 4 with three Grade 2 contests, a Grade 3 and a Listed race from just six offerings.  Here's a tip for every race shown live!

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Starting with the Denman Chase at Newbury, the favourite is Al Ferof (13/8 Betfred), coming here off the back of an arguably disappointing effort in the King George.  He didn't conclusively prove his stamina over 3m and that will be at a premium given the conditions.  HARRY TOPPER (7/2 Coral) has long been well regarded by connections but has lost his chance in recent outings with sloppy jumping.  This is a quality field and he will need to be much slicker over his fences but he loves heavy ground and has winning form over C&D.  Despite his poor jumping at Cheltenham last time out, losing lengths at almost every fence, he quickly made up the ground swinging home on the bridle and clearly has a huge engine.  Katenko (10/3 Coral) will be well suited to the underfoot conditions and looked as if he was returning to form at Haydock last time.  The yard of Venetia Williams is in fantastic form and despite having a little to find on his runs so far this season is an interesting contender.  Walkon (9/1 BetVictor) would be worth a risk at a big price on the odd bit of his old form but looks to be increasingly unreliable these days.  

It's a long distance handicap hurdle to kick off the coverage at 1.50 where Upswing (3/1 Betfred) looks as good a place to start as any.  He has already run well in a couple of very competitive handicaps this season finishing behind Thomas Crapper and Saphir Du Rheu.  This further step up in trip looks to be in his favour and he has plenty of form on this kind of ground so looks to be a worthy favourite.  RYDON PINES (9/2 Coral) looks a likely improver on just his fourth start over hurdles.  He began with a distant second at Ffos Las to Whisper, form which reads well when you consider that horse is now rated 153.  He fell when still in contention at Newbury the next time before winning at Exeter on his reappearance.  The second and third in that Exeter race have both won since leaving the impression that an opening mark of 125 is lenient and he duly gets my vote.  Andy Kelly (9/2 BetVictor) is another unexposed type who is open to plenty of improvement.  He may have found the good to soft ground a little quick for him on his last visit to the track as he showed much better form on more testing ground at Ascot last time.  The step up in trip looks in his favour while the winner of that Ascot race has run well twice since in defeat at Warwick and Wincanton.  At bigger prices, Moorlands Mist (14/1 Stan James) and Flicka Williams (16/1 Stan James) are worth a look.  The former acts well on soft ground and would have a chance on a going day but is inconsistent.  Flicka Williams ran into the smart Madness Light at Uttoxeter last time staying on stoutly over a trip short of his ideal.  An 8lb rise looks harsh and he will need to come on again here.

The Game Spirit chase is lacking a little in star quality considering Sprinter Sacre, Master Minded, Well Chief and Azertyuiop have all won the race in recent years, but it is very competitive nonetheless.  Desert Cry (6/1 Betfred) continued his recent improvement last weekend when running a very gallant second at Sandown.  How much of a mark that will have left is the doubt after just a week but the trip and ground are perfect for him.  Dodging Bullets (7/4 Stan James) and Raya Star (7/1 BetVictor) are decent novices and there shouldn't be much between them at the weights.  The Nicholls' runner has been a revelation over fences this season but it's doubtful he desires ground quite this soft.  The latter has form with plenty of cut and also benefits from a 5lb concession for a five length beating by Dodging Bullets from earlier in the season.  MODULE (2/1 BetVictor) gets the nod in this contest for Tom George who may have found this horse his perfect race.  Heavy ground is no problem and he has winning form at Newbury.  He has been campaigned over further, showing a strong level of form in both the Haldon Gold Cup and the Peterborough Chase this season, but a step down to the minimum on this type of ground may see him stay on too strongly for his rivals.  

The big handicap hurdle at 3.35 is always one of the most intriguing betting contests of the season and is a race with any number holding chances.  Rolling Star (14/1 Stan James) and Far West (12/1 Betfred) have both been keeping stronger company than this of late with the former being subject to glowing reports recently.  It will take a big performance to give weight away all round in this type of ground however.  Irish Saint (7/1 Coral) and Vendor (16/1 BetVictor) are both recent winners over further with plenty of cut in the ground.  That extra reserve of stamina should come in very useful here and both command plenty of respect.  Dell Arca (8/1 Coral) fairly bolted up on his UK debut at Cheltenham when tanking through the contest and staying on strongly up the hill.  Badly hampered three from home at Ascot last time when Recession Proof fell in front of him he may continue to improve.  Recession Proof (28/1 BetVictor) won this contest off the same mark two years ago and was still travelling well at Ascot when coming down.  Swing Bowler (25/1 Stan James) is another representing David Pipe but is coming back from a lengthy absence.  She ran a corker in this race last year behind My Tent Or Yours when losing her unbeaten record.  She was massively progressive beforehand and if she'd had a pipe opener would have been the pick.  Cheltenian (10/1 William Hill) won the Champion Bumper in 2011 but comes here off the back of just one hurdle run when comfortably coming clear in a moderate Uttoxeter contest.  Chris Pea Green (28/1 Stan James), Gibb River (33/1 BetVictor) and Deep Trouble (25/1 Coral) can all be given an each way squeak at big prices but the vote goes to the Willie Mullins raider, SMASHING (12/1 Ladbrokes).  He acts well on heavy ground, stays further and on a line through the runner-up in his most recent race, a mark of 143 is perfectly fair.  Like so many here, he is still improving and whatever the result it will be a race to revisit time and time again as the season continues.

At Warwick the cameras will be hoping to show more of the same from their last meeting with excellent quality events and some thrilling finishes.  One such finish was in the mares' hurdle with the first three separated by just a length and they reoppose here along with the fourth Prima Porta (8/1 Ladbrokes).  Hidden Identity (11/2 Ladbrokes), the third on that occasion is worse off at the weights with the other pair but the step up in trip could offset that.  The runner up, Mischievous Milly (7/2 BetVictor) is the least exposed of the three but is also likely to be most inconvenienced by the step up in trip as she faded badly in a competitive handicap over slightly shorter at Newbury.  GLENS MELODY (11/8 Stan James) who won that race is a multiple heavy ground winner as well as a Grade 1 victor and may prove best of the quartet again.

The Kingmaker Novices' Chase is the other Warwick offering with some of the field looking to stake their claims for the Arkle.  BALDER SUCCES (6/4 Betfred) is favourite here but has proved rather hit and miss over fences.  He set a new track record on his first effort at Chepstow and also has a win over C&D to his credit.  On the flip side he ended up on the deck at Cheltenham before looking outclassed at Sandown.  This is easier than that Sandown race but he has to concede weight all round.  Valco De Touzaine (3/1 Ladbrokes) is likely to prove the biggest danger as both the youngest and least exposed of these.  He has already won twice over fences but was below par last time when beaten in soft ground at Haydock.  Brick Red (3/1 William Hill) cannot get ground soft enough, winning twice in heavy already this season.  The length he won by at Wincanton last time doesn't do the ease of the victory justice but the runner up didn't do much for the form at Kempton last time and this is much tougher.  The only other with any sort of a chance is the Charlie Mann trained Lord Of House (15/2 Stan James) who is improving rapidly given really soft ground.  He, like Brick Red, won a handicap last time out but is unlikely to be good enough to trouble the principles.

Channel 4 Free Racing Tips – 

1.50 Newbury – RYDON PINES (9/2 Coral)

2.05 Warwick – GLENS MELODY (11/8 Stan James)

2.25 Newbury – HARRY TOPPER (7/2 Coral)

2.40 Warwick – BALDER SUCCES (6/4 Betfred)

3.00 Newbury – MODULE (2/1 BetVictor)

3.35 Newbury – SMASHING (12/1 Ladbrokes)