Racing Tips – Top Tipster Steve Mullen’s best horse racing selections for Saturday, February 11

IT’S not the Wizard’s style to go with market leaders in the big races but sometimes there’s a good reason why the jolly is the jolly.

I can’t see beyond BALLYANDY in the Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle today (3.35).

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When a trainer as long in the tooth as Nigel Twiston-Davies says a horse’s handicap mark is “a gift” then you have to sit up and take notice.

This represents a fair drop in class for last year’s Champion Bumper winner who went down in a tight finish at Sandown last time out.

He looked like a horse having just his third run there as a clumsy jump or two meant he had to settle for second behind the top-class Messire Des Obeaux.

That form looks strong so Twiston-Davies isn’t talking out of turn when he beams about a mark of 135.

Make no mistake, this is a tough contest but Ballyandy has a real touch of class about him. If he can just brush up his jumping slightly — and that should come with experience — he can take his place at hurdling’s top table.

There are a few other progressive hurdlers in this and William H Bonney is a clear second choice. He really impressed when winning at Cheltenham last time, showing that handling a relatively big field isn’t a problem.

He won’t mind any cut in the ground and is another who looks a few pounds ahead of his handicap mark of 137.

Although Hargam is out with the rags at around 40-1, plenty of outsiders have won this and trainer Nicky Henderson has a good record in the race.

He hasn’t looked himself on a couple of runs this term but has been given a little break. Given his tumble down the weights too, he could sneak into the frame in conditions that should suit.

The incredible TOBEFAIR is going for seven handicap hurdle wins on the spin in Newbury’s 1.50 and he can do it too.

Debra Hamer’s star has the happy knack of just pulling out what he needs to win without being too flashy.

He is now a eyewatering 53lb higher in the official ratings than when starting his sequence with a routine victory at Worcester way back in June 2015.

Since then he has handled every hike the handicapper has thrown at him and again he barely got out of third gear to score at Warwick last time out.

He deserves all our backing as he goes for a magnificent seven – and we can bag a few quid in the process.

Scotchtown was second to the wonderhorse last time but he’s very much in the early stages of his career. He gets a slight pull at the weights and should improve for that handicap debut.

He may not win today but looks capable of picking up similar races as he gains a little experience.

Bryden Boy is a model of consistency too and would come right into this if more rain falls. He’s up 10lb for ploughing through the mud to win at Ayr last time but looks capable of further improvement.

NO BUTS is likely to be the outsider of the six-strong field in Warwick’s 3.15 but that doesn’t mean he can’t run a big race.

His best form has come on bottomless ground and he gets that today for the first time since finishing second here seven starts ago.

Both his chase successes have come in either very soft or heavy ground and he’s dropped to below his last winning mark — even taking into account that he’s a couple of pounds out of the handicap here.

There are question marks about some of his rivals too. Activial jumped badly when unseating at Kempton last time, while Vibralto Valtat is on a long losing run.

David Bridgwater’s chaser will have to find his very best form again but, if he does, he’ll be a very big price.

Other Selections...
NEWBURY
1.15 High Bridge
1.50 Tobefair
2.25 Bristol De Mai
3.00 Altior
3.35 Ballyandy
4.10 Final Nudge
4.45 Daphne Du Clos

WARWICK
1.30 Buster Thomas
2.05 Jessbers Dream
2.40 Overtown Express
3.15 No Buts
3.50 Super Sam
4.25 Belami Des Pictons
4.55 Wildmoor Boy

LINGFIELD
1.25 Simply Me
2.00 Marquee Club
2.35 Berryessa
3.10 My Target
3.45 Cloud Dragon
4.20 Born To Finish
4.50 Alfonso De Sousa

UTTOXETER
1.10 Wazowski
1.45 Quids In
2.20 Winged Crusader
2.55 Imperial Bay
3.30 Bobble Boru
4.00 Master Jake
4.35 Big Meadow

WOLVERHAMPTON
5.45 Athassel
6.15 Mehdi
6.45 Peachey Carnehan
7.15 Ceyhan
7.45 Paddys Runner
8.15 Vision Of Beauty
8.45 Royal Blessing