Today’s FREE Horse racing tips: The Betting Spy’s top picks for Saturday’s racing at Cheltenham, Doncaster and Newbury
The Betting Spy is back with his top tips for Saturday's racing where the action at Cheltenham takes centre stage
COLD weather is back, the clocks are going back but cheer up, Cheltenham is back as well. Every cloud etc etc.
And the first race (2.00) is a terrific 17-runner 3m1f handicap chase that should give us all we expect from the traditional home of jumping - thrills, spills (though hopefully not too many!), and a fantastic finish up the most famous hill in racing.
Granted he avoids the spills then BRAQUEUR D'OR should be fighting out that finish.
He progressed well in the first half of last season, finishing fourth in Newbury's Ladbrokes Trophy (that's the Hennnessy to you and me) off a 4lb higher mark than he runs off here, before he lost form in the spring.
That explains why he is so well weighted and, after a wind operation and aged just seven, he should have more to offer.
And trainer Paul Nicholls has been saddling winners at a phenomenal 33% strike rate. Braqueur D'Or is unlikely to fail for lack of fitness.
CLASSIC CRACKER Roaring Lion and Thunder Snow entered in glittering Breeders' Cup Classic
Last year's winner Cogry is only 2lb higher but he fell at the first in this race two years ago and his jumping is a worry. His backers usually watch from behind the sofa!
Perfect Candidate and Doing Fine are fairly treated but may prefer a stiffer test but they are worth keeping an eye on for later.
Shantou Village might find this too stiff a test but Philip Hobbs has a great record in the race so For Good Measure commands respect.
BIGMARTRE could have a big season and is the one to be with in the 3.10. The bold-jumping front-runner had an excellent novice campaign and is still on a fair mark.
He has a terrific record fresh, having won first time out in the last three seasons and Harry Whittington is very much a handler going places.
Last year's winner Foxtail Hill needs to bounce back from a string of poor efforts while Modus may need further.
Duke Of Navan could be a bigger danger, he is weighted to finish upsides Bigmartre on Doncaster January form but lacks the scope for further progress of his younger rival.
Doncaster's feature is the last Group 1 of the English Flat season, the Vertem Futurity (previously the Racing Post Trophy), over a mile at 4.05. Aidan O'Brien has won this eight times and a ninth success is very much on the cards with MAGNA GRECIA.
He made Andre Fabre's much-vaunted Persian King work really hard to land the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket two weeks ago, pulling well clear of his re-opposing stablemates Circus Maximus and Western Australia.
The race was run in a good time and, as that was only his second racecourse appearance, he deserves even more credit.
Magna Grecia has been well-found in the market and, encouragingly, O'Brien's four winners of this in the last ten years were all heavily-supported favourites.
Phoenix Of Spain chased home star juvenile Too Darn Hot in the Champagne Stakes here at the Leger meeting but only six ran and the second favourite ran a shocker so it is questionable what the runner-up beat.
Turgenev may be a bigger threat. He is progressing well although his latest win is not working out that well and he needs to find more.
Raakib Alhawa could be the each-way play as he won a decent Newbury conditions race on debut, beating Dashing Willoughby, when an unfancied 25-1 poke. With normal improvement he should be a player.
Earlier the three-year-old MORNING WONDER is interesting off bottom weight in the 2.55.
He ran well for a long way on his return from a three-month break when trying 1m6f at Haydock last time and looks thrown in, running off a mark of 86, just 2lb higher than when a close third in a solid race over today's trip at Chester in June.
I spy an eyecatcher...
Turf Flat racing may be almost over but this is a time when some of next year's potential Classic hopes make their debuts in modest midweek events and one such appeared at Yarmouth on Tuesday, FRANKELLINA by name (guess her sire!).
Trained by William Haggas and in the 'Cracksman' colours she looked clueless yet still travelled very easily in the mile novice race and, after just one tap of Harry Bentley's whip, she quickened well to win cosily, beating well-bred newcomers trained by John Gosden and Charlie Appleby.
Frankellina was well backed and is highly regarded by Haggas. She could be one to follow in 2019.
The winner, Berkshire Royal, is now 8lb higher and the fourth, Austrian School is on a 9lb higher rating. (The runner-up, Heart Of Soul has not raced since).
Morning Wonder has only run five times so is a fresh horse with potential for plenty of improvement. The opposition is well exposed, the best of them may be Finniston Farm, Busy Street and Multellie.
I hope the members of Teddington British Legion have a great day out at Newbury but why has the track let them rename the Group 3 St Simon Stakes (2.20) in their honour?
The race, first run in 1969, has a rich history and commemorates one of the greats of the 19th century. What price tradition? OK, rant over.
This year's renewal is booked for YOUNG RASCAL, whose only defeat this season came in the Derby, when he clearly did not handle the track.
Given a break after that he resumed with a win here over 1m3f last month and will relish this longer trip. Ground conditions look set to be ideal and he should be too classy for the tough and consistent Communique.
Weekender looks best of the older horses but he may struggle to cope with Young Rascal, who could be one of the four-year-old stars of next season.
One of the day's best bets comes in the very last race, PIPES OF PEACE (8.45 Kempton).
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He is a Classically-bred ex-Coolmore four-year-old who ran a blinder on his debut for Seamus Durack when just failing to get up in a decent 1m3f handicap at this track 17 days ago.
That run came after a year off when an unfancied 66-1 shot. He will be a lot shorter today but, with the extra furlong sure to suit and Luke Morris booked, he must go well.