The Daily Star’s TV tipster The Couch provides up his Saturday fancies
Myretown, Samuel Spade and Il Etait Temps are among The Couch’s top tips for Saturday’s televised action
Danny Mullins on Il Etait Temps holds off Paul Townend on Gaelic Warrior to win The Barberstown Castle Novice Steeplechase (Grade 1)(Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)
NICKY HENDERSON sent out a very exciting novice hurdler called Fire Warning to bolt up at Newbury on Wednesday, which bodes well for the chances of OLD PARK STAR (1.25) in the Sky Bet Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle over two miles at Haydock Park on Saturday.
Unbeaten in two starts over timber at Cheltenham and Kempton, this ex-Paul Nicholls beast looks a good thing.
On her last trip to the belts and braces at Newbury in late November, LA CONQUIERE (1.40) showed a smart turn of foot to score over today’s trip, having earlier obliged at Uttoxeter.
Jamie Snowdon’s lady can land her hat-trick in the Bet MGM Warefield Mares’ Hurdle over two miles at Ascot.
At the Cheltenham Festival in March, MYRETOWN (2.00) hacked up by 11 lengths in the Ultima Handicap when rated 127. That went down as well as a bad pint with the assessor, who raised Lucinda Russell’s front-runner to a mark of 142.
He fell at the ninth fence when travelling strongly in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in late November when he carried my wonga, so I’m going to give him another go in the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Handicap Chase run over three and a quarter miles at Haydock Park.
Sam Thomas was among the winners at Newbury on Wednesday, and I expect VINCENZO (2.20) to keep the bandwagon rolling by capturing the bet365 Handicap Chase run over two miles and five furlongs at Ascot.
The eight-year-old was second on his last outing at Cheltenham 35 days ago off a mark of 139. Nudged up to 140, this consistent animal looks sure to go very adjacent in a race where many of his opponents are not in the best of form.
On his only visit to Haydock Park last January, SOLAR SYSTEM (2.35) scored over two miles and five furlongs off a perch of 112, and Philip Hobbs’ creature makes his seasonal bow in the Sky Bet Handicap Hurdle run over three miles at the Lancashire venue off a mark of 117.
The excellent Callum Pritchard now claims only 3lb, but he is well worth his allowance and I expect JP McManus’s horse to run a very big race as his stable had a nice winner on Wednesday.
The Maltese Falcon is one of my favourite flicks with SAMUEL SPADE (2.53) hunting down the bejewelled bird with the great Sydney Greenstreet.
The horse scored off a rating of 125 at Ascot in February and, after being hiked to a mark of 133, he has plummeted back down to 125 for the BetMGM Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle at Ascot.
Ben Pauling has decided to stick a pair of cheekpieces on the seven-year-old for the first time, so back over a course and distance he likes, Samuel Spade is worth an each-way nibble around the 16-1 ledge.
Harry Cobden has been confirmed as JP McManus’s stable jockey for next season and he gets the chance to impress his benefactor when he swings his leg over Jonbon for the first time in the Grade One Bet MGM Clarence House Chase run over an extended two miles at Ascot.
But Jonbon was trounced nine lengths by IL ETAIT TEMPS (3.30) over a mile and seven furlongs at Sandown last month and it’s hard to look beyond Willie Mullins’ flying grey, who looks a more tractable horse than he was last year.
The great Irish trainer has saddled half a dozen winners this week, so his yard couldn’t be in better heart.
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