Free Horse Racing Tips Cheltenham and Doncaster

Renowned Horse Racing Tipster and Journalist Ed Quigley, aka ‘Longshot Ted’ offers up his best bets for Saturday’s ITV action, and picks out some of the other horses who have made him sit up and take note, on what should be a cracking weekend of sport.

Cheltenham Advice: 
11.40 Active Duty e/w – William Hill
12.10 Panic Station e/w – BetVictor
12.40 Mortal e/w – Tote
1.20 Energumene – William Hill
1.50 Precious Eleanor e/w – BetVictor
2.25 Protektorat – Tote
3.00 Paisley Park – BetVictor
3.35 Pembroke – BetUK
4.10 Hystery Bere – William Hill

Doncaster Advice:
3.15 Ga Law – Tote

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We are off to Cheltenham for a 9-race extravaganza, and it is a card that has everybody absolutely buzzing, not forgetting a stacked card at Doncaster which sees former Champion Hurdle winner Epatante back on the track, as well as 12 runners due to go to post for the Sky Bet Chase.

The action at Prestbury Park gets underway at 11.40, with the Grade 2 Triumph Hurdle trial looking at a competitive heat. This race was won 12 months ago by Pied Piper in devastating fashion, and although I am sceptical we have that calibre of horse in here this time around, it doesn’t make it any less interesting. Comfort Zone just got the better of Dixon Cove at Chepstow last month, but the latter is 5lb better off this time around. Scriptwriter and Jupiter Du Gite bring major claims to the table too. However, I am going to have a small each-way play on the Ben Pauling-trained ACTIVE DUTY. He had some decent soft ground handicap form when he was trained on the Flat in Ireland. He looked raw when third on his hurdling debut at Ludlow three weeks ago but would have learnt a great deal from that experience. He could spring a shock with the yard having a great season.

Bet on Active Duty with William Hill

PANIC STATION (12.10) is my each-way selection in this Handicap Chase over the extended 2m4f. The presence of Grade 1 winning Hurdler Stage Star off top weight makes for an interesting dynamic, but I’m looking for the value further down the weights, and the David Pipe trained Mare fits the bill. She has some smart form on this trip, cut in the ground poses no problem, and this unexposed Chaser could have more to offer here.

Bet on Panic Station at BetVictor

It’s the Cross-Country at 12.40, and the tentative nod goes to the combination of Gordon Elliot and Sam Ewing with MORTAL. He hasn’t been seen for almost a year, but was fourth in this corresponding race last season and was a tad unlucky not to have got closer to the leaders as he slipped on the home turn, losing momentum. He’s 3lb lower this time around so the 11-year-old isn’t without hope.

The prospect of ENERGUMENE versus Edwardstone in the rearranged Clarence House Chase gets the pulse racing, and it’s hard for me to look beyond the Willie Mullins trained juggernaut. Winner of the Champion Chase last season, he looked as good as ever on his seasonal reappearance at Cork and can get the job done here. Arkle and Tingle Creek hero Edwardstone is a formidable opponent and won’t go down without a fight. 

Bet on Energumene with William Hill

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The 1.50 is a real head-scratcher and a case can be made for quite a few in here, so naturally, I’m treading carefully. Henry Daly is having a training renaissance, with the Ludlow handler having the best season of his training career in terms of strike rate. PRECIOUS ELEANOR has some good course form to her name, and off a mark of 128 could get in the mix from an each-way point of view, where a return to this venue is clearly a positive move for the 8-year-old Mare.

Bet on Precious Eleanor with BetVictor

The Cotswold Chase (2.25) sees a classy field of six going to post. A case can be made for all of the runners, but I keep coming back to the market leader PROTEKTORAT, who won the Betfair Chase in great style, was third in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, and on official figures is the best horse in the race. There will be sufficient juice in the ground to see him in tip-top form, and the Dan Skelton team are firing on all cylinders at the moment. Noble Yeats, the current Grand National hero, showed a devastating turn of foot in the closing stages to land the Many Clouds at Aintree. He looks like the biggest threat on paper but will have to prove he can bring his A-game to the table away from his beloved Liverpool; he disappointed when down the field here in last season’s Ultima. Ahoy Senor would be a player if he can get his jumping sorted and return to the form he showed last spring. Frodon is an asset to the game but is vulnerable to younger legs, and Sounds Russian may just lack that touch of class. Dusart could be the joker in the pack here, but has been troubled by a back injury in recent times so may need the run.

Bet on Proketorat with Tote

PAISLEY PARK (3.00) goes in search of his fourth win in the Cleeve Hurdle and he can get the job done once again. The swashbuckling veteran adores this venue and looked as good as ever when landing a Grade 1 at Kempton last month. I expect him to take all the beating in a race which, in my view, doesn’t have a great deal of strength and depth. All being well, Aidan Coleman can guide the 11-year-old into the winner’s enclosure which will then set up another crack at the Stayers’ Hurdle in March. Gelino Bello could be the danger, as the unexposed Paul Nicholls representative reverts back to Hurdles after falling in the Kauto Star Novice Chase at Kempton last month.

Bet on Paisley Park with BetVictor

PEMBROKE (3.35) looks exciting, and this hattrick seeking six-year-old can take the step up in class in his stride. The Dan Skelton yard has been operating at nearly a 36% strike rate for January, and this gelding arrives on the back of 16-length demolition at Ludlow. He’s into choppier waters here but I like his claims.

Bet on Pembroke at BetUK

The finale (4.10) is a trappy Handicap Hurdle, but I think this could go the way of the Tom Symonds representative HYSTERY BERE who lurks at the bottom of the weights. He is officially 2lb out of the handicap, but Jordan Nailor claims 3lb to negate that, and I think the combination has each-way possibilities. He was third in this race 12 months ago on the ground that would have been quicker than ideal, and cannot be left out of the equation here.

Bet on Hystery Bere at William Hill

Over at Doncaster, I am looking forward to the Sky Bet Chase, a race which I think looks tailor-made for the Jamie Snowden-trained GA LAW (3.15). He won the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November and can show even more improvement now up to 3m for the first time. Jamie Snowden has had a wonderful time of things over the last few months, and this lightly-raced 7-year-old can defy a mark of 150.

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Enjoy the Racing, and I will be back on Monday for my Review Column, taking a look at the key talking points from the weekend action.

Cheers!

Ted https://twitter.com/Longshot_Ted?

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