The Toteswinger Challengers Novices Chase at 2:35 looks like the perfect opportunity for the Nicky Henderson trained Punchestowns to continue his preparations ahead of the Cheltenham Festival next month. Making only his second start over fences, he is likely to be a short price to follow up his impressive debut win back in November. However, readers who followed Tom’s advice and backed him for the Royal and Sun Alliance Chase at 7/1 ahead of that seven length Newbury success may wish to tune in to channel four on Saturday afternoon and hope that another win will see the current odds of 7/2 shorten further and increase the value of their antepost voucher.

In the 3:10 at Sandown, it is another Nicky Henderson runner in the form of Strawberry, who I expect to run a big race in the Totescoop6 Heroes Handicap Hurdle. This mare made an impressive return to Hurdles when landing a Grade Two at Kempton over Christmas and despite disappointing when pulled up in her latest outing at Ascot a couple of weeks ago she is worth a second chance off a mark of 140 on favoured soft going.

Up at Doncaster, the feature race of the day at Town Moor is the 3:25 Blue Square Handicap Chase in which Kalahari King can defy top weight to win this competitive looking race. The Ferdy Murphy trained nine year old looks fairly treated on what he achieved last season in events better than Saturday’s race, most notably when a short head second to Forpadydeplasterer in the Arkle at Cheltenham and a demolition job in the Grade One Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree. This will be his first run since last April and whilst there is the obvious question mark to answer regarding fitness, he is proven to go well fresh, winning three of his past five season reappearances on varying going. He is also sure to have his work cut out to concede weight to several useful rivals but eight of the past ten winners of this race have carried in excess of 11stone to victory and given his proven ability he looks like taking a chance with at 10/1 with Bet365 or Paddypower.

On Sunday, over in Ireland, there is an excellent card at Leopardstown where the feature race is the Hennessy Gold Cup. However, it is likely that most of the attention will be on 2:10, Deloitte Novice Hurdle, where the exciting Dunguib will make his final preparations before heading to Cheltenham but at odds of 1/3, he is best left but the 2:40, the Dr P.J. Moriarty Novice Chase, does present the opportunity for a bet in the form of Roberto Goldback. The Jessica Harrington trained runner has shown signs of making real progress in his last two runs and it would appear that the penny may have finally dropped following the transition from Hurdles to fences. Winning easily over Sunday’s course and distance last time out, it would be surprising not to see this lightly raced eight year old kick on once again and looks a solid option at 5/2 with Ladbrokes. He also hold an entry for the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, for which he is currently a 33/1 with most bookmakers.

Weekend Racing Tips

3:10 Sandown, Saturday – Strawberry to win
3:25 Doncaster, Saturday – Kalahari King to win @ 10/1 with Bet365 or Paddy Power
2:40 Leopardstown, Snday – Roberto Goldback to win @ 5/2 with Ladbrokes

Once a mainstay of Channel 4 Racing Lord Oaksey has been a tireless campaigner for the Injured Jockeys’ Fund for a number of years, and there’s no doubting who’ll get the biggest cheer of the day if seven year old Kayf Tara gelding Carruthers can stick his big head in front up the Cheltenham hill.

The absence of Denman (he goes for the Aon Chase at Newbury in a couple of weeks) will have disappointed the racecourse executive, but as long as the weather doesn’t strangle another keenly anticipated fixture (Clerk Simon Claisse tells me it’s forecast to be minus five tonight) they’ll be packing the stands at Prestbury Park for a meeting the crowds love.

You can’t get a hotel room for love nor money in Cheltenham tomorrow night, although depressingly my old pal Lord Culcheth will be in attendance and has already secured a duplex penthouse for the night in the town centre.

Expect the usual cougar hunting antics to be on display as he preys on any unsuspecting boozed up potential victims.

Back to the Argento though and the chances of headline selection Carruthers. He really appeals given that tissue favourite Madison Du Berlais has never been seen to the best of his sizeable ability here at Cheltenham.

Flatter tracks like Aintree, Newbury and Kempton seem to bring out the best in him, and you have to go way back to the 2006 Grand Annual to find a time when he really performed with distinction at Cheltenham, when a three length third to Greenhope in the Grand Annual.

Clearly he’s improved enormously since then, but I couldn’t be backing him here with a lack of positive evidence regarding how he handles the track. His stable may be on fire (six wins in the last two days for the David Pipe team), but he’s readily passed over.

Don’t forget Madison ran a tame eighth of sixteen in this race two years ago.

Ratings fans will prove to the 11lb gap in the figures (Madison 166 – 155 Carruthers), but our selection is an improving youngster with an exhilirating, bold front-running style who can serve it up to the favourite tomorrow.

He ran a good race here when fourth of fifteen in the RSA last March, only losing his momentum when trying to demolish the third last with a catastrophic blunder.

A tame effort on his seasonal reappearance at Wincanton was put firmly in the shade when he bolted up at Newbury in the Mandarin Graduation Chase at Christmas time – he won by a street on testing ground beating Paul Nicholls’ Big Fella Thanks that day, and he can take this en-route to a tilt at the Kauto and Denman in the Gold Cup.

Nicholls fields two of the seven runners with novice Inchidaly Rock and the returning Taranis.

It’s really fantastic to see a horse of the calibre of Taranis come back from a very serious injury. Off the track for 766 days they’ve had to be really patient with this talented horse, and still only nine he’ll hopefully be gracing a winners’ enclosure sometime soon, although surely it’s too big an ask for him to take this particular prize.

Course and distance winner Inchidaly Rock is the stable’s main hope with Ruby on board, but he’ll need to be very good to take this and make it a hat-trick for the season as he steps out of novice company.

Perhaps he will be able to bridge the gap, but I much prefer Carruthers to make it a special day for much loved owner/breeder Lord Oaksey, trainer Mark Bradstock and jockey Mattie Batchelor.

Back him at a standout 5/2 with William Hill.

Saturday’s Cheltenham tip:

2.35 – Argento Chase – 3 Carruthers (win) @ 5/2 (William Hill)

A distant 22nd of 27 in last season’s County Hurdle this isn’t a horse you’d immediately have flagged up as a major player in the two mile hurdling showpiece, but a retun to the track at Prestbury Park in November yielded a facile win in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, as Kyber Kim powered up the hill under a light weight to see off Harry Tricker by a couple of lengths.

A course specialist, he then took a whopping step up in class to face the likes of Celestial Halo (winner of the 2008 triumph Hurdle, second in the 2009 Champion Hurdle & a runaway winner of Wincanton’s Elite Hurdle) and Punjabi (winner of the 2009 Champion Hurdle) in the Boylesports International; his arrival into the elite ranks was rubber stamped that day as he again quickened to see off all comers.

That was a very smart display, and when you recall he was a better horse than the likes of Hurricane Fly when campaigned on the level (reached a mark of 106), and yet he can still be backed at 14/1 each way for the big one in March, he looks worth an interest since he has clearly improved significantly and loves Cheltenham.

If there is a question mark it may lie in the pre cold snap form of his stable, who although weren’t necessarily banging in the winners with the regularity of their pre Christmas precision, still had enough run well in defeat to suggest things may have been somewhat exaggerated, plus the Festival lies more than two months away.

Get on with Sportingbet or Stan James.

Victor Chandler sponsor the 2m 5f Handicap Chase at 2.10pm, and I’ll be aiming to hit the ground running by backing Razor Royale each way at 15/2 with Stan James.

Free £25 Bet when you join Stan James today

Needless to say it’s a hot race this, but much as Bernard Dorsett famously claimed to be ‘a lover of mousse’ on Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me, it’s safe to say Razor Royale is a lover of Cheltenham, a track local to his Gloucestershire yard the eight year old almost always seems to perform upon with distinction.

In the prize money on seven of his nine visits to the venue he’s in rude health at the moment, bolting up in the Amateur Riders’ race on the Friday of the Paddy Power Meeeting, before following up with a fine second to Poquelin in the Boylesports Gold Cup in December.

Up 3lbs for that effort he’s saddled with a nice racing weight of 11st 2lb here, and with the excellent Paddy Brennan doing the steering he looks to hold an excellent chance of being involved at the business end of things.

Favourite Chapoturgeon looks to have a tough task carrying a big weight, while his stablemate Tatenen was thrashed at Sandown last time and jumped like a hairy goat on his previous outing in the Paddy Power Gold Cup here in November.

Of the other likely candidates Exmoor Ranger is a funny horse who never seems to run two races alike and ended up on the deck last time he ran at Cheltenham, but if you’re looking for one to back at a huge price I wouldn’t put you off Stan, an eleven year old making only his second start for Tim Vaughan after a switch from Venetia Williams.

This is certainly a case of trying to make an old clock tick again, but this a horse with a lot of ability if he chooses to put his best foot forward.

He loves Cheltenham, is twice a course and distance winner here including this very race 12 months ago off a mark of 143, and now races from a droppping mark of 145.

To my eyes it wouldn’t be the greatest surprise if he was to spring back to form, especially as he’s benefitting from a change of surroundings and has historically performed well at this time of year.

Don’t be too surprised if he gatecrashes the party and makes the frame at huge odds. The 33/1 on offer with Stan James or William Hill looks worth a small interest.

Have a great New Year’s celebration.

I’ve got the misfortune to be on duty supervising the infamous Lord Culcheth and his dishevelled companion Borres as they launch an assault on some unsuspecting leathery boozed up cougars, while the Bulldog editor of the column is dining on lobster and other sought after dishes in a very nice restaurant in the North West before working it off by taking part in a round the clock vigil to clear snow off the pitch at Deepdale in preparation for Preston’s next home game.

Good luck!

Friday’s Cheltenham tips:

2.10 – victorchandler.com Handicap Chase – 4 Stan (each way) @ 33/1 (Stan James or William Hill)

2.10 – victorchandler.com Handicap Chase – 6 Razor Royale (each way) @ 15/2 (Stan James)

My idea of a bet in the race is 20/1 outsider In Compliance on only his third run for the Dessie Hughes team – a proven Grade 1 performer who’s been there and done it at the trip at the highest level, this fragile type showed he retains plenty of his old ability when winning at Thurles after missing two years due to injury, and then followed up with a fine second to the fast improving Joncol in the John Durkan.

He would have got much closer to today’s favourite Joncol (not a guaranteed stayer and would surely want it softer than yielding) had he not hit the second last at Punchestown, and although there are many options in today’s race, he appeals on value grounds at 20/1 given that the horse who saw him off last time out is 7/2 favourite, despite having questions to answer.

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Earlier in the day favourite backers can fill up on Noel Meade’s Pandorama as he bids to make it three from three over fences in the Knight Frank Novice Chase at 1.30pm.

He acts around Leopardstown, has looked a class act over the larger obstacles so far, and beat the second favourite Alpha Ridge seven lengths at Fairyhouse last time.

Perhaps his bigget threat is the faster ground, but given he won a bumper on predominately good ground less than two years ago
i’d suggest it looks safe to get involved. Win bet at 5/4.

Good luck!

Monday’s best bets:

1.35 Leopardstown – Knight Frank Novice Chase – 8 Pandorama (win) @ 5/4 (general)

2.35 Leopardstown – Lexus Chase – 5 In Compliance (each way) @ 20/1 (Stan James who go 1/4 odds 1-2-3)

It’s a race that pitches 156 rated pair Forpadydeplasterer and Tranquil Sea together, and there’s no way I can desert the runaway Paddy Power Gold Cup winner as he drops back in trip to 2m 1f here.

Edward O’Grady’s horse was rampant at Cheltenham in handicap company, turning an apparently hot race into a procession, and although this is obviously harder he’s improving fast enough to suggest a Grade 1 win could soon be his.

Don’t forget the horse he beat in the Paddy Power Poquelin then came out and bagged the Boylesports, and if you factor in he’s twice a career winner at Leopardstown (a bumper and hurdle race in 2007) he must have a big shout here.

This former Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle winner has the speed to be effective back at this shorter trip – back him to win in the hands of Andrew McNamara.

At Kempton the mare with the worst form figures in Western Europe will be hoping for a change of luck in the 2.05pm, the williamhill.com – Bingo Mares’ Handicap Hurdle, as My Petra takes her chance for Nicky Henderson and Barry Geraghty.

Figures of FPPPV make a mockery of her huge ability, and back against her own sex she can make it career win number five over hurdles.

Finally I really am looking forward to seeing some class horses on display in the Desert Orchid Chase at 2.40pm.

The brittle but utterly brilliant Well Chief gets my vote in a mildly sentimental selection - he might have failed to spark in the Tingle Creek three weeks back, but he proved he retained plenty of his old ability when seeing off Mahogany Blaze (favoured at the weights here) and Master Minded on his seasonal reappearance, and if David Pipe can produce him at the top of his game then he’ll be hard to beat.

Connections still retain genuine hopes of clinching the Champion Chase crown that this ten year old deserves.

Good luck!

Sunday’s bets:

1.25 Leopardstown – Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase – 7 Tranquil Sea (win)

2.05 Kempton – williamhill.com – Bingo Mares’ Handicap Hurdle – 2 My Petra (win)

2.40 Kempton – williamhill.com Desert Orchid Chase – 2 Well Chief (win)

Shovelling cash on Kauto at 8/13 for a fourth King George isn’t my idea of fun, he should win and I dearly hope he does, but Deep Purple could turn out to be a huge improver and I expect a far better show from Imperial Commander than he put in last year, he might be the each way bet at 7/1, but I’ll swerve that in favour of a headline bet in the Christmas Hurdle.

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Binocular can be a Boxing Day stocking filler by bouncing back to his best in the williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle.

A course and distance winner he’s the proven class in the race, and although chief market rivals Go Native (winner of the Fighting Fifth in which Binocular finished only fifth in November) and Starluck are hugely respected, he should still have too much in his locker if he’s back on his game, and he can be ridden a bit more aggressively off a proper pace.

A lack of an early gallop cost him dearly on his seasonal reappearance, but having improved for an outing and with his stable firing in the winners like it’s a hook a duck competition at Garstang Village fete, he can make up for lost time here.

He’s at least 5lb clear of his rivals on official figures, has had a nice break between races, acts on the track, has his ground and can stamp his class here.

A win bet at 11/8 with the sponsors should do the trick.

Nicky Henderson and AP McCoy can also take the opener at the Sunbury venue (12.45pm) with a really nice type in Bellvano – he made it look like child’s play at Newbury on his hurdling debut and can follow up here.

It was the second day of the Hennessy meeting that he burst onto the scene with a fluent debut over the obstacles.

Don’t expect fancy prices, but at around 4/5 he’s ideal material for the middle leg of a patent.

Lastly, over in Ireland I may well soon be out of a job. Thank goodness I hear you say, not before time!

Due to commitments at Kempton Ireland’s richest man will be stepping into my shoes at Leopardstown to talk about the day’s betting and exchange news with Brian Gleeson on RTE Sport.

The man in question is Ireland’s answer to Peter Andre, James “Cracknell” Griffin, a great judge and a welcome addition to the team.

He’ll prove very popular with the punters, especially if he tells them to back Sizing Europe in the 2m 1f Novice Chase at 2.20pm.

He should go off around even money and I’m hoping he can continue his spectacular progress after winning his first three starts over fences, all at Punchestown, in taking style.

Good luck!

Saturday’s best bets:

12.45 Kempton – williamhill.com – Bonus25 Novices’ Hurdle – 1 Bellvano (win)

2.20 Leopardstown – Bord Na Mona With Nature Novice Chase – 6 Sizing Europe (win)

2.30 Kempton – williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle – 1 Binocular (win)