Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Cheltenham and Doncaster on Saturday. View selections below.
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WHOLESTONE (3.35) can lay down a marker for the Stayers’ Hurdle crown in March by landing the Cleeve Hurdle on Trials day at Cheltenham.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s seven-year-old has a terrific record around Prestbury Park, winning three times last season before finishing third to Penhill in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in March.
Wholestone made an underwhelming return to action in the Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury when trailing home behind Beer Goggles but a return to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day sparked a revival as he held Agrapart quite comfortably in the Relkeel Hurdle.
SANTINI (3.00) is one of many talented young novice hurdlers at Seven Barrows and Nicky Henderson was reluctant to run him on bottlomless ground last weekend, preferring to wait for this target.
The six-year-old was impressive on his UK debut at Newbury in early December, pulling clear of Chef Des Obeaux. The track was riding soft that day so underfoot conditions should be okay.
OUR MERLIN (4.10) has been a money-making machine for Robert Walford this winter.
The six-year-old’s winning streak came to a halt at Sandown three weeks ago but he met an above-average rival in Call Me Lord. The handicapper has notched Our Merlin up a few more pounds but perhaps this isn’t quite as strong a contest.
Davy Russell is a terrific booking for tricky L’AMI SERGE (3.15) in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster.
He can race off a lower mark over fences and ran a cracker last time in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, cruising up to Sam Spinner early in the straight before finding the doughty northern horse too strong on the run-in.
CALETT MAD (2.05) has had a wind op since flopping behind On The Blind Side at Cheltenham’s big November meeting and sets a good standard in the Grade 2 Novices’ Hurdle.
He was sent off a strong 7-4 favourite that day on the back of a impressive victory at Cheltenham towards the end of October and may have too many guns for the Henderson-trained Ludlow winner Indian Hawk.
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Tally Ho
Alan
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