Snow Leopardess
Soaring Glory (right) in action

Free Horse Racing Tips: Saturday best bets and analysis for Sandown and Aintree


Three early bets for Aintree and Sandown for our man Chris Day with Snow Leopardess fancied to strike over the Grand National fences.


Racing betting tips: Saturday, December 4

1pt Protektorat in 2.05 Aintree at 5/1 (General)

1pt Snow Leopardess in 2.40 Aintree at 9/1 (General)

1pt Hudson De Grugy in 3.35 Sandown at 7/1 (William Hill)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

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Unibet Becher Chase preview

Saturday’s big race, the Betfair Tingle Creek, has lost some of its lustre with the withdrawal of Shishkin and the best betting opportunities at this stage appear to be at Aintree, where the National fences will be used for the last time before the big meeting in April.

Winning the Unibet Becher Handicap Chase has not necessarily been a pointer to the great racae, it’s more of a big race in itself, and has attracted a typically quality field.

One of the co-favourites at this stage is the Gordon Elliot-trained Escaria Ten, who has to have a big chance on his third to Galvin in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham. That obviously looks even better after the winner ran a blinder behind Frodon at Down Royal and he has to have a leading chance provided he takes to the obstacles for a trainer with a stunning record over these fences.

The next Irish-trained runner in the betting is Henry de Bromhead's Chris’s Dream, a late withdrawal from last weekend’s Ladbrokes Trophy. On a point of handicapping his mark doesn’t look too punitive but he does have to concede weight all round if this is his chosen objective and that will be a big ask.

Elliott also has 2020 National Hunt Chase winner Ravenhill entered and, while he’s not been in the best of form since, his mark is now 6lbs lower than at its peak and he’ll no doubt be showing up well in handicaps soon although he is now eleven.

Peter Bowen, another trainer who excels over the National fences, has Grand Sefton winner Mac Tottie in this and he certainly wasn’t stopping at the end of that race, suggesting he has a decent chance of staying the extra five furlongs on Saturday. He has gone up 7lbs in the ratings though.

Venetia Williams clearly has her string in red hot form and Achille looked an ideal sort for a race like this in finishing second in Haydock’s Grand National Trial and Warwick’s Classic Chase. His sixth in the Midlands National in March was another admirable effort but he’s also eleven rising 12 and and may not have anything in hand from his rating.

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Mighty Thunder warmed up for this with a run round Wetherby in the Charlie Hall after winning the Scottish National in April for which he has 6lbs more to carry. He’d previously been caught in the shadow of the post when runner-up in the Midlands National following victory in the Edinburgh National.

He’s very consistent and stays and jumps extremely well so should be right there if he manages to hold an early position.

It does, however, generally pay to race up with the pace at this track and Charlie Longsdon’s nine-year-old mare SNOW LEOPARDESS, looks an ideal type for this, having comfortably won a Bangor handicap chase last time.

She’s 5lbs higher as a result but was in good form this time last year, following victory at Haydock with a game runner-up effort in the Rowland Meyrick to Canelo and is a thoroughly genuine, likeable mare, who will make this a proper test assuming she takes to the fences and appears to still be progressing.

The other race at Aintree with a nice betting shape to it is the Unibet Many Clouds Chase with Native River out to win the race he landed two years ago although he was well below that form last year.

Dual Gold Cup winner, Al Boum Photo also has an entry but he’s always appeared to need the whole of the trip at Cheltenham and could find this race an insufficient test of stamina.

The other horse at the head of the betting, Champ, while very talented, is impossible to predict and I really like the chances of Manifesto Novice Chase winner PROTEKTORAT.

His staying-on second in the Paddy Power Gold Cup is absolutely top class form and he seeed to get outpaced there, looking for all the world like a step up to three miles was now necessary. He should take a lot of beating under conditions he'll love.

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A race run under various guises over the years, the Betfair Daily Rewards December Handicap Hurdle at Sandown always attracts a competitive field and if Metier runs his race, he ought to take plenty of beating from his mark of 144.

However here are no questions about the well-being of Gary Moore’s HUDSON DE GRUGY and he looks to have the potential to rate a fair bit higher than 134, just 4lbs above the mark he carried on his recent victory over course-and-distance.

The trainer does very well at this track, has had his horses in great form in the last month, and his runner here rates a bet.

Published at 1815 GMT on 29/11/21


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