Timeform Daily View | Saturday preview and tips

By Nic Doggett

Horse Racing

Fri February 20, 2026 · 3h ago

Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on Saturday.

Shooting for the moon

It’s one of the quieter Saturdays of the racing season – certainly in terms of headline names – but the youngsters of the Ladbrokes Adonis Juvenile Hurdle (13:45) can help prove that Saturday afternoon at Kempton is more relevant to the National Hunt season than a Flat gallop at Southwell on Friday evening.

The market strongly suggests that Precious Man – whose price for the Triumph ranges from 12/1 to 33/1 - is expected to turn the tables on his Cheltenham conqueror One Horse Town (first-time cheekpieces) on 5lb better terms, and it’s worth noting that the market often tells plenty when it comes to the Skelton yard, especially as they also have Maestro Man at home who dispatched One Horse Town fairly readily in the Finesse Hurdle last month.

However, the horse who caught my eye most that day was the eventual fourth La Luna Artista. She found trouble off the home turn there, kept in a pocket whilst those around her were quickening; Cieran Gethings wasn’t tough on her once defeat was obvious and she finished with plenty of running left. My only slight doubt is that she’s a Fred Winter project (will be qualified after this run), but at the prices she is the one for me receiving plenty of weight.

French challengers Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm will be hoping to do their own Francois Doumen – who won the Adonis three times in seven years at the start of the century – impression with Allure, and he’s another pay close attention to in a contest that looks tighter than the ratings might suggest (Precious Man 7lb clear of nearest rival with a ‘small p’ attached to his rating).

Meanwhile, the dogs were barking about Fantasy World ahead of his hurdling bow at Musselburgh on Sunday. He’s quickly turned out after a laboured fourth there, but it’s hard to see this test suiting a strong stayer on the Flat whose best form came on testing ground. His sales price of 600,000 guineas currently looks a good bit of business...for the vendor at least.

Click here to read Andrew McLaren's Weekend View

More Nicholls joy on the cards

The days of Kauto Star and Master Minded may be on the fading horizon for Ditcheat, but Paul Nicholls’ domination of the Ladbrokes Pendil Novices’ Chase (14:25) has continued almost unabated, with 14 wins in the race since 2006 all told, including 12 months ago with Rubaud.

This year’s representative is Go West, an eight-year-old who has two wins to his name this term but a poor run behind Lookaway over C&D in-between. He was patiently ridden that day, which was a bit odd as all of his best performances, both over hurdles and fences, have come when ridden prominently (all had a Timeform in-play symbol of 1).

He’s up against a ‘Horse In Focus’ Jasmine Bliss who travelled strongly when winning a mares’ event at Huntingdon earlier this month, and a top-rated Jax Junior who seemed to relish a strong gallop when winning a competitive handicap at Sandown last month.

If Harry Cobden can get his tactics (and fractions) spot on here, then I’m not sure they’ll be able to keep tabs on this speedy sort. He is one of the bets of the day for me.

The following Grade 2 – the Ladbrokes Dovecote Novices' Hurdle (15:00) – has been more equally shared in terms of winners, with Nicholls, Chris Gordon, Alan King and Nicky Henderson all recording multiple wins in the race this century.

Klub De Reve, Blues Singer, and Matiwo all caught the eye of the Timeform race reporters on their most recent outings, while Mustang Du Breuil, Double Measure and – from less illustrious but no less able yards – Desertmore News and Onlyforfrankie all won with their head in chest last time out.

That looks a strong renewal, a comment that also applies to the Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase (15:35) where the top-weight Boombawn is rated 4 lb superior to last year’s top-weight Hyland.

Hyland was one of 12 rivals left in the wake of emphatic winner Katate Dori 12 months ago and the Sam Thomas-trained gelding is back to defend his crown from an 11 lb higher mark, but he suggested that his new perch might not be a barrier when going close off 1 lb lower at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

It’s tight on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, however, with just 6lb separating top-rated Kdeux Saint Fray – who is expected to improve for this longer trip – and the aforementioned Boombawn.

https://www.sportinglife.com/join?returnurl=/racing

Duck Mr Vango in good-to-soft Eider

Away from Sunbury-on-Thames - in-fact a whopping 302 miles - is Gosforth Park racecourse in Newcastle, the scene of the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Eider Handicap Chase (14:43).

In contrast to what you might anticipate, this marathon handicap over more than four miles is not usually run in very testing conditions. Once again, and I’m not sure how given I’m sinking as soon as I step outside, the going is currently described as 'good to soft' which - as was the case when he was a pulled-up favourite in the 2024 Scottish National - may not suit top-weight Mr Vango’s destructive front-running tactics as much as connections may have been hoping for.

'Horse In Focus' Anglers Crag defied numerous jumping errors when winning this race from 4lb lower in 2024 and looked on good terms with himself in a refitted tongue-tie when winning at Carlisle last time, while the same can’t be said of last year’s winner Knockanore – the first novice to win the race since 2012 - who was pulled up over hurdles at Newbury last month but this is likely to have been the target for some time. He’s out of the handicap, and 11lb higher than last year as a result, though, which might scupper the plan.

Livin On Luco and Dom Of Mary both performed with credit when fourth and sixth respectively behind Haiti Couleurs in the Welsh National last time, while the return to a flatter track should suit Aintree specialist Fortunate Man but he will need to settle better than when third to Pic Roc at Sandown last month.