Simon Holt best bets for Newbury and Newcastle on Saturday

Recommended bets:

1pt win Amour De Nuit in 1.50 Newbury at 8/1

1pt win Milkwood in 2.25 Newbury at 5/1

2pts win Vinndication in 3.00 Newbury at 7/1

1pt win Shantou Village in 3.15 Newcastle at 11/1

Saturday's Ladbrokes Trophy has attracted its usual compelling field but, trawling backwards and forwards through the runners, I kept coming back to VINNDICATION who, even if not quite the highest rated in the line-up, is the best horse in the race on recent form.

Kim Bailey's admirably tough gelding is on trial here for a tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup after his fine reappearance in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby when chasing home Cyrname who, on ratings, is the top chaser in the country.

Given that he jumped sketchily in the early stages that day, it was a good effort to get close to a rival who was clearly on song, and I suspect Vinndication will confirm the placings with third-placed Aye Right who may find that this three-and-a-quarter miles stretches his stamina.

In a recent racecourse workout at Newbury, David Bass' mount didn't exactly impress with his jumping again but it looks a good move by Bailey to fit him with cheek-pieces for the first time and this may well result in more fluency, particularly over the first few fences.

Vinndication is not exactly thrown-in on his fourth behind The Conditional and Kildisart at Cheltenham in March but the former (second last year to De Rasher Counter) lacks a recent run. Kildisart (now 3lb worse off) could be a bigger danger if he repeats that effort after an encouraging return over hurdles at Wetherby, though he lacked some consistency over fences last season.

Earlier, AMOUR DE NUIT should go well for Saturday specialists Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden in the Get Your Ladbrokes £1 Free Bet Today Handicap Hurdle.

The eight-year-old came back as good as ever after a long absence to defy top weight in an admittedly less competitive race at Plumpton earlier in the month, but that performance can be marked up as the soft ground would not have been ideal.

Raised just 3lb, but still rated a couple of pounds below his career high mark (over fences), Amour De Nuit will appreciate the likely faster conditions here and, although he is a smooth traveller who doesn't always find a tremendous amount under pressure, he has clearly returned in great shape.

In the Ladbrokes Committed To Safer Gambling Intermediate Hurdle, MILKWOOD can provide yet another boost to the form of his fourth behind Sceau Royal (winner since), Ballyandy (a brave second in the Greatwood Hurdle) and Buzz (an easy winner at Ascot) in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos-Las.

Fifth-placed Mario De Pail has also scored since under a big weight at Wetherby yet Milkwood remains on the same mark and might have got a bit closer that day but for being slightly squeezed out going to the last.

Conditions should also suit Neil Mulholland's improving hurdler who was a late withdrawal from the Greatwood due to the deteriorating ground.

At Newcastle, Mulholland also has a live chance with the lowly weighted SHANTOU VILLAGE in the Betfair Exchange Rehearsal Handicap Chase which will be run on an unusually quick surface.

Normally this race develops into something of a slog, but the selection wants it pretty dry and is very well handicapped on his best form of a few seasons ago when rated 149 compared to running here from 3lb out of the handicap off a mark of 132, a disadvantage negated by jockey Harry Reed's 3lb allowance.

Without a win since August, 2018, it would have been easy to write Shantou Village off but for a sudden return to form at Chepstow last month when sent off favourite for a veterans chase in which he was beaten less than two lengths into fourth behind Present Man (who, as in the past, has quickly trained off since.) Runner-up Crosspark was second again at Sandown subsequently.

There had been other small signs of a recovery over hurdles during the summer, but it was the fitting of a visor which may have provided a solution at Chepstow where he jumped and travelled well, and he'll be wearing one again here.

• Preview posted 1540 GMT on 27/11/2020