Chris Day with his best bets at Newbury and Newcastle

Recommended bets

1pt e.w. Secret Investor in 3.00 Newbury, Saturday at 16/1

1pt e.w. Potterman in 3.00 Newbury, Saturday at 20/1

1pt win Milkwood in 2.25 Newbury, Saturday at 7/1

1pt win Whatmore in 3.15 Newcastle, Saturday at 8/1

1pt win Huntsman Son in 2.25 Newbury, Friday at 10/1

For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record

The roll of honour for Saturday’s Ladbrokes Trophy is like a who’s who of jump racing and immediately transports us back to names like Burrough Hill Lad, Denman, Diamond Harry, Bobs Worth and Native River under its previous title while last year De Rasher Counter brought home the bacon for Emma Lavelle.

The race more often than not falls to a second-season chaser with aspirations to being a Graded performer and, not surprisingly, fancied contenders usually do very well.

As we speak, top weight looks like being carried by Nigel Twiston Davies’ high-class Ballyoptic, who won a Chepstow handicap on his seasonal debut in 2019 before going on to Charlie Hall success at Wetherby.

This year’s return to action at the Yorkshire track was far less auspicious and resulted in him being pulled up some way out and he’s easily passed over.

That race was won in imperious fashion by the top-rated chaser in training, Cyrname, who barely turned a hair in beating Vinndication, who races here off second top weight, by two lengths with another five lengths back to Aye Right, who gets in here off a mark of 150.

That was only Harriet Graham’s seven-year-old’s fourth completed chase start and for me he (Aye Right) sets the benchmark on Saturday.

He was 25/1 for this with one bookmaker following the race but if you didn’t get the price then it’s hard to justify getting stuck in at 7/1, although he does look like taking a world of beating as other horses with a similar rating were upwards of ten lengths behind him there.

Kim Bailey’s Vinndication is a potentially top class animal but I think he's at least 7lbs better right handed and Ascot’s Silver Cup the weekend before Christmas would be the perfect race for him. That said he’s hard to ignore with the stable in such terrific form and their other entry, Two For Gold, has to merit serious consideration from a mark of 148.

He looked all about stamina in getting back up to beat Hold The Note over three miles at Warwick in January and his reappearance at Wetherby, over two-and-a-half miles on good ground, revealed speed he’d not previously shown. He would be a live contender if lining up.

Imperial Aura looks to be setting the standard over middle distances so far this season and Sam Brown and Black Op had the form of their Carlisle runs behind Bailey’s fast-improver franked when he duly won a Grade Two at Ascot at the weekend.

The former may need softer ground to show his best though while the latter is a dual Grade One winning novice hurdler, a factor which used to be regularly found in winners of this race.

Last year’s runner up, The Conditional, bids to go one better here from a ten pounds higher mark having won the Ultima on Champion Hurdle day from the reopposing Kildisart.

He’d previously looked like a non stayer over further in Warwick’s Classic Chase but connections clearly think the world of him and have shown in the past that they can regularly bring top class staying chasers back to perform time and time again at the top table.

Kildisart had his handicap mark protected with an eye-catching third in the West Yorkshire Hurdle but has been around this rating for long enough to make me think something may prove better handicapped.

The horse I’ve not mentioned at the top of the market is Colin Tizzard’s Reynoldstown winner, Copperhead, who improved massively when sent over fences last season. I thought he was disappointing enough behind Kildisart at Wetherby though and he would need to show marked improvement here to get involved.

As you can probably tell, I think Aye Right is the likely winner of this but the race has a nice each-way look and the two I like are Paul Nicholls’ SECRET INVESTOR and POTTERMAN of Alan King's, who filled the first two places in a Chepstow handicap on good ground in October.

Highly rated horses do well in this and the former champion trainer has given Secret Investor 49 days to recover from those exertions, plus his second over this track to Native River in last season’s Denman Chase reads particularly well.

His stamina isn’t cast iron and he may be slightly better in smaller fields, but he jumps beautifully and travels like a very smart horse on good ground so ought to still be on the bridle deep into this race. At 16/1 is worthy of each-way support.

Potterman was an unlucky loser of the Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton, a race which always used to be considered a trial for this, as he was hampered by a faller in the straight and failed by just a short head to catch El Presente.

On good ground I think he’ll be able to latch on to the back of these and the finishing kick he displayed when clearing away to win a decent race at Market Rasen in August may enable him to get competitive if his jumping continues to improve. At around 20/1 he’s the other remaining value in the race.

Newbury’s card is full of betting opportunities and the Gerry Feilden Handicap Hurdle looks as hot a race as I can remember with Marie’s Rock, who was being aimed at a mares’ race at the Cheltenham Festival before meeting with a setback for champion trainer Nicky Henderson, two big improvers in Thyme White and Wild Max for Paul Nicholls and Mrs Hyd, who beat Verdana Blue at Wetherby a month ago, all entered.

However, the form of the Welsh Champion Hurdle is working out with the winner, Sceau Royal, winning the Grade Two Elite Hurdle, runner up, Ballyandy, filling the same position in the Greatwood and third home Buzz hacking up at Ascot last weekend.

Therefore Neil Mulholland’s easy Ffos Las winner MILKWOOD looks well in here from a one pound lower mark than when a close-up fourth in that race and at 7/1, with no other entries, he looks a bet.

The Dylan Thomas gelding has an impressive record on the flat and over jumps on decent ground and could be under-rated from a stable who regularly punch above their weight in handicaps.

Up at Newcastle I fancy Silver Streak to give Epatante plenty to think about in the Betfair Fighting Fifth with a victory already under his belt but the mares’ allowance will always make the favourite hard to beat so no bet is advised.

The Betfair Exchange Rehearsal Chase is always a competitive event and I fancy Henry Daly’s WHATMORE to show that three miles on a stiff left-handed track is just what he needs to show his best.

True, he’s four pounds higher than when beaten at Ascot last time but there was daylight back to the rest of the field there and Regal Encore always runs his race round the Berkshire track and was well handicapped on a great day for his stable there.

When Whatmore won a handicap hurdle around Bangor he hung left so I think Newbury will suit and he's a horse who can start to reward connections' patience.

Another trainer who will presumably be looking to run his charge before the ground turns soft is Alex Hales whose HUNTSMAN SON could be called the winner at every point of the race at Wetherby last time.

The form is strong with Ladbrokes Trophy fancy, Two For Gold, filling the runner-up spot and the excellent Kieran Woods will be looking to replicate the 'balls of steel' ride he gave him there in conditions which should be pretty much the same in Berkshire.

At 10/1, it’s worth chancing his trainer will take the opportunity presented in the Get Your Ladbrokes Free £1 Bet Today Handicap Chase rather than going to Aintree next weekend over the big fences in the Grand Sefton. He should be favourite if turning up here.

Posted at 1700 GMT on 23/11/20