Fairyhouse 7 11 23 Imagine and Jack Kennedy win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Steeplechase © Photo Healy Racing
Navan and Cheltenham stage excellent cards this weekend with plenty of value on offer and a number of stars are in action. Our team has cast an eye over the form and selected their fancies in Ireland and the UK.
Vincent Finegan has picked out his best bets for the weekend.
Tyre Kicker (nap) 14:30 Navan Sunday Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Steeplechase (Grade 3)
Bottom weight Tyre Kicker can give Gavin Cromwell a first victory in the Troytown Chase. This 7-y-o won his first three starts over fences last season and produced a promising effort on return at Galway when chasing home Grandero Bello. Out of a Presenting mare he should have no issues with the quick ground.
Dame Rapide 12:50 Navan Saturday Hotel Park St. Johann In Tirol Austria Handicap Hurdle (80-130)
Dame Rapide is a consistent mare when she gets decent ground. She has won six times on the Flat and twice over hurdles and she should be in the thick of it here. Her trainer is of the opinion that she is getting better with age and if a recent spin over fences hasn’t taken too much out of her she can win here.
Betting Expert’s Stephen Harris unearths his fancies in the UK at Cheltenham.
Champagne Twist (NAP) 3.30 Saturday Cheltenham 2m5f handicap hurdle
Ben Pauling has a cracking team of young horses to go to war with this season, and his scopey ex-pointer remains with plenty of upside over timber after 5 starts last season. He seems sure to be primed for this reappearance with the yard now firing in the winners (4 in the last fortnight), and the better ground conditions should suit ideally under the much improved Ben Jones.
Imagine 2.20 Saturday Cheltenham 2m4f handicap chase
Harry Derham’s new arrival from Gordon Elliott is completely unexposed over fences after just three career starts over fences, and seems sure to be primed by his excellent trainer for this valuable Saturday handicaps first time up.
