Racing enthusiasts have a thrilling day ahead with eight races spotlighting Sandown and Aintree. Highlights include a Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown and the Becher Chase at Aintree, both set on heavy ground due to forecasted rain. Watch for top contenders like Operation Manna, running right after a successful outing last year. With challenging weather conditions expected, strategic wagers like Royal Way and Top Of The Bill offer potential value. Review the key races and predictions to plan your bets ahead of this exciting race day.
Sandown and Aintree feature on Saturday's ITV schedule
No Risk Des Flos, L'Eau Du Sud and Royal Way feature in our selections
Expired
Sandown racecourse. (Getty)
Saturday's Tips
ITV Racing Schedule
1:15pm Sandown - Pertemps Qualifier Tips
1:32pm Aintree - Handicap Chase Tips
1:50pm Sandown - Henry VIII Novices' Chase Tips
2:07pm Aintree - Becher Chase Tips
2:25pm Sandown - Handicap Hurdle Tips
3:00pm Sandown - Tingle Creek Tips
3:17pm Aintree - Handicap Hurdle Tips
3:35pm Sandown - London National Tips
ITV Racing fans have got eight races to enjoy on Saturday from across two of Britain's premier racetracks. Five strong contests will be shown live from Sandown on Tingle Creek day, as Aintree chips in with three good-quality handicaps.
Betfair Plays Different Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) 2m
3:00pm
Sandown
Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1) 1m7½f
3:17pm
Aintree
BoyleSports Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
2m4f
3:35pm
Sandown
London National Handicap Chase (Class 2) 3m4½f
ITV Racing Tips - Saturday 7th December
1:15pm Sandown - Pertemps Qualifier Tips
A biblical amount of rain has been forecast to fall at both Sandown and Aintree throughout Saturday. Heavy ground at both venues is all but guaranteed and yellow warnings for wind should ensure that conditions are incredibly testing.
Last year's winner, OPERATION MANNA (7/1) has to come into calculations. Tom Lacey's eight-year-old has an excellent record first time out and loves plenty of juice in the ground. The going was heavy when Cameron Isles' mount won this 12 months ago and Operation Manna is only five pounds higher in the handicap. He's surely worth a small wager.
1:32pm Aintree - Handicap Chase Tips
NO RISK DES FLOS (6/1) is interesting in our opener at Aintree. Olly Murphy's nine-year-old progressed nicely as a novice chaser, ending the 2022/23 season rated 139.
Sean Bowen's mount went close on his second outing of last season at Wetherby, finishing third behind two classy rivals off a mark of 135. After that, Murphy tried to turn No Risk De Flos into a three-miler, but failed to see out that distance on his final three starts of the season.
Bowen's mount finished second to a certain L'Eau Du Sud on his return to action over two-and-a-half miles at Stratford. No Risk De Flos has run very well on his two previous starts on heavy ground and enters this contest running off a lowly mark of just 126.
1:50pm Sandown - Henry VIII Novices' Chase Tips
Paul Nicholls' has never hidden his admiration for Rubaud, or his excitement about sending his chasing. Yet, to throw him into a Grade One on his first chasing start is some step, especially when the ground will likely be against him.
Soul Icon set some rapid fractions from the front in the Rising Stars, but might not have things his own way at the front this time. Touch Me Not jumped beautifully when landing the Craddockstown from the front at Punchestown. Down Memory Lane, who is the more talented of Gordon Elliott's two raiders, made all to win on his chasing debut at Navan. Both are greatly respected.
A fast pace should suit L'EAU DU SUD (Evns) who, apart from one blunder at Stratford, has jumped fences impeccably thus far. Dan Skelton's star travelled sweetly behind the pace in the Arkle Trial at Cheltenham and was far too quick for his rivals in the closing stages.
The track at Sandown should suit and L'Eau Du Sud has plenty of previous on heavy ground. If he passes this test with flying colours, then Dan Skelton has a genuine Arkle contender.
Harry Skelton riding L'eau Du Sud clear the last to win The Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase at Cheltenham. (Getty)
2:07pm Aintree - Becher Chase Tips
To give his stable star a sighter of the Grand National course, Chianti Classico runs under a welter burden of 12-00 on Saturday. That forces several entrants to run from outside the handicap, including favourite Gaboriot, who is three pounds wrong at the weights.
Spirit d'Aunou was a four-year-old when he won this race last year and he'll return to Sandown for another crack on Saturday. Gary and Josh Moore will also be represented by another four-year-old, ROYAL WAY (14/1), who has race-fitness on his side having run in two hugely competitive races at Cheltenham already this season.
Royal Way finished fourth of eight in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle in October, before barely being mentioned when eleventh in the Greatwood. All three of Royal Way's wins last season came around right-handed tracks, he won't mind plenty of juice in the ground and Freddie Mitchell's claimer leaves him shouldering just 9-11. At 12/1, Royal Way represents each-way value.
No bet for me here. I'm happy to leave this one well alone.
3:35pm Sandown - London National Tips
Mr Vango and Montgomery both look well-suited to this test, but I'd rather back one at a longer price - given how tricky conditions could be - and I've landed on TOP OF THE BILL (11/1).
Despite a tendency to jump a little left, Top Of The Bill has a very good record going right-handed at Exeter. Nigel Twiston-Davies' eight-year-old won twice at that venue last winter, before rounding off his novice campaign over fences with an impressive victory off 133 at Wetherby.
Jordan Nailor's mount finished last of the four on his reappearance in the Colin Parker, but two-and-a-half miles on good ground was never going to suit. The handicapper has dropped his mark by two pounds down to 135 for that effort, and I'm hopeful that Top Of The Bill will be better suited by Saturday's conditions.
Verdict
Saturday's Top ITV Racing Tips:
Best Bet1: L'Eau Du Sud 1:50pm Sandown @1/1 at bet365 - 5 Units
Best Bet2: No Risk Des Flos 1:32pm Aintree @6/1 at BOYLE Sports - 5 Units
Best Bet3: Top Of The Bill E/W 3:35pm Sandown @11/1 at Hollywood bets - 5 Units
Best Bet4: Royal Way E/W 2:25pm Sandown @12/1 at BOYLE Sports - 5 Units
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