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Horse Racing Tips: Mick Fitzgerald’s Saturday picks at Leicester, Newbury & Leopardstown

Mick Fitzgerald

Horse Racing Tips

6 months ago

Mick Fitzgerald’s Saturday ITV Racing tips

12:15 Leicester – Butch
13:45 Newbury – Go To War
14:00 Leopardstown – Bob Olinger
14:20 Newbury – Surrey Quest
14:35 Leopardstown – Galopin Des Champs
14:55 Newbury – Regents Stroll
15:10 Leicester – Invincible Nao
15:35 Newbury – Shanagh Bob

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

12:15 Leicester – Butch

Olly Murphy’s runner, BUTCH, is highly thought of and connections believe he could take them to the bigger Spring Festivals next year.

He ran up a hat-trick of wins last season before Botox beat him in the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock. He can start his ascent over the larger obstacles in this 2m 4f Novices’ Chase.

13:45 Newbury – Go To War

GO TO WAR ran a good race on seasonal debut when second at Huntingdon to Bluegrass earlier this month on his first run for Nicky Henderson over two miles. The step up in trip to 2m 4f will suit and he could take a bit of beating with that first run under his belt.

14:00 Leopardstown – Bob Olinger

The 3m Grade 1 Savills Hurdle where Home By The Lee tries to follow up a recent Navan win over BOB OLINGER, but I think the latter will get his revenge. Henry de Bromhead’s runner will have benefited more from the race in my opinion, and can turn the tables today.

14:20 Newbury – Surrey Quest

A 3m 1f handicap chase that sees SURREY QUEST try to build on a very good run at the Cheltenham November meeting when second to Abuffalosoldier.

He looked like he needed the run that day and I was impressed that he was able to run as well as he did. That outing should have put him straight for this contest.

14:35 Leopardstown – Galopin Des Champs

What a race we have in the Grade 1 Savills Steeplechase over 3m. A dual Gold Cup winner, GALOPIN DES CHAMPS is the reigning champ, against stablemate and rising star Fact To File.

Galopin Des Champs probably needed the run when he was third to Fact To File in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown last month, so he should be cherry-ripe for this test. It’s a bit of a coin toss, but I just favour Galopin Des Champs to win.

14:55 Newbury – Regents Stroll

The Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle is a cracking contest where The New Lion, It’s Hard to Know, and REGENTS STROLL are bringing in unbeaten records.

Dan Skelton’s reckon The New Lion is the best they’ve had for a while, and that’s saying something. However, Regent’s Stroll could be the best that Paul Nichols has had for a while also. He’s one of the best-looking horses I’ve ever seen in training! He’s smart and can prove that today.

15:10 Leicester – Invincible Nao

Gary and Josh Moore have their team in very good form, and INVINCIBLE NAO ran some good races last season, which made them have too many guns for this field. He made a pleasing reappearance effort at Sandown behind Mount Tempest and can build on that now to complement last season’s win at Fakenham.

15:35 Newbury – Shanagh Bob

The usually reliable SHANAGH BOB was very disappointing at Uttoxeter on seasonal debut but can bounce back now. He was fourth in the 3m Sefton Novices’ Hurdle last season behind the like of Dancing City and the Jukebox Man.

This Novices’ Handicap Chase is a deep enough race, too, where Inthewaterside has plenty of potential if he can learn to settle better in the preliminaries and the early part of the race. If he gets away on the front end, though, he might be hard to catch, but there are a few ‘ifs’ about him, so the percentage call has to be Shanagh Bob.