Wincanton Saturday

1:30 Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Handicap Chase 1m 7f 149y

None of the runners here are entirely solid, with Artemis Kimbo an unconvincing jumper who again made mistakes when making all to beat an 84-rated rival last time. Fast Buck has the best form in the last year or so but has not fired so far this season. He could well bounce back, but his price rather assumes that he will, and he makes only limited appeal at the current odds. Mr Grey Sky ran poorly last time, and trainer Kim Bailey’s recent runners have all been well beaten, with only one of the last 20 even making the places.

Another who needs to bounce back is Magic Saint, and Paul Nicholls has stated pretty bluntly that he will need the run, a notion backed up by a moderate record fresh. Heavy ground is also a negative for him, but not for Prince Quali who would have needed his first run since April 2022 when fifth over hurdles here last month. Robert Walford’s charge was a four-time winner over hurdles/fences in France for David Cottin and is fairly handicapped on the pick of his efforts there. The seven-year-old should strip fitter for that belated return to action and has been found a pretty weak contest for his chase debut in the UK.

2:05 Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Handicap Hurdle 1m 7f 50y

Feach Amach is one to look out for if you’ll excuse the pun. The daughter of Fracas handles deep ground well, having finished a four-length fourth to Warm Heart in a Leopardstown maiden last spring, and she ran by far her best race over hurdles when winning a juvenile hurdle at Sedgefield in November in very deep ground. That is not especially strong form, but was a big step in the right direction, and there are few in this race who cope so well with the predicted conditions.

Fourofakind looks a poor favourite here, and while he was a winner on officially soft ground at Haydock last season, conditions were less testing than the description there, and he has been soundly beaten twice on soft ground this winter.

Mini Yeats looks a bigger danger to me having caught the eye over course and distance last month. He can build on that first run in 13 months and is feared.

2:40 Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily Handicap Chase 2m 4f 35y

A longer trip would be preferable for Georges Saint, but the heavy ground should ensure that stamina is fully tested and he’s quite a confident pick to follow up his recent Fakenham win.

In truth, he didn’t seem to enjoy the tight track at Fakenham but stormed clear from the final turn to win by a wide margin under Lucy Turner and remains the type to maintain recent progress over fences, with his sound jumping a big asset.

Georges Saint was nothing special over hurdles last year but was essentially biding his time over the smaller obstacles and he really took my eye when finishing fourth on his chase debut at Chepstow in October, looking in need of the run, but shaping like a winner in waiting.

He built on that when winning narrowly at Ffos Las and is now seeking a hat-trick of wins, and while this is tougher on paper than his task in a female jockeys’ event last time, he is expected to prove up to the task.

3:15 Virgin Bet Daily Price Boosts Handicap Hurdle

2m 5f 82y

Individualiste is the worthy favourite here but is likely to start at very cramped odds and that should create a little each-way value about the reliable Rare Clouds. Simon Earle’s 10-year-old was unlucky not to win at Chepstow last time, coming through from the rear with what looked a winning run before propping slightly on landing over the final hurdle. He rallied well to be beaten in a three-horse photo and is clearly up to winning off his current mark on that evidence.

Most of his form for current connections has been on faster ground, but he raced regularly on heavy ground for Sue Smith, looking perfectly at home in such conditions, and it was pretty testing at Chepstow last time, so I don’t envisage any problems, and although there are only seven runners, plenty of firms are betting ‘1/5 odds 1,2,3’ on this contest, which appeals to the each-way thief in me.

Newcastle Saturday

2:50 - QuinnBet Acca Bonus Handicap Chase 2m 4f 19y

Empty Nest showed next to nothing in four runs between the flags, and fared no better over hurdles, but he has improved since switching to fences in low-grade handicaps, finishing just under six lengths fourth of 14 to Coniston Clouds at Catterick before going down by a neck in a close finish there last time behind Kings Justice and Okavango Delta. He was finishing best of all that day having been left poorly positioned after an early error and is likely to appreciate the stiffer test here.

3:25 quinnbet.com Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f 62y

Not much quality on offer again here, but Yealand does look to have been brought along gradually with handicaps in mind and he was far from knocked about when finishing fourth in a fair novice event at Bangor last time, staying on steadily at the finish. The return to two and a half miles will suit Jennie Candlish’s handicap debutant, and he looks very fairly treated on balance.

Plumpton Sunday

2:50 BetGoodwin Sussex National Handicap Chase 3m 4f 102y

There is no jockey I’d rather be backing in three-mile chases at the moment than Gavin Sheehan, and he’s taken to get a win out of the less-than-prolific Special Acceptance. Paul Webber’s veteran missed two years before reappearing just under a year ago, and he took a few runs to find his feet, as expected. He’s now run up a sequence of creditable efforts to prove that he’s back in good form, and his best effort came when runner-up in this corresponding event three seasons back. Now rated 8lb lower than for that effort, his recent form is working out well and with his sole win having come on soft ground here, he’s taken to double that tally off a lenient mark.

When Special Acceptance was second to Crosspark at Huntingdon in November, he had two next-time-out winners behind, and he followed that with another excellent second, this time to Milan Bridge over three miles and one furlong here, where he had course specialist I See You Well 12 lengths behind. He stayed on strongly that day and a return to three and a half miles should see him in an even better light.

Recommended

Saturday

Georges Saint 2:40 Wincanton – 2pts win @ 5/2 (general)

Rare Clouds 3:15 Wincanton – 1pt e/w @ 10/1 (general – 3 places)

Sunday

Special Acceptance 2:50 Plumpton – 1pt e/w @ SP (4 places)