Festival Trials Day Feast – Tips & Previews for All Eight Cheltenham Saturday Races

There’s an eight-race bonanza at Cheltenham on Saturday as the track plays host to their Festival Trials meeting. Looking ahead to what promises to be an unmissable day’s action, our expert has produced their selections through the card. Check these out below, alongside an exclusive Betfair sign up offer.

GEROMINO – (12:15pm, SSS Super Alloys Handicap Hurdle) 11/1

A tricky opener where it may pay to take a chance on GEROMINO, who racked up a quickfire hat-trick over hurdles earlier this season. He was beaten just a half-length when attempting to bring up the four-timer at Doncaster in December, and the winner, Tommy’s Oscar, is now as short as 25/1 for the Champion Hurdle.

Geromino bombed out at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day, but subsequent wind surgery suggests that there was an underlying issue there, and at a double-figure price, he can be backed to bounce back to form.

The ultra-consistent Lively Citizen should run his race once again and can pose the selection with most to think about, possibly ahead of Cormier, who will be ridden ice cold and can pick off a few late.

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PIED PIPER – (12:45pm, JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle) 5/4

Gary Moore’s Moulins Clermont bombed out on stable debut at Fontwell in November, but he was much improved at Sandown last time out and although back on these quicker conditions still looks one for the shortlist.

The Irish have dominated in this division in recent years, however, and making the journey over to participate in this contest, PIED PIPER rates the one to beat.

A 96-rated middle-distance performer on the flat for John, Thady Gosden and The Queen, this New Approach gelding was picked up for 225,000 guineas by current connections at the Autumn sales and made a winning hurdles debut at Punchestown last month.

The RPR of 133 produced there is the highest recorded by any runner in this line-up and would have been good enough to land three of the last five renewals of this race, so with the potential of more to come from Pied Piper he is tough to oppose.

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YOUR DARLING – (1:20pm, Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase) 11/2

Ben Pauling has his string in good form, and he’ll be hoping that YOUR DARLING can continue the run.

This 7yo struggled at Aintree on penultimate start, yet he had made a successful chase debut at Huntingdon on his start prior and bounced back to form in a traditionally strong Kempton handicap on Boxing Day.

Your Darling looked all set to score when jumping the last fence in front, yet somehow dropped to third on the run-in, where two more patiently ridden rivals took advantage of his weary legs.

He looks well-handicapped running off the same mark here, particularly if held on to for a little longer, and the yard knows what it takes to land this contest having sent out 2019 winner Kildisart.

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GALAHAD QUEST – (1:55pm, Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase) 11/2

Nick Williams sent out the 6yo Siruh Du Lac to land this contest in 2019, and representing the same age group in 2022, GALAHAD QUEST can provide the yard with yet another victory in the race.

This son of American Post made an eye-catching seasonal reappearance at Wetherby in October when just 2l off Good Boy Bobby, a horse now rated 12lb higher.

Galahad Quest himself is 3lb lower, that despite running well in defeat in competitive handicaps here in two of three subsequent starts. He came good around this time last year and shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the better ground, so rates a solid play at around the 11/2 mark.

Spiritofthegames is on a long losing run yet actually shaped better than the bare result over hurdles last time and with the assistance of a talented 5lb claimer in the saddle looks handicapped to win again in the near future – he is feared most.

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AYE RIGHT – (2:30pm, Paddy Power Cotswold Chase) 4/1

Chantry House bombed out when favourite for the King George last time out and although this appears on paper to represent a good opportunity to bounce back, his previous best doesn’t leave him with bags in hand on these terms and therefore it looks worth taking him on.

Preference goes to AYE RIGHT, who ran several fine races without managing to get his head in front last season.

He deservedly got himself back in the winner’s enclosure at Newcastle last time, and although that came at handicap level the second has since franked the form courtesy of a Grade 3 Wetherby victory.

The 8lb rise Aye Right received for that puts him on an official mark just 1lb lower than Chantry House’s, and it’s notable that five of his eight career wins have come when encountering ground with good in the going description.

Simply The Betts remains lightly raced for connections, but he is yet to conclusively prove his stamina for this trip and may find the selection a tough nut to crack.

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CHAMP – (3:05pm, Welsh Marches At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle) 8/15

Nicky Henderson’s CHAMP has always been a horse of clear ability and although a second season chase career failed to get off the ground, he returned to hurdles with aplomb at Ascot last month when landing their Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle.

He had both Paisley Park and Lisnagar Oscar behind that day and connections have sensibly kept Champ to the smaller obstacles with a tilt at the Stayers in mind.

Paisley Park now looks a little long in the tooth whilst Lisnagar Oscar’s career record is just 3-21 and Dandy Mag failed to complete in handicap company last time, so the obvious danger to the selection comes in the form of the Paul Nicholls trained McFabulous, who remains unexposed at the trip but is yet to completely convince that Cheltenham suits him as well as other tracks.

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A DIFFERENT KIND – (3:40pm, Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle) 10/1

Hillcrest is an obvious player here on the back of his recent C&D Listed success, but he’s a huge horse and whether this fast surface is exactly what he wants is up for debate.

Preference therefore goes to A DIFFERENT KIND, who is very much at home on a fast surface.

Donald McCain’s charge comes into this an unbeaten 5-5 under rules, being sent off no greater than 7/4 during that period. Whilst the form of some of those races looks open to question connections think the world of this 5yo and his penultimate victory over the progressive Green Book (conceded 5lb) does read well.

A Different Kind has regular pilot Brian Hughes in the saddle and it’s difficult to gauge where his limitations currently lie.

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MULLENBEG – (4:15pm, Alan Swinbank Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race) 9/1

Milton Harris is enjoying an excellent season and his MULLENBEG looks a particularly interesting entrant for this concluding Listed bumper.

Having showed respectable if unspectacular form in two point-to-point starts last year, Mullenbeg improved out of all recognition to run out a facile winner of a Ludlow bumper on stable debut earlier this month.

The hood fitted there is retained, and the manner in which she pulled clear effortlessly of her rivals was the performance of a well above-average mare.

Nell’s Bells was also very impressive last time out and can provide the selection with most to think about.

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Cheltenham Festival Trials Day Tips