The fields for Trials Day at Cheltenham on Saturday are set, with some of the sport’s most exciting horses set to clash on an informative and exciting day of action.
With race such as the Cotswold Chase, Unibet Hurdle and Cleeve Hurdle to enjoy, GG tipster Joe Napier has cast his eye over all eight races for our through-the-card selections at Cheltenham on Saturday.
Race 1: 12.05 Cheltenham – Push The Button (1pt e/w – 6/1)
The Anthony Honeyball-trained pair of Jordans Cross and Kdeux Saint Fray are the most progressive in this line-up, but Push The Button finished second in a Grade 2 novice chase last time and there is little reason to believe that was a fluke. Mark Walford’s charge won on his chase debut, beating Tellherthename into third, while the runner-up won next time out, with the selection second himself next time over 1m7½f at Wetherby to Meetmebythesea, who has won again since then. All of Push The Button’s form over fences stacks up, and his second to Steel Ally in the Noel Novices’ Chase at Ascot saw him beat recent Grade 2 winner No Questions Asked off level weights, with the talented Jax Junior ten lengths behind him. He is up just 1lb in the handicap and looks very capable of further progress at this trip on soft ground.
Race 2: 12.40 Cheltenham – Minella Yoga (1pt win – 3/1)
This is the time of year where many Paul Nicholls horses undergo vaccinations pre-Cheltenham, hence a typical drop in the yard’s form has occurred recently. Nevertheless, Minella Yoga’s debut success for Nicholls was so eyecatching in terms of who he beat that he is worth taking to down Dan Skelton’s Maestro Conti, whose own debut success was impressive, but might not have come against overly frightening rivals. Minella Yoga, however, beat Nicky Henderson’s Act Of Innocence, favourite for a Grade 2 novice event to conclude the card, which is noteworthy in itself for a juvenile up against his elders and his Irish bumper form shows he should cope with what is likely to be desperate ground.
Race 3: 1.15 Cheltenham – Uncle Bert (0.5pt e/w – 14/1)
A faller in the Welsh Grand National last time out, Uncle Bert may be capable of rebounding for the Twiston-Davies’ in this handicap. Jaguar is a formidable rival after his December Gold Cup third, but there is a chance he is close to the maximum rating he could win off and the lack of pace options may not set up well for closers such as him or Booster Bob here. Uncle Bert is one of only two likely to go forward at a decent gallop, having won so impressively from the front at Aintree to begin this season, which suggests he will do much better over fences this term than last. His Aintree form is rock solid too, the runner-up and the third having gone much closer to victories since then and he can be forgiven fading in the Welsh National upped so markedly in distance. He can put up a bold display here and is worth backing for each-way purposes.
Race 4: 1.50 Cheltenham – Placenet (1pt win – 10/1)
David Cottin sends the same pair for this cross country chase as contested the one in December, with Placenet taken to reverse placings with stablemate Iceo Madrik. They were third and fourth here last month, but the selection made a bad mistake when traveling smoothly into contention at the second last before ultimately running on. Soft ground should be no problem and he is 9lb and 3l better off with the winner that day Final Orders, for whom there must be a ground query as well as a form one with regards his trainer, and J’Arrive De L’Est, the likely favourite here, though for whom there looked to be no obvious excuse when second compared to Placenet’s error.
Race 5: 2.25 Cheltenham – Spillane’s Tower (1pt win – 11/2)
Grey Dawning is definitely the likeliest winner, but does not make any appeal as a bet at 1/2 or even shorter in places. The sporting bet is almost certainly Spillane’s Tower, with his form over hurdles taking a slight upturn last time and who is a completely different horse over fences. It is only just over a year ago that he went off favourite for the King George off level weights with Grey Dawning, and performed better than Dan Skelton’s grey, albeit only in fifth compared to that horse’s pulling up. 13 months later and he is a much bigger price than Grey Dawning despite receiving 6lb, so while his form has not kicked on since his second in the John Durkan last term, he is still only an eight-year-old and has been gradually brought along this term to peak back over fences.
Race 6: 3.00 Cheltenham – Sir Gino (2pts win – 4/9)
For those who avoid backing at odds-on, this is a no bet race, as though The New Lion should make him work for it, all evidence points to Sir Gino continuing his unbeaten record in the Unibet Hurdle. He will have to concede 3lb to his only realistic danger (aside from the hurdles), but he looked imperious in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton when shrugging off Golden Ace, a horse who looked much more threatening to The New Lion when he fell in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle. Both were fresh and keen on their reappearances, so should behave better today, but that only reinforces the idea that Sir Gino has even more in his locker.
Race 7: 3.35 Cheltenham – Ma Shantou (1pt e/w – 13/2)
Impose Toi could easily take another big step towards his Stayers’ Hurdle goals, but Ma Shantou may well serve it up to him in receipt of 6lb. Emma Lavelle’s charge may not yet have reached the levels of stablemate Paisley Park, but he is following a similar trajectory, having been down the field in the Albert Bartlett before progressing in handicaps the following season. Both of his wins have come at Cheltenham this season, one on the Old Course and one on the New, with both wins coming in authoritative style, suggesting he could have given more if required. He has risen 15lb in the handicap, but whereas Strong Leader has never shown his best at Cheltenham, Ma Shantou loves this place and may be a greater improver for each-way purposes than ten-year-old course and distance winners Doddiethegreat and Gowel Road.
Race 8: 4.10 Cheltenham – Act of Innocence (1pt win – 6/4)
Although any of his seven rivals could be open to threatening improvement, Act Of Innocence is the most exciting and plausible Grade 1 contender. He looked capable of going places when landing the odds on his debut for Nicky Henderson over 2m at Newbury, with his surprise reverse next time coming at the hands of a potentially useful juvenile in Minella Yoga, who he had to concede 20lb to on weight-for-age terms and winning penalties. He was nevertheless 12 lengths clear of the third on good ground over a trip that may well prove too short for him and so the step up to 2m4½f has to be viewed favourably given how he has seen out his races so far. He can get back on track with Henderson having compared him evenly to Supreme favourite Old Park Star.
Cheltenham Racing Tips – Cheltenham Trials Day Best Bets – Saturday 24 January
12.05 Cheltenham – Push The Button (1pt e/w – 6/1)
12.40 Cheltenham – Minella Yoga (1pt win – 3/1)
1.15 Cheltenham – Uncle Bert (0.5pt e/w – 14/1)
1.50 Cheltenham – Placenet (1pt win – 10/1)
2.25 Cheltenham – Spillane’s Tower (1pt win – 11/2)
3.00 Cheltenham – Sir Gino (2pts win – 4/9)
3.35 Cheltenham – Ma Shantou (1pt e/w – 13/2)
4.10 Cheltenham – Act of Innocence (1pt win – 6/4)
Windsor Meeting Start Time
- Cheltenham – first race 12:05
FAQs: Today’s Racing Tips
What are Saturday’s Cheltenham Trials Day Through-The-Card tips?
Joe Napier provides his best bets for every race at Cheltenham on Saturday 24 January, 2026
Who is Joe Napier?
Joe Napier is the deputy editor of GG who gives tips and opinion throughout the week. He has been writing for GG for over four years and is hugely passionate about racing.
When were the Cheltenham tips published?
The Cheltenham tips for Saturday 24 January were published at 1.30pm on Thursday 22 January.
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