Horse Racing Tips: Tanya Stevenson's Selections For Saturday

Tanya Stevenson's Selections For Saturday

• The Panel Selection 1: 13:50 Newbury - Kruger Park - Win - 15/2 With BetVictor
• The Panel Selection 2: 15:15 Warwick - Le Milos - Win - 4/1 With William Hill
• The Panel Selection 3: 15:35 Newbury - Joyeuse - Win - 6/1 With Ladbrokes
• The Panel Selection 4: 15:35 Newbury - King William Rufus - Each-Way - 40/1 With Betway

Check out the latest Cheltenham ante-post video from The Panel below. See which horses Gambling.com's Dean Ryan and The Racehour's Diarmuid Nolan have picked out for the Festival. 

Tanya Stevenson Panel Tip 1: Newbury 13:50 - Kruger Park

The first race from Newbury live on ITV is the 13:50, and it's no shock to see Up For Parol at the head of the market after that sublime ride from Gavin Sheehan at Ffos Las.  

The horse was given a peach and there was a hurdle omission which helped him do a shimmy to victory. This time round the level of horses up against him is stronger.

Paul Nicholls is doubly represented and I get the feeling that the conveyor belt of Ditcheat winners is starting to speed up in recent days.  

Kruger Park has only finished out of the first three twice in eight races over hurdles. 

I really felt for him last time out at Uttoxeter as he was having another crack at just under three miles.  

Though you’d be forgiven for thinking they were in a sprint as he and Kilbarry Hill started racing well before three out. The pair did well to finish first and third. 

The form has stood strong with Kilbarry Hill subsequently a good second at Haydock and the fourth - Katate Dori - who then won twice and was second in the Somerset National. 

Freddie Gingell’s strike rate this year is 21% and his strike rate for Paul Nicholls is 15 winners from 67 rides (22%).

Tanya Stevenson Panel Tip 2: Warwick 15:15 - Le Milos

Le Milos’ finest hour came at Newbury but this weekend, he is at Warwick in a Veterans Race.  

Harry Skelton’s aeroplane celebration crossing the line when winning the Coral Gold Cup in November 2022 caused quite a stir and much debate.  

Le Milos went on to be an admirable 10th in the 2023 Grand National. 

Since then, he didn’t cross our mind with any stand-out runs until creeping into seventh in the 2024 Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown, only beaten 11 lengths.

He hinted at a return to form at Cheltenham in October this season, only to run flat again at Newbury, when leading until two out then fading badly.  

Le Milos was much more like it at Chepstow last time out, when conceding weight to the first two home, the winner being none other than Lowrys Bar. He was only beaten just over eight lengths.  

So with the handicap mark falling and form improving, as well as Fugitif’s first preference to head to Newbury, Le Milos might just allow Harry Skelton to celebrate again.

Tanya Stevenson Panel Tip 3: Newbury 15:35 - Joyeuse

Nicky Henderson has won the William Hill Handicap Hurdle six times, with the first coming in 1998 with Sharpical.

His last two wins have been for owner JP McManus with the smooth win of My Tent Or Yours in 2013 and last year with Iberico Lord.  

The latter goes again and if successful he will be the only the second horse to win the race twice after Rosyth in 1963 and 1964. 

JP McManus has had 32 runners in the race in total, with three winners, five seconds and a third.  

However if you hone that down to the horses who ran for him that were priced at 10/1 or under, then the record is rather striking. It's three wins and four seconds from 17 runners.

Joyeuse will be under 10/1 unless she takes a marked drift on betting apps. 

She is so unexposed and her best run was her most recent, which is really heartening.  

That was at Cheltenham in a Mares handicap hurdle over half a mile further. When watching her back, Nico was riding her patiently to see if she could get the trip out.  

The only trouble was, she travelled so well and so did many of the others running in between the second last and last, which meant there was no way through and she had to sit tight and blind to the final hurdle. 

Inexperience was probably the leading factor in the end to why she didn’t get closer to Wodhooh.  

Gordon Elliott’s filly was racing up a sixth win in a row, yet Joyeuse still finished second with Take No Chances in third.

Take No Chances had finished fifth in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth, and then went on to beat hotpot Kargese and battling Ooh Bettty in a Grade 2 Mares Hurdle at Ascot.  

So the potential is there - shouting out through a megaphone.  

The one snag, I delved deep into the record of mares in Newbury’s 15:35 and it is not great.  

Since 1990, 31 have tried and only two have won; Mysilv in 1995 and Sprint Leader in 2003.  

It’s not all bad. If you bring some sense into the scenario and only count those who were in single figures, then it comes down to one win, two thirds, a fourth and two fifths from eight mares.

This race is run generally at a frenetic pace and seeing that Joyeuse has tried 2m 4f and travelled as if she needed them to go faster, can only be a positive.  

It is also a race that suits those towards the top of the market, five of the last 10 favourites have obliged.

Tanya Stevenson Panel Tip 4: Newbury 15:35 - King William Rufus (Each-Way)

For my fourth selection for Saturday, I'm going for an each-way alternative in the same race.

Chris Gordon has been a trainer to follow when it comes to the William Hill Handicap Hurdle. 

His love affair with the race started in 2018 when Remiluc crept into fifth at 33/1, a couple of years later Remiluc found the frame again third this time at 66/1!  

In total, Chris has had seven runners, five have reached the frame and a level stake each-way would have seen you over 20 points ahead.  

This year it’s a little tricker as he runs three. 

I have had to discount his 2023 winner Aucunrisque as his recent explanation to the stewards after a poor run on good to soft ground at Kempton was that he would have preferred to be on quicker ground.

Our Champ has a lively chance after his third to Navajo Indy and Queens Gamble in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury in November, and he could be up there from the start. 

However, I'm going towards the bottom end of the race card to King William Rufus. 

He pulls hard and sometimes is sent off in front in a bid to settle him and/or surprise his rivals. 

Though if you scan his form, names such as Gidleigh Park, Titan Discovery and Jeriko Du Reponet pop up and he isn’t that far behind them. 

Strange though after an emphatic success at Ascot in December, he was asked to come out seven days later at Chepstow.  

It was a pea souper and barring the last, there was ‘nothing to see here’.

He must have faded and that can be excused. It's now 43 days on and he does run well fresh.  

Sprinkle on the spicy ingredient of conditional Charlie Maggs in the saddle claiming five and his price may seem value each-way on the best betting sites.