Saturday Racing Tips: Knappers Hill looks a Select choice for Nicholls

James Mason

Apr 29

It's the final day of the jumps campaign in Britain and Ireland on Saturday afternoon and that means a busy day of action in store.

Sandown hosts the Jumps Finale meeting in Britain, while over in Ireland it's day five at the Punchestown Festival - we've got dedicated tipping for both alongside tips for all of today's ITV Racing action.

Elsewhere, they race at Doncaster, Ripon, Haydock Leicester and Wolverhampton (AW) on the Flat and we've got a trio of selections across Saturday to consider.

Selections

Sandown 4.00 - Knappers Hill @ 3/1
Doncaster 5.40 - Rhythm @ 3/1
Punchestown 4.25 - Champagne Gold @ 18/1

Tip 1

After the ITV cameras turn off there's still a Grade 2 contest to come at Sandown Park via the bet365 Select Hurdle at 4.00 and it's a race Paul Nicholls can secure via KNAPPERS HILL (3/1).

The Ditcheat supremo will be crowned Britain's champion trainer for the 14th time this afternoon and this is a meeting he traditionally goes strong for.

Knappers Hill landed the valuable novices' handicap on this card a year ago and resumed with another two wins in the autumn, the latter the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton (1m7f, good to firm).

He's held his own since in decent Grade 2s and could have more to offer at this distance as he matures. Any drying of conditions at Sandown will be perfect for him and Harry Cobden's mount has youth on his side against the likes of Call Me Lord and Thyme Hill, while the enigmatic Goshen is becoming much tougher to trust these days.

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Tip 2

Trainer Ruth Carr will have been thrilled to see RHYTHM (3/1) make a winning seasonal bow at Newcastle on the Tapeta at the start of the month and they can follow up now.

The mare ended last year on the up with wins at Gosforth Park and at Pontefract (6f, good to soft) and she came out and won off a 5lb higher mark in the north east this month off the back of a 168-day absence in the hands of Joanna Mason.

They weren't exactly pushed to the pin of their collars to land the prize and find themselves racing from only 3lb higher in this Town Moor assignment.

She went close from this sort of mark early last summer over 5f and, in her current mood, it's hard to see Rhythm not being in the shake-up in this Betfred Extra Place Race (four places).

Tip 3

Another Betfred Extra Place Race (four places) goes to post at Punchestown via the Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase (4.25) over three miles and CHAMPAGNE GOLD (18/1) is an outsider of some note for Henry De Bromhead in the familiar Minella Indo colours of owner Barry Moloney.

Not much went right for Champagne Gold in the Plate at Cheltenham last month but he is rated some 7lb lower here and that was his first run since October, so there's a chance he'll be sharper for it. He could have plenty to offer upped in trip to three miles for the first time under Rules having shaped with plenty promise in three chase starts from July-October last year.

He stayed 2m4f at Cheltenham on good ground in October and has form at this trip as a point-to-pointer. Mikey O'Connor's 5lb claim further aids his cause and this mark of 135 could be within his reach in a Grade B handicap that perhaps isn't as fierce as we might have expected for this meeting.

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