SATURDAY WEEKENDER

14:10 Gowran Park Our first selection away from TV sees us make a trip over to Ireland to tackle Gowran’s fourth race. The biggest danger and fear to my selection is a horse that has never finished better than third over jumps but Sli Na Fiarana has had a fantastic flat campaign this year. If the yard can help to convert that blistering flat form to work over fences then it is undoubtedly going to have a massive result here. That said however the horse has always flattered to deceive over fences and if it goes off at less than 5/1, as I suspect, I’m not too confident in it winning. This has therefore lead me to a horse who was pretty impressive on its seasonal return when finishing second at Cork. Despite not picking up the win the horse still finished ahead of nineteen runners that day and I don’t think the form of this race is really too strong strong. With David Casey taking the ride on Teresa Lisbon another huge plus it may have slipped under the radar. Teresa Lisbon (E/W if 5/1+)

17:45 Wolverhampton My second selection seems quite a speculative one in a very open race but one stands out to me here. The horse I’ve gone with has only raced over this course and distance once and only raced under this jockey once. Both of which ended in a win. The horse in question is Tom Dascombe’s Thataboy who’s run well recently and isn’t too high in the handicap and should give another great account of itself today. Of the rest the danger has to be Noverre To Go who is due a good run and has course winning form to boot. Thataboy (E/W if 5/1+)

19:15 Wolverhampton Sticking with the flat and all-weather we move on to Wolverhampton’s 19:15. It may well be sacrilege to take on a maiden race but the way that Godolphin are firing in the winners I have to take note of Mountainside. The horse impressed when third last time out and should come on again for that run and is why I can’t see past it. Likely favourite Assagher ran well to finish fourth on its race course debut however the third in that race has subsequently lost in a four runner race and the form is very questionable. Of the un-raced runners you have to respect any youngster from Marco Botti’s stable so Aabir goes in the notebook but I’m all about thet royal blue of Godolphin. Mountainside (E/W if 5/1+)

by Rory Paddock