Another huge weekend of horse racing action so Andy Newton is back with his popular Saturday ITV Racing tips from Sandown and Aintree.
Over the two meetings the ITV Racing schedule will give us EIGHT LIVE contests to look out for.
These include the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown – which is often a good guide to the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
While at Aintree, we get a chance to see the horses in action over the unique Grand National fences in the Becher Chase.
You can also catch Andy on the popular Final Furlong Podcast each week and also get his free daily horse racing tips – including Lucky 15 and NAP best bets on SportsCasting.
Sandown Saturday ITV Horse Racing Tips: Il Etait Temps Can Give Mullins Second Tingle Creek Win
1:20 Sandown – Pertemps Network Handicap (Pertemps Hurdle Series Qualifier) Cl2 (4yo+) 2m 7 1/2f ITV4
Green Book likes Sandown (two-from-two here) and hasn’t been seen for 996 days, so would be some training effort from Venetia Williams, who won this in 2018.
The yard need a winner to get their season going too, but it’s hard to knock his track record and could sneak into a place.
With all of the last 11 winners aged between five and eight, I’m leaving the four year-old Lavender Hill Mob.
The Skelton runner Supremely West ran no sort of a race last time at Cheltenham when well-backed, so could bounce back.
Is off the same mark though, has 12st and with only one win in his last ten, might not be the easiest to catch.
But the horse that won that race at Prestbury Park KIKIJO did it well and looks worth sticking with.
A seven pound rise looks fair for that 2 3/4 length win as he’s only had five career runs over hurdles and should have more to come.
But 3lbs of that is offset with Callum Pritchard riding – which is a further plus as seven of the last 11 winners of this race were claimer jockey ridden.
Oh, the Hobbs team seem to like this race too – winning the prize in 2021 and 2022.
Of the rest, Turndlightsdownlow heads here after two nice wins at Kempton.
Is up 9lbs more here and will face softer ground (both wins came on good), but is certainly going the right way.
🥇KIKIJO
🥈SUPREMELY WEST
🥉GREEN BOOK
1:50 Sandown – Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) Cl1 (4yo+) 1m7½f ITV4
The 2025/26 jump trainers championship leader Dan Skelton will be hoping to add another £56k to this tally here with Be Aware.
This grey jumped well and gave the promising July Flower a race at Cheltenham last time (2nd), so can’t be dismissed. As was also giving her 7lbs that day.
Lump Sum also caught the eye on his chasing debut at Uttoxeter and the second Jax Junior has won since to boost the form.
Alnilam is certainly no back number either after two nice chase wins to his name.
But all three were rated a tad below LULAMBA over hurdles and it was also hard to not be impressed with the way Nicky Henderson’s four year-old started his career over fences.
He jumped for fun at Exeter that day (watch below) and being a four year-old also gets the handy 6lbs age allowance off the others here to add further salt to the wound.
While the third that day (10 1/2 lengths) Salver bolted up at Sandown on Friday to boost the form.
Hendo won this recently with Jonbon and Altior, so Lulumba has big boots to fill – but he could be up to the job.
We’ll find out on Saturday.
🥇LULAMBA
🥈LUMP SUM
🥉BE AWARE
2:25 Sandown – Betfair Plays Different Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) Cl2 (3yo+ 0-150) 2m ITV4
Dance And Glance was a fine fourth to Alexei last time at Ascot and with that horse going onto win the Greatwood Hurdle there’s a lot to like.
He’s dropped a pound too. But my niggle with this Honeyball runner is the ground – with his best runs coming on quicker (proven right as he’s non-runner now).
Course winner Glynn Brae enters the picture too but is up 5lbs for that win so more is needed.
Go Dante will love the ground and will be better for a recent sixth at Bangor.
Sean Bowen rides and he’s 2-2 here after winning the last two Imperial Cups (3lbs higher).
But the one of interest is a horse that’s gone well fresh in the past.
And is also actually last year’s winner – KNICKERBOCKERGLORY, who was well-backed to land this 12 months ago.
This Skelton runner hasn’t won since and is still 6lbs higher than last year, but this could be the time to catch him.
He’s won on his seasonal return in 2022, 2023 and 2024 – and the Skelton’s can seemingly do little wrong on Saturday’s at the moment.
This nine year-old also loves it when the mud is flying (was heavy last year), which he’ll get on Saturday.
Harry Skelton might need several pairs of goggles, but Knickerbockerglory is taken to land the ice-cream money again.
🥇KNICKERBOCKERGLORY
🥈GO DANTE
🥉GLYNN BRAE
3:00 Sandown – Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) Cl1 (4yo+) 1m7½f ITV4
We might only see a handful of Tingle Creek Chase runners this year, but it’s still a little early season Christmas cracker.
Two-time winner Jonbon is back at this favourite track after fluffing his lines again at Cheltenham in the Shloer Chase last month.
While the winner of that race L’Eau du Sud has seemingly progressed over the summer.
He jumped really well there and is also a CD winner here, having won the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase here last season.
Back to Jonbon, and despite his poor run last time, his form here at Sandown is outstanding 1-1-1-1-1-2 and he’s still to finish out of the first two from his 18 chase starts.
Jonbon’s Only Sandown Defeat Can Against Il Etait Temps
However, his only defeat here at the Esher track came in the Celebration Chase at the end of last season and the bad news for him is that the winner IL ETAIT TEMPS is coming over from Ireland again.
Surprisingly, the Willie Mullins team have only won the Tingle Creek once (Un De Sceaux, 2016) but with his runner this year translating to “It’s About Time” – then maybe it is time we saw another Mullins winner here.
He travelled and jumped very well when beating Jonbon by 5 1/2 lengths in the Celebration Chase (watch below) and has since returned this season with a facile win in the Clonmel Oil Chase.
El Etait Temps is still only seven, so could have more to some and will head here having won his last four chase starts.
He’s 7/1 for the Champion Chase but many will look to his 0-3 Cheltenham record and say win-lose, or draw here – he might still struggle in March.
Or maybe he’s just a better more experienced horse now and surely if taking this, one more crack at the Festival is worth it?
In the last 23 years, we’ve seen six Tingle Creek winners follow-up in the Champion Chase – Altior, Dodging Bullets, Sire Du Grugy, Sprintre Sacre, Master Minded and Moscow Flyer.
Will we see another in 2025/26?
🥇IL ETAIT TEMPS
🥈JONBON
🥉L’ EAU DU SUD
3:35 Sandown – Betfair Exchange London National Handicap Chase (GBB Race) Cl2 (5yo+ 0-150) 3m4½f ITV4
The stayers step forward for the final race on the Sandown card this Saturday.
O’Connell will be popular being a proven course winner and coming from the in-form Sue Smith/Joel Parkinson yard.
Will be better for a recent return run (3rd) at Carlisle, but is also 8lbs higher than last win here at Sandown.
He’s a consistent stayer and I think it will be hard to keep him out the money.
Venetia Williams won this in 2022 and has Tanganyika in here with a live chance.
He won well twice last season but as a result shot up the ratings, but we know he’ll stay having run second in the Midlands National over 4m2f.
Ask Brewster won well last time at Chepstow and is considered too, but the second and fourth have been well beaten since so I question the form.
Course winner Invincible Nao gets in with just 10st 7lbs and looks progressive for the in-form Moore yard, who fired in a Sandown Friday treble.
But one I think is slightly over-priced is RIVERS CORNER (or was, as is being supported now – due to Pricewise copying me – ha).
He was a good third at Exeter last time with that coming off a 8-month break will be better for it.
Is off the same mark too, but pulled clear of the fourth (and rest) last time to suggest there is more to come from this Tizzard runner, who is lightly-raced over fences.
The horse that won that Exeter race – U Cant Be Serious (Tizzard too) – also franked the form by winning again at the same track on Friday.
Brendan Powell, who is riding well at the moment, gets the leg-up.
🥇RIVERS CORNER (e/w)
🥈O’CONNELL
🥉TANGANYIKA
Aintree Saturday ITV Horse Racing Tips: Course Lover The Becher Chase Value
2:05 Aintree – Wirral Juvenile Hurdle (Listed Race) (GBB Race) Cl1 (3yo) 2m1f ITV4
This race looks to revolve around former work colleagues Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls, with the pair having the two main players.
Skelton has 87 flat-rated Edelak, who was a winner at the Galway Festival in the summer over 1m4f.
Has since been switch from the Johnny Murtagh yard to Skelton and is sure to have been well-schooled.
But this is a race Paul Nicholls loves to target – he’s won four of the last seven renewals and has a great chance with TREASURE PLANET of adding to that record.
He was third on debut at Chepstow, but bolted up next time at Ludlow under Freddie Gingell, who rides again – winning by 18 lengths.
This will be harder, but he looks on the up and with the top Nicholls record in the race I’m happy to stick with Treasure Planet to rocket home and land gold.
Bibe Mus and Scarlet Moon can do best of the rest.
🥇TREASURE PLANET
🥈EDELAK
🥉SCARLET MOON
2:40 Aintree – Becher Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) Cl1 (6yo+) 3m2f ITV4
Over the National fences here and some of the key Becher Chase trends tell us 20 of the last 22 winners were aged eight or older.
While 18/22 had just one start that season and 17/22 had raced in the last seven weeks, plus carried 10st 12lbs or less in weight.
The last two stats are against the likely favourite Mr Vango, who will have a massive 12st to lump and hasn’t been out for 266 days.
But these trends are a plus for GABORIOT, who gets in here with just 10st 2lb (1lb out of the handicap) and was a fine second over these fences in the Grand Sefton last time.
That came over 2m 5f, but stayed on well that day so this step up to 3m 2f looks a big plus and is also back 2lbs lower than when third in the Sefton in 2024.
Skelton Reports Galia Des Liteaux In Tip-Top Form
He can go well, but another ‘G’ – GALIA DES LITEAUX– gets the verdict and is the call to give Dan Skelton another big Saturday winner.
Skelton has reported as having the horse in grand shape ahead of this and has experience of these fences after running 8th in the National in April 2024.
She’s back rated 15lbs lower if you take Tristan Durrell’s 3lb claim into account (than that National run) and will be better for a recent fifth at Carlisle at the start of November.
With 10st 10lbs, aged 9, having a recent run and also experience over the fences – she ticks a lot of the main stats too.
Bill Baxter has form over these fences too, when winning the 2023 Topham Chase and won’t mind the ground.
While another Greenall/Guerriero horse (also trainer Gaboriot), White Rhino could do better now he’s tried these fences, after running ninth in the Sefton last time.
Plus he did get slightly hampered that day by a faller.
There is also a £500k Becher Chase-Grand National bonus put up by sponsors William Hill if any horse can win both races.
Which with the National carrying a £500k of it’s own could see an owner land a cool million.
🥇GALIA DES LITEAUX
🥈GABORIOT
🥉WHILE RHINO
3:15 Aintree – Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) Cl2 (4yo+) 2m4f ITV4
Wellington Arch will drawn the eye being a proven CD winner and having a consistent profile.
But is up 10lbs from his Grade Three Aintree Handicap win back in April so certainly needs to take another step forward.
This is a race the Olly Murphy yard have done well in – winning the prize in 2021 and 2019.
They’ve got a few entered too – the old boy Brewin’upastorm, who is now 12.
He’s also got recent Chepstow scorer Rambo T and last season’s Martin Pipe runner up ACT OF AUTHORITY.
Of his entries, the last named will be better for a recent spin at Newbury, when fourth to Haiti Couleurs.
Lewis Saunders (claims 5lbs) gets on well with the horse and he’s also down a pound.
I also like the Mel Rowley-trained BEAR MARKET, who is two-from-four over hurdles and won on debut for the yard at Southwell last time out.
He was switched from the Nicky Henderson team last month and that win also came after a wind op.
Is up 6lbs, which looks fair and the Rowley team boast a cracking 38% SR with their hurdlers here.
Oh, and he’s also a course winner, when winning at the Liverpool track back in May.
So the final Saturday ITV Racing tips are Bear Market to make the bookies ‘grizzle’ and Act Of Authority could easily live up to his name.
🥇BEAR MARKET
🥈ACT OF AUTHORITY
🥉WELLINGTON ARCH
