Saturday Tips

Copper Knight can take advantage of an attractive handicap mark to win the Betway Scottish Sprint Cup at Musselburgh.

Tim Easterby's charge was fourth in this race two years ago when rated 100, before hitting a career high of 106 that summer.

Copper Knight received that elevated rating thanks to a mix of excellent runs in big handicaps and group races. He won York's Listed City Walls Stakes, and ran a cracking race in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at the same track - taking sixth place behind Battaash.

The Sir Prancealot gelding managed to hang on to his highest rating until last June, after going down by only a short head to Makanah at Newmarket when the season started late because of the coronavirus lockdown.

He has been unable to match that effort in eight runs in a busy subsequent spell - which ended with his worst performance for a long time at Catterick.

Copper Knight usually runs well fresh, though - and having had the winter off, he could be primed for a big effort on his return.

In contrast, Nate The Great can make his race fitness count in the Betway Queen's Cup.

The Andrew Balding-trained stayer has had four runs during the winter and got his head in front on his latest start with a game neck verdict over Who Dares Wins at Wolverhampton.

His last run on turf, coincidentally, was when he was fourth to Who Dares Wins at Royal Ascot.

Nate The Great has some decent form going further back, including when third to subsequent Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck in the Lingfield Trial. He also won on his only previous visit to this course as a two-year-old when trained by Archie Watson.

Eve Johnson Houghton made a great start to the new turf campaign when taking the Brocklesby with Chipotle at Doncaster last weekend.

The Blewbury handler has obviously got her string well forward, and Tornadic can do the business in the Betway Royal Mile Handicap.

The son of Toronado was unlucky not to go through his juvenile season unbeaten. After scoring at Lingfield and Salisbury, Tornadic failed by just a short head to catch State Occasion. At least that Kempton run showed he stays the mile well.

Sexy Lot should continue her improvement with victory in the Betway Challenger Mares' Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle.

David Pipe's six-year-old has gone up 28lb since October, thanks to three wins and three seconds in six races.

Arguably her best performance came on her latest start at Sandown, suggesting she has not peaked just yet.

Wearing cheekpieces for the first time, Sexy Lot had the race won some way out - allowing her jockey to ease down before the line.

Small Present has been in fine form of late, with wins at Catterick and Doncaster on his last two starts after five decent efforts in defeat.

The Sue Smith-trained six-year-old remains relatively unexposed and can defy a 12lb hike in the ratings for those successes by completing a hat-trick in the Betway Challenger Stayers Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle.

Five Star Getaway's handicap mark has rocketed after two wins in March.

The seven-year-old, trained by Christian Williams, was beaten on his first start over fences but has made amends in great style since to see his rating rise 26lb.

That has enabled him to sneak in towards the bottom of the weights in the Betway Challenger Middle Distance Chase Series Final Handicap Chase.

Still lightly-raced, Five Star Getaway looks up to the task.

Sizing Codelco can end a losing spell going back to April 2017 by winning the in the newtonabbotracing.com Handicap Chase at the Devon track.

The Colin Tizzard-trained veteran has had his problems since winning at the Punchestown Festival, but has shown signs of a return to form after 536 days on the sidelines.

His run at Newbury when he was fourth to Sir Ivan was most encouraging, and augured well for a return to the winner's enclosure.

SELECTIONS:

CARLISLE: 1.38 Old Jewry, 2.13 Tico Times, 2.48 Wetlands, 3.23 Mint Gold, 3.58 Show Promise, 4.33 Cooking Fat, 5.05 Sputnik, 5.40 Pistol.

CORK: 1.25 Musalsal, 2.00 Is That Love, 2.35 Downforce, 3.10 Jarvis, 3.45 Forest Of Dreams, 4.20 Princess Zoe, 4.55 Persian Queen, 5.30 Colour Sergeant.

FAIRYHOUSE: 1.15 Caesar Rock, 1.45 Jury Duty, 2.20 Elimay, 2.55 Young Dev, 3.30 Dunboyne, 4.05 Golden Jewel, 4.40 Brooklynn Glory, 5.15 Letsbeclearaboutit.

HAYDOCK: 1.00 Sexy Lot, 1.30 Five Star Getaway, 2.05 Xcitations, 2.40 Innisfree Lad, 3.15 Small Present, 3.50 Rose Of Aghaboe, 4.25 Air Navigator.

MUSSELBURGH: 1.20 Atomic Force, 1.50 Stone Soldier, 2.25 Tornadic, 3.00 COPPER KNIGHT (NAP), 3.35 Nate The Great, 4.11 Tomily, 4.46 Ayr Poet.

NEWTON ABBOT: 1.55 Hell Red, 2.30 Bempton Cliffs, 3.05 Get Up Them Steps, 3.40 Our Surprise, 4.15 Amanofhisword, 4.52 Winter Getaway, 5.25 Sizing Codelco, 6.00 General Bux.

WOLVERHAMPTON: 4.49 King Athelstan, 5.20 Act Naturally, 5.55 Closeness, 6.30 Martineo, 7.00 Captain St Lucifer, 7.30 Corrida De Toros, 8.00 Helian, 8.30 Weloof.

DOUBLE: Copper Knight and Nate The Great.