Millar's Method: Ross Millar has four must-see selections on Saturday

If a short-priced play isn't your idea of a good bet, especially on a competitive day of racing, make sure you have a second look at Ross Millar's selections.

1.01 Aintree, 3m½f Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle

This could turn out to be a weak contest with plenty of these horses seemingly using this as a springboard to future targets back over fences. That certainly doesn’t apply to Lisnagar Oscar. 

Catching him fresh has often proved to be the key as his form tends to tail off as the season progresses. He also ran well over an inadequate trip on ground faster than ideal at this meeting last year. 

Having now slipped to a mark of 142 (18lb below his peak), a repeat of that performance with conditions in his favour should be enough to see him back in the winner’s enclosure for the first time in 32 months. 

Selection: Lisnagar Oscar @ 13.5

1.50 Wincanton, 3m1f Badger Beers Handicap Chase

Wincanton has hugely benefitted from the arrival of rain - it has eased their going to good and meant the ground at Down Royal softened too much for Frodon, hence his participation here. 

If Paul Nicholls’ former King George winner returns to anywhere near his best he would be well treated off 158. He has been dropped 6lb for his run in the Ultima, where it subsequently transpired he’d been struck into, and you shouldn’t forget that he has won a handicap off 164 previously. However, he looked regressive last season and often jumps out to his left. For those reasons he’s opposable.

Preference is for Cap Du Nord, who is now rated just 3lb higher than when he won a competitive contest at Kempton and arrives here with the benefit of a prep run. 

He was well backed before finishing fourth in this last year off 5lb higher, which proved that this flat, right-handed track suits his style. Good ground is also ideal, so I’m confident that he will land this prize and deliver some compensation for Christian Williams, who on Thursday announced the retirement of stable star Win My Wings due to injury.

Selection: Cap Du Nord @ 9.6

3.18 Aintree, 2m Handicap Chase

Venetia Williams has had only nine runners so far this season, but she generally kicks into gear in November. Maybe Frero Banbou’s placed effort last weekend was a sign of things to come.

She is represented in this handicap chase by Galop De Chasse, who will run off a 1lb lower mark than when he found only the well-handicapped Doukarov too good at Sandown back in April.

He showed an ability to handle good-to-soft ground that day, so conditions here should suit, but further rain would aid his cause. Williams often finds significant improvement with her French imports, and the assistance of Charlie Deutsch – for my money the best there is over fences - only helps.

Selection: Galop De Chasse @ 5.6

3.35 Wincanton, 2m4f Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase

Ben Pauling is operating at a 24% strike-rate since moving to his new yard this season, a marked improvement on the 13% he averaged in the preceding five seasons.

Nine-year-old De Barley Basket certainly appears to have benefitted from the move. He returned from a wind op in August and finished a good third at Stratford, before going two places better at Uttoxeter three weeks later. 

His new mark of 125 demands more, but he was still travelling nicely at Market Rasen last time when he unseated his jockey four-out. The standard of conditional jockeys at the moment is underwhelming, but Luca Morgan is an exception and his 3lb claim is highly significant in the context of this race.

Selection: De Barley Basket @ 3.5

Saturday Horse Racing Tips

Lisnagar Oscar (1.01 Aintree) @ 13.5
Cap Du Nord (1.50 Wincanton) @ 9.6
Galop De Chasse (3.18 Aintree) @ 5.6
De Barley Basket (3.35 Wincanton) @ 3.5