Saturday’s horse racing preview

Midlands Grand National takes centre stage

We are now out the other end of what was a stunning Cheltenham Festival, and Friday was the perfect end to a breath-taking few days of British horse racing. The show must go on however, and we are straight back in on Saturday’s schedule at Uttoxeter.

The Midlands Grand National highlights an eight-race card at Uttoxeter. Click here to place your bets on all of Saturday’s UK and Irish horse racing, or if you are still undecided, read on as we preview the feature.

Worth opposing the favourite

20-runners are expected to post at 3.35pm for the 2017 renewal of the Midlands Grand National, with a mammoth four-miles one-furlong trip ahead. Scudamore’s Mysteree head’s the betting going into the day, and Coral traders have the in-form eight-year-old gelding as a 7/1 hopeful at the time of writing.

It’s a tight field, but we struggle to argue against that stance, with the jolly arriving on the back of an impressive warm-up win at Newcastle last time out in the Eider Handicap Chase. He saw Knockanrawley into second that day, despite going off at double-figure odds. Mysteree was pulled up in the Sussex National earlier this year however, after making a mistake four out, and I am eager to oppose.

Goulanes deserves forgiveness

Instead, we have a go on previous winner Goulanes, who came home in front back in 2014. That looked a tougher task than he faces today, and although he arrives on the back of a poor run of form, pulling up in the Coral Welsh National and falling in the Greatwood Veterans Handicap Chase, I am keen to keep faith.

Neil Mulholland and Noel Fehily team up with the selection, and that looks worth taking notice of, especially with Coral handing out as much 12/1 as you can carry. For more reserved punters, we’re also paying each-way terms of 1/5 the odds 1-2-3-4-5. Have your say now!