209/1 Festive Racing Post Weekender Acca!

We’re treated to another Festive day of racing across the UK and Ireland this Saturday, with the Challow Hurdle and the Savills Chase headline our horse racing tips.

Luke Parkinson has taken a look through the latest edition of the Racing Post Weekender and pulled together some selections to create a mega acca for Saturday’s action.

Severano (1:50 Newbury – Saturday)

Stuart Redding

Sevarano has won both starts this season and can complete the hat-trick here.

The Oliver Sherwood-trained six-year-old produced some solid form behind useful types last winter and has benefitted from stepping up in trip since a break.

He scored over two mile and three-and-a-half furlongs at Chepstow and then over this course and distance when he dug deep to hold on after being left in front at the penultimate flight.

Connections mentioned the Challow as a potential target after that victory, which suggests they think his current mark of 134 is on the lenient side

Thyme Hill (3:00 Newbury – Saturday)

Stuart Redding

Thyme Hill has looked a smart novice hurdler this winter and can enhance his reputation even further.

He showed decent form in bumpers for Philip Hobbs last season and has made an effortless transition to hurdling, landing a pair of Grade Two races at Chepstow and then at Cheltenham, where he gave weight all round and was value for more than the three-length margin.

That form sets a decent standard for the rest of these to aim at.

Presenting Percy (3:10 Leopardstown – Saturday)

Cathal Gahan

The Grade One three-mile Savills Chase is the race of the week and the horse you want to be on is Presenting Percy.

His 2018 RSA demolition of Monalee highlighted his immense quality and he was installed as favourite for the following season’s Gold Cup.

Patience backfired on connections in the Cheltenham showpiece because, after handing him an easy campaign, he finished lame and a whole season went down the drain.

This term they have been positive from the outset and the nine-year-old made a perfectly satisfactory return when third to Min in the John Durkan.

The betting suggested he may have needed the run, so to finish in such close proximity can only be taken as a positive.

Masters Apprentice (3:15 Leicester – Saturday)

Stuart Redding

Masters Apprentice was a limited handicapper on the Flat but has enjoyed the switch to hurdling.

Conceding weight to useful newcomer Minella Trump proved beyond the four-year-old at Sedgefield last month, but he took his jumping record to two from three with an impressive win when making his handicap debut at the same track last time out.

Mark Walford’s gelding galloped on strongly to beat Jackson Hill by seven lengths that day and his proven stamina can help him overcome an eight-pound higher mark in what are sure to be testing conditions.