Saturday’s Racing tips: Best bets and odds for Aintree and Doncaster

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The jumps season is moving into full swing and our horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge has selections from a good card at Aintree, plus one from the final big race of the turf Flat season at Doncaster using the best odds from betting sites.

There’s plenty of talk about how much Kadastral will improve for jumping a fence this year and it’s another classic case of master versus apprentice in this race, with the ‘apprentice’ Dan Skelton saddling the favourite and his former ‘master’, Paul Nicholls, doing the same with SANS BRUIT in opposition.

Yes, I accept that Kadastral receives weight from the selection and may just be incredibly well treated but after a good start to last season over hurdles, he didn’t cover himself in glory as the year went on.

He’s since had wind surgery, which is a classic Nicholls/Skelton tactic to try to induce improvement and, given he’s trading at 6/4 at the time of writing, someone thinks it’s done the trick.

However, I’ll take Sans Bruit, who can be back as an ‘each-way bet to nothing’ and may well end up with his nose in front anyway. Nicholls has also had this eight-year-old’s wind sorted since we last saw him finish down the field at Ayr in the spring.

Prior to that he’d finished third in the Red Rum Handicap Chase over C&D at the Grand National meeting, a race he’d won in both 2024 and 2025. He’s now down 3lb, which puts him back on the same mark as those two wins here, plus he has an extra 5lb taken off by the useful conditional, Jay Tidball.

I get the distinct impression that Paul Nicholls wants to get his gelding’s season off to a winning start. We’ll see with a solid price available on horse racing betting sites.

Aintree tip: Sans Bruit (Aintree, 13.15) – 1pt each-way @ 11/2 (William Hill)

A small field but a very good race in prospect. The market suggests it should chiefly concern Alexei and MYDADDYPADDY but I wouldn’t be writing off Gordon Elliott-trained Mange Tout either, as she’s won over C&D and does get a weight allowance.

The form book on betting apps suggests that, with 4lb in hand, Mydaddypaddy might just have enough to see off Alexei, who is a quality performer, proven over further and from the in-form Joe Tizzard yard.

The selection represents Team Skelton and did very little wrong as a novice last season. He also has experience around here, which won’t do any harm, from his Boxing Day 2025 defeat by the classy Idaho Sun in the Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle (C&D, good to soft).

He was then put away for a tilt at the Supreme and ran a cracker to finish 1½L third behind Old Park Star, despite being hampered in the closing stages. Strictly on form, Alexei has achieved a little bit more but the selection perhaps has more scope for improvement after just five starts and can make that weight differential count.

Aintree tip: Mydaddypaddy (Aintree, 13.45) – 2pts win @ 11/8 (William Hill)

This is never an easy race to win once, let alone back-to-back but I find myself drawn to last year’s winner CASTLE COVE again. He doesn’t actually have to win this for us to make a profit, if we back him each-way and he can make the first four at the price currently on offer.

However, he has all the same credentials as he had going into last year’s contest, which he won on heavy going. He’ll have 8lb more to carry this time and he’s unlikely to go off as the favourite, after not seeing a racecourse in competitive action since.

His record when fresh is excellent and he did win this well last year, so it would not surprise me in the slightest if the maestro William Haggas has him cherry ripe for a repeat feat.

Chief among dangers looks to be Alfred Wincham, who won with a fair bit in hand last time and is totally unexposed. The same applies to the market leader, Nobody Knows, with Ryan Moore booked. It’s a fascinating finale to the Flat and I’m hoping Castle Cove can buck the trend of recent history and win it again.

Doncaster tip: Castle Cove (Doncaster, 15.25) – 1pt each-way @ 9/1 (Bet365)

For my final selection today I’m taking a very small stakes shot at glory for a horse who has previously been significantly better than his current mark, HERCULE DU SEUIL.

Formerly trained by Willie Mullins, he stayed on to win a Killarney Grade 3 chase over a similar trip to this in May 2025, showing a touch of class. He’s been one of those performers who’s not in the top echelon but in the next bracket down and we know it’s not easy to win handicaps with horses rated 150+.

After a good start to last season, when third behind Found A Fifty in a Navan Grade 2, his form dipped and he was moved on from Closutton to Neil Mulholland, where he’s been comfortably beaten in four starts from 2m-2m5f.

I can hear you saying what’s the deal Doidgey?! Well, those defeats have now seen his mark plummet to just 139, so opening the door to races such as this 0-145. What’s more, even if he wins this, he’s unlikely to get a huge rise in the handicap and could strike again.

Before we get too carried away, let’s just deal with Saturday. With the yard’s runners going okay, plus this horse’s good record when fresh, as well as his ability to act on slow ground, I think he looks worth chancing each-way to come back to form. At a big price, we only need small stakes and can let the market concentrate on more obvious contenders. Nothing ventured, etc…

Aintree tip: Hercule Du Seuil (Aintree, 15.35) – 0.5pts each-way @ 22/1 (Bet365)

If you’re having a bet on Saturday’s action, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.

Betting can be addictive, and it’s important to stay in control of your gambling. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.

UK gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help you stay in control.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

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