Perth Festival tips: best bets on Day One

Sean Bowen and Olly Murphy can begin the meeting in style with the progressive Gee Force Flyer.

A point-to-point winner, he has been a model of consistency in this first season under Rules, placing in all four of his starts, but is yet to get his head in front. His third in the EBF final at Sandown last month was a career best performance and an improvement upon his second at Market Rasen.

He was helped by an emphasis on stamina last time and the long straight at Perth should suit him well. He has 6lb to find with Off The Jury and Newbrook Diamond on official ratings, but they have something to prove after their latest efforts and Gee Force Flyer rates the most solid option.

Barlovento has a good chance of returning to winning ways here having been dropped in class, and drying ground would certainly help his cause too.

Sean Bowen has ridden him in every start over obstacles and gave him an excellent ride to win the opeing race at Kempton on King George Day. Five of the nine horses to have finished behind him that day have subsequently won at least once, and though he was raised just 4lb for that win, he failed to fire at Cheltenham on Trials Day where the ground was too testing and he made several jumping errors.

Last time was a bit more like it at Kempton, although he was well beaten by subsequent Manifesto runner-up Blueking d’Oroux.

He has been dropped 1lb since that third-placed finish and this is a much more winnable race. Some of his form from last season also reads extremely well and he looks the class angle in the race. He can defy joint top weight for the Champion Jockey.

The Paul Nicholls-trained grey has not enjoyed any luck so far in 2026 but can sign off his season on a high in this Listed Novices’ Hurdle over three miles.

The son of Walk In The Park went straight to the Turners at the Cheltenham Festival after running out a cosy winner of the Challow at Newbury in December, but his race was over at the start and he was ultimately pulled-up by Harry Cobden.

A non-runner in the Sefton at Aintree due to a burst blood vessel, he will finally step up in trip here which should suit, and ground conditions should also be ideal.

Rated 144, he carries a 5lb penalty for his most recent success but is still comfortably top of the pile on ratings.

Though five of his six rivals arrive here off the back of a win, he still looks the most talented horse in the line up providing his latest setback has not left its mark. He has already accounted for his main market rival Tormund Giantsbane this season, beating him by 24 lengths when they met at Sandown in December.

Micky Hammond’s eight-year-old is in the form of his life and looks set to get his ideal conditions here.

He was raised 7lb for his 19-length victory at Sedgefield in February and has been dealt with a further 2lb rise for his latest second at Carlisle, but that could still be lenient.

This is a competitive seven-runner race, but very few arrive here in top form and a similar performance can see him go very close again. He gained ten lengths with his jumping last time and Conor O’Farrell is back aboard.