Dave Nevison's Saturday tips: Cheltenham best bets and more

It looks as though this traditional Festival Trials day may well be a good afternoon for the green and gold silks, and Jagwar has good prospects of making amends for a bad mistake at the last at Uttoxeter last time out, which definitely cost him second place, at least. 

He won his first two starts over fences, and both were decent races that have worked out well. He won in good style on both occasions, too, and the winner of the race last time (Jingko Blue) has won a Grade Two since, so he has not taken a softer route to a handicap such as this one. 

The handicapper could well have raised Jagwar for his latest effort, and probably would have done if he had jumped the last better. Jagwar still looks to have upside in him, and will be getting valuable course experience here.

The Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase is a really competitive contest, but Iroko does look quite an obvious choice providing he can get further than the first fence this time. He was hampered when he fell last time and I am hoping that is his bad luck allocation for this season because he has looked a seriously talented, and improving, performer.

Iroko ran a decent race at last year's Cheltenham Festival, despite a less than satisfactory preparation, and then finished second in a Grade One at Aintree. He reappeared with a good second at Haydock this season where, once again, it looked as though he would improve for the outing. 

He will definitely start delivering soon.

Regular readers will know that I always keep an eye out for Anthony Honeyball’s sparing use of Chad Bament, and I have no doubt that the booking of the 10lb claimer for the ride in this has been planned for a long time. 

Forward Plan was beaten a nose in this race last season and has never been out of the frame when racing at Doncaster. He might well have got up last time (when third at this venue) if he had come out of the chasing pack but just couldn’t overhaul the front-running winner. 

Bament’s large claim means Forward Plan is running pretty much off the same mark as last year and with most of the opposition looking exposed (The Changing Man is a possible exception, and a big danger), he looks a solid choice.

I don’t think the likes of Teahupoo are going to be shaking in their boots looking at the runners in this traditional Stayers' Hurdle trial, but the race surely represents a great opportunity for Gowel Road to end a desperate run of seconds, all of which have come at Cheltenham. 

He ran really well last time to be beaten just half a length in the Relkeel Hurdle behind Lucky Place, and he looks set to get an easy lead here, so hopefully will have enough to withstand any late challenges.

If this race was at Ascot, I would possibly favour Crambo, but he certainly didn’t perform at the Cheltenham Festival last year, so Gowel Road looks the safest option.