Five horses to follow from our experts on Saturday

Tipster: Martin Dixon

Best odds: 9-2

I'm expecting this horse to improve this season going over fences. He’s big, good-looking individual who won an Irish point to point back in March 2023 and from day one under Rules he has looked very talented, winning his only start in bumpers before taking a novice hurdle at Kelso. Those victories came for the Pauline Robson yard. He's joined Ruth Jefferson this season made a bright start for the stable in a handicap hurdle at Ayr last month, for all that he was turned over a short price. It was a good run behind a course specialist who had race fitness on his side, whereas Captain Butler was probably caught out by the lack of a recent outing. I'm hoping he can build on that, now he’s sent chasing. He's got the physique and background, with a mark of 123 looking favourable. 

Tipster: Ross Millar, whose latest Racing TV tip won at 20-1!

Best odds: 11-2

Tipster: Johnny Ward

Best odds: 18-1

Tipster: Andy Stephens

Best odds: Evens

“The engine was always there but he'd been hard on himself and it's taken him time to mature, and us time to figure him out,” said Willie Mullins after Il Etait Temps emerged from a year on the sidelines to win the Celebration Chase in imperious style at Sandown in April.

He could not have been more impressive, beating Jonbon by 5½ lengths with plenty left in the locker. The E Team of Energumene and Edwardstone were the next pair home, finishing well adrift.

That was the grey’s fifth Grade One triumph, from 13 runs at the highest level, but he was a revelation, gaining almost 11 lengths with his jumping and finding everything coming easy to him.

In an instant, the seven-year-old had stamped himself as a Champion Chase candidate and he went some way to confirming that when breezing home on his return in the 2m 4f Clonmel Oil Chase last month. He was up against three inferior rivals but the way he picked off front-running Senecia was still taking.

As a novice, a couple of seasons ago, his jumping betrayed him when he was third to Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle, but he signed off with victories at Aintree and Punchestown. He turned the tables on Gaelic Warrior at the latter track, and perhaps did not get the credit he deserved.

Mullins struck with his first Tingle Creek runner, Un De Sceaux, in 2016, but has since been out of luck. Un De Sceaux was subsequently second in both 2018 and 2019, while the odds-on Chacun Pour Soi fluffed his lines when last of five in 2021. Meanwhile, Gentleman De Mee was fourth in 2022. 

Il Etait Temps  is going to be hard to beat.

Tipster: Dave Nevison

Best odds: 11-2

Olly Murphy runs three in this handica, but I am pretty confident Rambo T will be the strongest of them.

He has been improving for some time and his recent Tote Silver Trophy win at Chepstow highlights his progress. He has gone up 6lb in the weights for winning by just a neck, but the second has gone in twice since and others who finished behind have also won.

The form is very strong and over the same trip this afternoon on similar ground with his trainer continuing in excellent form, I feel Rambo T can round off a good afternoon on Merseyside for Murphy’s team.