Horse racing tips: three from Ross Millar

 There was plenty of good action on offer this Saturday with a number of competitive finishes.

At Kelso, course specialist Cracking Rhapsody captured the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle for a second year in a row, taking his course record to four wins from just six starts. This was by some distance a career-best for the Ewan Whillans-trained six-year-old. Off a mark 13lb-higher mark than for last year's win, he was always travelling sweetly under Craig Nichol and battled bravely to the front after the final hurdle.

He holds an entry in the County Hurdle at the and, with the 5lb penalty he incurs for this guaranteeing him a run, connections could be tempted by the lucrative bonus available.

Perhaps the most notable clue for future races came in the Premier Chase. Neither winner Grey Dawning nor runner-up Iroko have a Cheltenham target, but both look firmly in line for Aintree. 

In search of his first champion trainer title, Dan Skelton looks to have placed Grey Dawning with real consideration for the second half of the season after suffering reversals in his two earlier starts, firstly when finishing very tired when second in the Betfair Chase and latterly when failing to fire in the King George. 

The grey looked fully revitalised here with a powerful front-running performance along with some exuberant jumping. With a shorter turnaround between Cheltenham and Aintree this year, he’s certain to arrive there fresher than most and at this stage I’d consider him hard to oppose. 

We were told early in the season that Iroko would have his entire season geared around a tilt at the Randox and, after what I consider another moderate effort, I wonder whether connections are regretting that decision. Again under regular partner Jonjo O’Neill Jr his jumping failed to impress as he lacked fluency for large parts of the contest. Many will of course point to the Grand National not being the jumping test it once was, but I’d be concerned about Iroko’s concentration in amongst 33 rivals and furthermore he didn’t particularly look like a horse crying out for an extra mile in trip. I’ll certainly be opposing him if he takes up his engagement in the National.

Away from Kelso there were a few performances worthy of note. With regards to equine performance it was probably Heron In The Park that most captured my imagination. A big, raw daughter of Walk In The Park she showed plenty of promise as she cruised through the concluding mares bumper at Newbury before requiring the minimum of urging from Harry Cobden to lengthen to a comfortable three-length victory. A £280,000 purchase she, at this stage, looks capable of delivering on that price tag.

Less impressive was El Fabiolo’s effort at Navan. He appeared to have the world at his feet following his 2023 Arkle win but has failed to live up to that promise. He turned in another abject jumping display here, and until he rectifies this issue he’s going to continue to find life tough.

In a normal week, James Best would have earned the jockey accolade for his daring and pace-perfect ride on Moroder when winning a second Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster. I’m sure he’d be the first to admit there are more stylish jockeys in the weighing room, but few could have bettered this effort. 

However, this wasn’t a normal week. In the Greatwood Handicap Chase at Newbury, Booster Bob backers (myself included) must have felt terribly short changed as Olly Murphy’s runner looked a beaten horse heading away from the first fence. However, he wasn’t allowed to surrender under a tenacious Sean Bowen and finally found his groove up the home straight as he flew home to collar the impressive novice Vincenzo on the run to the line. Surely a ride of the season effort from the champion jockey elect.

Willewonga is sure to be popular here after he blundered away what looked to be a winning opportunity at the final fence at Bangor last time, but I like the re-opposing Minella Trump - 10 lengths further adrift on that occasion - to reverse the form. 

Minella Trump weakened into fourth place yet for much of the race had travelled with real zest and enthusiasm, going noticeably well into the closing stages before a lack of race-fitness - on what was his first start for just under a year - began to show. 

As a younger horse, his very best chase form came at Perth on good ground when defying marks of 140 and 145 for back-to-back wins, so drying these conditions should be to his liking too. 

Jockey Toby McCain-Mitchell is rapidly improving and his 3lb claim against fellow amateurs might well prove significant in this tight contest.

Trainer Stuart Coltherd has spent much of the winter on the ‘cold list’ with his yard struggling to find form, but in the last week things have improved with two winners from his last seven runners and that increases confidence for Similar Story.

I tipped her for her latest run over 2m5f at Carlisle because I felt the soft ground would provide her with a more suitable stamina test. When watching the race, I never truly felt like I was going to collect given she raced intermittently on and off the bridle and, while she briefly looked like she might take a hand jumping two-out, she failed to find much when asked. That shouldn’t have been down to a lack of stamina, as she already has a win over three miles to her name. 

Her sole career win came on good to soft ground over this trip, while Similar Story also posted a highly creditable effort over shorter on good ground, so I’m confident a return to a sounder surface over this trip can see her to much better effect - and particularly now the stable find themselves in a better vein of form.

I’m confident that this extra half mile will see La Pinsonniere step up considerably on what she’s shown in Britain on her two starts to date. 

A €151,000 purchase out of Francois Nicolle’s yard last April, she shed her maiden tag on her second start for Nicky Henderson even if she had to work harder than her starting price of 8-15 might have suggested. Having been outpaced jumping the last, she showed a good attitude to rally to get back in front and was drawing away nicely in the final strides. 

Both the second and third from that race have let the form down with comprehensive defeats on their next starts, but this extra distance - coupled with the extra jumping required - can see this progressive young mare win again in a race where she is well favoured by conditions.