Horse racing tips: Mister looks Up to the task

Pachacuti has generally made steady improvement as a staying chaser and, after two runs this autumn, looks as though he is ready to score. 

The seven-year-old stays really well and could be better suited by this stiffest of tracks compared to the sharp Wincanton circuit where he finished runner up last time, while trainer David Pipe adding blinkers to the usual mix of headgear might well enable this front-runner to concentrate a little better. 

This is a competitive event and top-weight Toss Of A Coin could take out plenty of the market, so Pachacuti might well represent better each-way value.

He looks a good bet to register his third win over fences, especially on this good ground that seems to suit him very well.

Mister Upton doesn’t have a penalty for winning an event for conditional riders last week and, coupled with the fact that Freddie Gordon can claim his full 5lb allowance, the five-year-old looks extremely well in for this numerically strong handicap chase but one weak on form. 

Mister Upton is clearly better over fences than he was over hurdles and his front-running style should enable him to stay out of trouble in this modest jumping field. 

If he is fit for this return then it seems reasonable to assume he is quite well in. 

The hurdle that Back Yourself won in May last year from a mark of 92 looks a decent affair in this context, with almost all of the runners in that race now rated higher than 100. It seems a strange piece of handicapping that Back Yourself is still rated just 94. 

The seven-year-old has only had one run since - a respectable one over fences - and with trainer David Pipe having a good time of things this season I am happy to take fitness on trust on this first start for 425 days. The booking of Martin McIntyre, one of the best amateur riders in this field, certainly looks a positive.