How To Bet £20 on Saturday: Move for Muntadab at 9-1

Andy Stephens tipped four horses each-way on Champions Day last weekend who rewarded support at 66-1, 33-1, 25-1 and 6-1. His suggested 25p each-way Super Yankee, costing £13, returned almost £100. He suggests a couple more ways to invest £20 below.

Depending on who you speak to, the jump season “proper” started at Chepstow a fortnight ago or Cheltenham this weekend. Some believe Wetherby a week from now heralds the start and others nod to the Open meeting back at Cheltenham next month.

Try telling that to Dan Skelton, who has raced to a century of winners this term in record time, or Richard Johnson, who has already rattled up more than 100 victories in his pursuit of another jockeys’ championship. For them, the season “proper” has been in full flow almost six months and has merely reached the midway point.

There was no shortage of drama at Cheltenham on Friday when Storm Rising, who won the handicap hurdle that concluded the card, was the easiest winner on the card.

The five-year-old looks much improved for the switch to the yard of Dr Richard Newland and, while the handicapper will have his say, he is very much one to keep the right side of at least until the ground gets softer.

No big-priced fancies on Saturday but plenty of solid fancies who look fairly priced, starting with:

This colt still has some way to go to justify his 500,000 guineas paid for him as a yearling, but I fancy he will scoop this Listed prize en route to bigger things next year.

He was betrayed by a lack of experience and stamina in the Chesham at Royal Ascot but there was plenty to like about the way he got the better of Hello Youmzain, albeit in receipt of 6lb, at Haydock last month and he followed up in fluent fashion at Kempton.

The Haydock form, in particular, looks strong, with Hello Youmzain subsequently easily winning a Group two contest in France and the third/sixth winning next time out.

All-the-way Newbury winner Breath Of Air is the only horse among the opposition I’m worried about and I’ll be having a reverse Exacta as a saver.

Philip Hobbs had a testing time last season, by his standards, but his horses seem in much better heart and it will be a big surprise if the JP McManus-owned For Good Measure does not have races in him over fences off a mark of 132.

He was tenderly handled in his two races over the bigger obstacles last term over inadequate trips and is now up in trip switched to handicap company. For Good Measure was rated 138 at his peak over hurdles - he was an unlucky short-head loser of the Pertemps Qualifier on his return at this meeting two years ago - but is by King’s Theatre and bred to be much better over fences.

He will do well to scale the same heights as his brother, the stable’s former flagbearer Balthazar King, but he is open to plenty of improvement. Incidentally, Balthazar King won this race in 2012 and 2013 before going on to be runner-up in the Grand National in 2014 off a rating of 150.

Richard Hannon’s colt has traded odds-on in-running on Betfair in each of his three races without quite managing to get his head in front, but he can put that right on this occasion.

He offered plenty of promise on his first two starts, at Newbury, and last time was a big gamble for the Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar only to engage top gear a bit too late from an unfavourable draw (the other fancied horses drawn high were all beaten) and find Summer Daydream too strong.

On the face of it, the handicapper has done him no favours allotting him an initial mark of 95 but he will relish the return to seven furlongs and the best is yet to come.

Out of a dam who was a sister of Synchronised, the Gold Cup winner, Theclockisticking is finally unleashed over three miles and he can take advantage.

The six-year-old progressed well as a novice last season, including at Cheltenham in the spring, and shaped like a certain future winner when a staying-on fifth, beaten little more than three lengths, in the Silver Trophy Hurdle at Chepstow a fortnight ago.

Theclockisticking is only 1lb higher here and the bulk of his rivals come into this stamina test lacking a previous run.

Aidan O’Brien is seeking a ninth win in the final domestic Group One of the year and his Magna Grecia looks the right favourite, although a best price of 6-4 looks on the skinny side.

Turgenev has not achieved quite so much but, then again, he has not had the opportunity to do so and I fancy he will be able to take this jump in class in his stride.

He has gained fluent wins at Newcastle and Newmarket – the latter success over a mile on softish ground – since making an eye-catching debut at Doncaster behind subsequent Group One winner Royal Marine.

Plenty of these seem to be going through the motions, which can happen at the end of the year, but front-running Muntadab is an exception and is likely to take plenty of pegging back.

He confirmed himself in great heart when scoring under Cameron Noble at Leicester (he is 2-2 for the apprentice) last time, just 24 hours after being touched off at Musselburgh.

Only 1lb higher, and more than at home on an easy surface, there is nothing not to like. So Beloved will rate a threat if getting out on terms but he’s become infuriating to follow.

Richard Fahey runs a trio in this seven-furlong handicap for apprentices and my eye is caught by the fact that he has booked the promising Cieren Fallon for Dubai Acclaim, who has been gelded since we last saw him in action at Doncaster in June.

Dubai Acclaim did not enjoy much luck in running that day and finished sixth for the third time in succession – 666 is perhaps apt as there’s been a hint of the devil about him - but he’s got more to offer and, having been dropped 2lb in the interim with Fallon easing his burden by 5lb, he is worth risking now that he is fresh and back on a slower surface.

How To Bet £20 on Saturday:

1.45 Doncaster: San Donato £2 win at a general 5-2

2.00 Cheltenham: For Good Measure £3 win at a general 13-2

2.15 Doncaster: Beat Le Bon £1.50 win at a general 2-1

3.45 Cheltenham: Theclockisticking £3 win at 6-1 with bet365

4.05 Doncaster: Turgenev £2 win at 5-1 with Betfair

4.35 Doncaster: Muntadab £4 win at 9-1 with Paddy Power

5.10 Doncaster: Dubai Acclaim £2.50 win at 7-1 with Betfair and Paddy Power

Plus £2 win double on San Donato (5-2) and Beat le Bon (2-1)

OPTION TWO:

The above seven selections in a 16p Win Super Heinz and 40p each-way accumulator