Saturday horse racing tips: Four picks from Dave Nevison

Our resident website tipster Dave Nevison shares his bet365 Gold Cup fancy among four tips for Saturday's exciting action. Enjoy more from the big day of the year at Leicester and the final day of the Punchestown Festival live on Racing TV.

1.30 Haydock: Tele Red

Karl Burke has made a good start this year and I am hoping this one will be as fit as others from the yard on this return to action.

Tele Red improved all through last season as a five-year-old and was still on the up when last seen on turf in October at Redcar, just about dead heating and finishing well clear of the rest of the field. He disappointed on his final run on the all-weather at Newcastle but he faded out of things after his claiming jockey made his move too early.

Tele Red may be drawn widest of all here but he has slow starters drawn inside of him and should be able to get into a comfortable position up with the leaders without using up too much petrol. Ground conditions are fine and I have no worries should Haydock be hit by rain.

2.05 Haydock: Dream Together

It is not the biggest stretch to feel Dream Together has been working towards a repeat win in this handicap and he would have a very good chance from a 9lb-lower mark this year.

He has had two runs on the all-weather to get himself ready for this, going with credit on both occasions though definitely looking as though he would improve for the outings. He seems to run his best races at Haydock and ran well here later on last season, finishing second in a slightly higher-grade 0-75 contest. He is much less consistent away from this track and I am hoping returning here will spark a revival.

Dream Together should be able to take a lead off pace-setting Mega Marvel drawn next to him and enjoy a less troubled passage than last year.

2.15 Sandown: Kitty’s Light

I am still smarting over tipping Kitty’s Light in this race two years ago where he would definitely have got up but for suffering interference on the run for home after jumping the final fence. If he wins this time, as I believe he should, it will be the training performance of the season by Christian Williams - though maybe Lucinda Russell might dispute this!

Williams has trained Kitty’s Light to be a contender in the big marathon handicaps in the spring and has shown himself to be a master at getting a horse handicapped and primed for big targets, with his star finishing runner-up in the Scottish National and this race last year before winning the Eider and the Scottish National this season.

When the ground quickened up and several fancied runners withdrew from the Scottish National last weekend it became clear that things were favouring Kitty’s Light and watching him was a joy. He nearly always makes mistakes early in a race and ends up well back, but on the first circuit he was faultless and I named him as the winner before half way amongst my colleagues in the Racing TV studio. I do not believe he had a very hard race to win last Saturday and, even though it is only a week ago, I would be surprised if he wasn’t still up for this - especially as there is no penalty.

It is a remarkable achievement by Williams that Kitty’s Light is running off a lower mark than last year, while he’s only 1lb higher than when he morally won the race in 2021 despite his victories this season.

I absolutely believe his race will be won or lost on the first circuit but, if he jumps as well early on as last weekend, nothing will be finishing stronger than Kitty’s Light.

3.25 Sandown: Harper’s Brook

He is back down in trip and significantly down in grade against fellow novices here.

Harper’s Brook set a suicidal pace in the Ultima (strongest handicap of the season) at Cheltenham and was fully shot from three out; hopefully he will race at a more appropriate pace with the cheekpieces discarded now and he should be able to show himself well enough handicapped.

Kielan Woods won on Harper’s Brook on his penultimate start at Bangor (continually jumped right) and is back in the plate now. Hopefully the duo can come home in front again here.