Five horses to follow on Saturday from our top team

Tipster: RaceiQ nap of the day (Andy Stephens).

Best odds: 4-1.

Haydock has been Dan Skelton’s third most fruitful course - eight winners and counting - during his relentless quest to win a first trainers’ title this season and Blue Carpet looks capable of giving him another success at the Lancashire venue. 

The lightly raced six-year-old has had just four runs over hurdles and has yet to finish out of the first two, taking his form up a notch when scoring off a mark at 120 over 3m at Wetherby last time. 

He was given a confident ride from of the pace and pounced in the closing stages to win at the main expense of the in-form favourite, Woodland Park, with the rest well beaten off. 

Blue Carpet was especially swift over the final three hurdles, gaining an aggregate of 8.31 lengths over them. His speed recovery times at the third last and final flight were a rapid 0.3sec and 0.34sec, enabling him to zip away. 

The data confirms his jumping is improving race by race, with his four Jump Index scores being 6.8, 7.1, 7.5 and 8.0. He’s gained an aggregate of 23 lengths and, in addition, has boasted the highest Finishing Speed Percentage on his past three starts, pointing to his strength at the finish of his races. 

He does have to cope with a 7lb rise but this improving stayer has the tools to cope with that. It could be that another improving type, Walden, who gained 11.39 lengths with his jumping when scoring at Ascot last time, gives him most to do.

Incidentally, Skelton runners are routinely defensively priced up, but his A/E (actual over expected) at Haydock is a healthy 1.49. Blue Carpet is a general 4-1 chance. 

Tipster: Martin Dixon.

Best odds: 13-2.

There's a case of deja vu here, because I tipped Wise Eagle each-way for the same race in this column last year when he finished a very honourable fourth behind Kihavah, and I'm going in again this time around.

There's no doubt his form tailed off for a few runs after but, as a result, he now arrives here 8lb lower than when lining up in this in 2025, and his past couple of hurdle outings have suggested that he's back in top form, staying on stoutly for third in the very competitive bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso in February. 

I think this is a significantly weaker race than last year, too - more than half of the field would be eligible for a 0-85 contest - and he has a fine record at this track. Available at 13-2, at the time of writing, he's my nap of the day. 

Tipster: Dave Nevison.

Best odds: 15-2.

I am sticking with Genois after he did me a decent-priced favour when coming with a late run to win cosily at Exeter last time out, and he's only been raised 4lb since. 

My argument for him then was that in the context of veteran chaser’s, the Jonjo & A J O'Neill-trained gelding was relatively unexposed, and may still have upside in him, while most of his rivals here are generally in steady decline. 

Genois has definitely got his previously sticky jumping under control, and looks much more accomplished chaser this season. He came from off the pace at Exeter, and will be suited by what looks set to be a strong gallop here, so he has a great chance of scoring again. 

Tipster: Alex Scott. 

Best odds: 11-2 (advised ante-post at 8-1).

Won last year by none other than Royal Ascot hero American Affair, it is unlikely we have a horse of that quality lurking in this year’s race, but it is set to be a decent renewal nevertheless, and the one I want to side with is Jer Batt.

David and Nicola Barron’s charge finished an excellent third behind that subsequent Group One winner in last year’s renewal and went on to place a further five times over the course of the season, but having failed to get his head in front, returns to Musselburgh off a 7lb lower mark.

In fact, his last win came when beating American Affair off 2lb higher than this and he has also won his seasonal reappearance before, plus has won over course and distance.

A largely consistent performer, it is hard to see him being too far away if he is ready to go on this return to action off a dangerous mark.

Tipster: Johnny Ward.

Best odds: 7-2.

This looks a lovely starting point for the seven-year-old who sandwiched a win in the Cumberland Lodge between two fine third-placed efforts in Group One company at the back-end of last term. 

He looks the likely pace angle here and if he is able to dictate from the front he should be hard to peg back, particularly given he is 7lb clear on ratings.