Top tips for Thursday: Rachel Candelora casts her net around the world

British-based owner Ray Anderson Green has had plenty of success over the years with a small string of horses he has stabled in France with Guillaume Macaire and he appears to have another exciting prospect in the shape of Saint Leo, who won three of his five starts over hurdles and could not have been more impressive when winning on his chasing debut at Dieppe by 20 lengths last month. This is tougher and he has yet to win at Auteuil, but he looks the short of early season novice chaser with which the maestro Macaire excels.

A high quality field lines up for the Prix De Compiegne hurdle race (Grade 3) over an extended 2m3f, but this could be the first step of a French Champion Hurdle winning campaign for the Device.

It appears crass to describe a 13-times winner (from 18 starts) as something of an underachiever to date, but as of now Device has yet to prove himself the megastar he has often promised to be, despite a dozen of his victories being achieve d at Auteuil - nine in graded company,

Trained by Guillaume Macaire and ridden by James Reveley, he has the right team behind him and this looks an ideal autumn comeback run. At the weights, Device appears quite well in with dual French Champion Hurdle runner-up Alex De Larredya, while the latter' stablemate, The Stomp, could be an improving outsider to fear.

I watched this Bryan Smart-trained two-year-old win at Beverley on Racing UK a couple of months ago and was taken by his physical scope.

I have since asked a couple of fellow presenters, who have seen him in the flesh, whether he really is that impressive in the flesh, and they say he is. Being out of a Verglas dam he should be OK on the likely soft ground and given that he is one of only a handful of dual winners in this huge field I am prepared to give him a chance at an each-way price.

On Saturday, in Toronto, five international challengers are set to clash in the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile.

The pick is David O'Meara's Mondialiste, who seeks to repeat his success of two years ago - his only previous start at Woodbine.

Ignoring his Strensall Stakes run last time because of no early pace, his nose second in the Group Two Sky Bet York Stakes would be form enough to win this. Mondialiste himself is just a much better horse when he travels to North America - remember he also won the Arlington Million last year.

Rachel Candelora’s top tips for today and Saturday:

11:05 Auteuil: Saint Leo

1:20 Auteuil: Device

3:35 Doncaster: Alfa McGuire (each-way) at a general 28-1

Saturday selection: 11.34pm Woodbine: Mondialiste