Today's Horse Racing Tips: Delta to Work his way to the top

It feels like every day is a Saturday at the moment, such is the quality of the festive racing calendar. For a third successive day, we are treated to Grade 1 action and there looks to be an absolute classic in store over in Ireland at 14:25. The Savills Chase has attracted a field full of Cheltenham Gold Cup contenders and looks set to be the race of the season so far.

I have picked out three bets for the ITV4 televised races. 

Leopardstown Tips

13:15 – 3m Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1)

The dual Cheltenham Festival winner Sire Du Berlais recently returned to action with a Grade 2 victory over a shorter trip at Navan and should relish this step back up to three miles. However, I am happy to take him on given his overall record of just four wins from 16 starts.

My selection is FURY ROAD (1 point win bet at 10/3), who has made a promising start to his hurdling career having won four of his six races to date. Add to that the fact that he was headed on the line in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and he comes here with solid claims. The first and second that day, Monkfish and Latest Exhibition, have both since won over fences to boost the form.

This horse made an impressive reappearance in a Punchestown Grade 2 contest last month and should be even better today with race fitness now gained and the return to three miles very much in his favour.

14:25 – 3m Savills Chase (Grade 1)

The hugely exciting Minella Indo won two Grade 1s over hurdles and is yet to finish out of the first two places in his five starts to date over fences. He was denied close home in the RSA Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and has returned this season with two comfortable victories at Grade 3 and Grade 2 level. He has an obvious chance and is likely to go off as favourite.

However, slight preference is for the more experienced runner DELTA WORK (1 point win bet at 11/2), who is already proven at this level. Five of his six chase wins have come in Grade 1 company, including this race last year. He appears to love it at Leopardstown and after being placed here over hurdles in 2018, he is unbeaten in his three chase starts over this course and distance (all Grade 1s).  

Although his seasonal reappearance will go down as a disappointing effort (fifth in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal in October), he is sure to have come on for that – just as he did last year. He also won second time out in 2017 and landed a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse on his second start of the 2018/19 season. Jockey Jack Kennedy would have had the pick of the three Gordon Elliott-trained runners, and it is no surprise to see him choose this star stayer.

Catterick Tip

13:30 – 1m7½f Sky Bet Money Back As Cash Handicap Hurdle (Class 3)

MISS HERITAGE (NAP – 1 point win bet at 5/2) first came to my attention when absolutely routing the opposition in a soft ground bumper at this course in 2019. She was pitched straight into the Grade 2 NHF race at Aintree the following month but that marked one of three heavy defeats for this daughter of Pour Moi.  

Following wind surgery, she won a novice hurdle before scoring by 37-lengths on her handicap debut. Surprisingly, the handicapper was reasonable in their assessment and she lines up today just 11lbs higher, which includes the fact that she has since finished second in a Class 2 contest (last time out). She should appreciate the return to Catterick and today’s testing ground, and a further positive is the booking of Bryony Frost, who won the King George on Saturday.