Horse racing tips for Naas and Newbury on Saturday
By Timeform
Horse Racing
Sat February 10, 2024 · 10M ago
Timeform mark your card with a ratings choice, a big improver and a Flag to note on Saturday.
The Ratings Choice
Maskada - 15:40 Naas
Grand Annual winner Maskada is favoured by the terms of this listed chase and looks the one to beat at the weights.
Maskada, the only unpenalised runner in the line-up, showed smart form when bolting up in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival last season and she ran to a similar level when third behind El Fabiolo and Fil Dor in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork in December.
This is a good race for the grade, but there's nothing of El Fabiolo's quality in here and this looks a nice opportunity for Maskada who is 6 lb clear at the head of Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings.
The Big Improver
Captain Cody - 13:55 Naas
Captain Cody showed ability in bumpers last season, finishing sixth in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, and he looked a good prospect when making a successful hurdling debut at Gowran Park a couple of weeks ago.
Captain Cody was presented with a simple task but he scored in style, not needing to come off the bridle to win by ten lengths.
He has the Timeform Large P to highlight he's open to significant improvement over hurdles and he can take care of some rivals who are promising in their own right.
"For a stable that's flying, I think he's overpriced at 25/1" | Saturday Tips: Betfair Hurdle Day
The Timeform Flag
Inch House - 15:50 Newbury
Flags: Horses For Courses, Top-Rated
Inch House progressed well during a light campaign over hurdles last season, winning at Chepstow on his third and final start in that sphere, and he has taken really well to chasing this term.
He shaped much better than the distance beaten would suggest on his chasing debut at Chepstow in October (made a bad mistake) and he stepped up on that to run out a ready winner over this course and distance the following month, impressing with how fluently he travelled. He underlined his effectiveness at this track when following up over a shorter trip, scoring with more in hand than the margin of a length and a quarter might suggest.
He had to settle for second at Cheltenham last time, but he still produced a creditable effort and, with so few miles on the clock, he remains capable of better.
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