Weekend racing tips: Our expert panel answer big questions ahead of Aintree, Down Royal, Newcastle and Wincanton

1.Can Frodon go back-to-back in the Badger Beer Chase at Wincanton?

Matt Brocklebank: There’s every reason to expect another bold show from the loveable Frodon, for whom the Badger Beer is probably his Gold Cup and King George all rolled into one these days. It does look a stronger race to me this time around, though, and surely the 11-year-old top-weight can’t be getting any quicker. If he’s lost a yard or two, then it does look quite open, and I could be tempted into taking him on each-way with something else that could go well fresh, like Certainly Red or The Big Breakaway. It’s a race I like and I’m keen to see how the prices are shaping up come Friday afternoon.

Ben Linfoot: Off a mark of 158 – the identical rating he won the same race off last year – he clearly could. Whether I’d back him at prices around the 7/2 mark is a different matter. After all, he’s rising 12 now and though he’s been a great stalwart he could regress quickly at this stage of his career. On balance, I’m happy to see him win at the odds and I’ll probably take him on with a younger pair of legs in this instance come Friday afternoon.

Andrew Asquith: Frodon has made a winning reappearance on five occasions since being trained by Paul Nicholls, which is some achievement and clearly outlines how well he goes when fresh. He is also back down to the same mark as when winning this race on his return 12 months ago, so there is clearly plenty to like about his chances, and it would be another heartwarming success for one of the most popular horses in training. Frodon isn’t getting any younger, though, so I will probably be looking to take him on, with unexposed second-season chaser Blackjack Magic looking interesting at the current odds.

2.There’s Grade 1 action at Down Royal, what are you expecting from Gerri Colombe in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase?

BL: This is interesting as he takes on three rivals who have shown themselves capable of high-class form and all three of them have had a run this season, whereas Gerri Colombe makes his seasonal reappearance. Any chinks in his fitness are likely to be exposed but he does go well fresh and he was so impressive in his novice chasing that he’s 13/2 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup – miles shorter than any of his Down Royal rivals for the same race. He’ll likely be odds-on and that looks fair enough given his potential, but I’ll probably sit the race out when it comes to betting.

AA: Only four runners have stood their ground, including last year’s winner Envoi Allen, but I was a massive fan of Gerri Colombe last season, and he is very much the one to beat. He looked a natural switched to fences, winning a couple of Grade 1s early in his chasing career, and was only beaten by the narrowest of margins by The Real Whacker who came in for a perfectly-judged ride at the Cheltenham Festival. Gerri Colombe was much better suited by the test of stamina which the Mildmay at Aintree presented when last seen and he remains an exciting prospect, still unexposed at three miles and fully expected to advertise his Cheltenham Gold Cup claims.

MB: I fully expect him to come on quite a bit for the run. Whether he’s still good enough to prevail against three relatively race-fit rivals is the burning question here, but if you’re going to be laying this horse at all this season I think Saturday is probably the time to get him beat, despite Gordon Elliott’s phenomenal record at this meeting in general.

3.Who’s on the radar in the Boylesports Grand Sefton Handicap Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree?

AA: Conditions are set to be testing on the National course at Aintree this weekend, which will place the emphasis more on stamina, and I think that will suit the claims of Percussion, who took very well to these fences last season. He finished third to Al Dancer and Gesskille in this race last year from 8 lb out of the handicap, rallying well in the closing stages, and he filled the same position in the Becher on his next start. Percussion is now lower in the weights, able to race off his correct mark, and handles testing conditions well, so he would be my pick at this stage.

MB: Frero Banbou is definitely on the shortlist. He’s slid to a seriously attractive mark of 133, having been up to 140 after winning off 134 in January 2022, and his trainer Venetia Williams is absolutely mustard first time up with a target in mind. It’s a valuable pot and I doubt this horse will be short of a gallop coming here, providing the race actually goes ahead of course.

BL: It has been very wet at Aintree and the race has its own unique inspection on Friday morning so fingers crossed it gets the green light. I thought Coopers Cross jumped the Aintree fences well in the Topham Chase in April and he was going nicely when hampered four out. Second in the Scottish National last time out, the big one here in April will be his aim but he’ll need to go up a fair bit to get in the 34 so a bold show first time up (he won first time out last year) would not be the biggest surprise.

4.Is there a punting angle now the Virgin Bet November Handicap is being run on Newcastle’s Tapeta surface rather than heavy Doncaster turf?

BL: I think Ben Robinson rides Newcastle well. He often seems to get his horses in the frame and the stats back this up – he’s got a healthy WAX (Wins Against Expectation) figure at the track and his SP profit to £1 level stakes is +£23. I’ll be looking through his Saturday rides and he’s on Onesmoothoperator in the November Handicap itself, a horse with a good course record. He stays further and looks dependent on a strong gallop, but in that scenario he’d be an each-way player.

MB: I’m not blown away by the race, hand on heart, but could look to oppose the Godolphin horse Local Dynasty, who has no all-weather experience and has been off for a while. Prydwen doesn’t have much in hand from the handicapper but is fresh from a short break and now goes in cheekpieces for the first time, while Beraz and Laafi are the two obvious recent winners who look dangerous. Beraz could be the one if the price is right, but I’ll reserve final judgement for now.

AA: I expected more all-weather specialists would be targeted at the November Handicap after the switch was announced, but it doesn’t look a spectacularly deep renewal. A quick look at the market and two who look overpriced to me are Onesmoothoperator and Prydwen. The former doesn’t win very often, but he has plenty of form at Newcastle and he didn’t shape badly over course and distance last time. A well-run race round here should suit him well. Prydwen is another who has winning form on tapeta and arrives fresh. He is 4 lb higher than his latest win at Wolverhampton and the addition of first-time cheekpieces may help eke more out of this likeable and reliable five-year-old.

5.Can we have one other horse for the betting shortlist from any of this Saturday’s meetings please?

MB: Sticking with Newcastle, I’m interested in the fact Owen Burrows runs Embrace in the Listed sprint at 2.05. This is the trainer’s only runner all weekend and she has it to do on official ratings, but she’s definitely caught the eye in her last two outings, looking like she’d bolt up before hanging and weakening close home in a 7f Newbury handicap won by Pearl D’or, before not handling Newmarket’s undulations last time out. Burrows ran the filly in the Guineas after a decent fourth in the Fred Darling back in the spring and I think she could still be sitting on quite a major PB.

BL: I’ll be keeping an eye on the early prices for Bulmer Bank in the 12.50 nursery at Newcastle on Saturday. Mick & David Easterby have a good record in nurseries (4 from 14 at 28.57%) at this track and this horse ran well on his handicap bow at York last time, finishing close-up despite being keen over seven furlongs. Six at this track looks ideal and if he’s underestimated I’ll have a few quid on.

AA: Makinmedoit has finished well beaten on his last two starts, but she is arguably a much better horse on an artificial surface, and I think the market may have underestimated her in the mile and a quarter listed event for fillies at Newcastle. Her form figures on the all-weather read 722123 and I like that she has been given a short break after losing her form. Trainer Harry Eustace is making a good name for himself, and I think double figures odds about Makinmedoit are more than fair.