Timeform Radio Tips: Saturday April 20

David has selected a bet at Newbury

David Cleary goes dual-purpose in his search for winners on Saturday.

An afternoon which continues the theme of the week, today's feature cards at Ayr and Newbury offering good-quality action both over the jumps and on the Flat. Although Newbury stages two significant classic trials and a Group 3 over a mile and a half, the main betting race is the Spring Cup, a twenty-five runner handicap, one fewer than the number declared for the Scottish Grand National. Impossible to solve? Hopefully not.
Top of the shortlist for the Scottish National at 15.50 is Our Mick, a relatively unexposed staying chaser who will have no problem with the rapidly drying ground and has shown his effectiveness in the hustle and bustle of large fields, Our Mick having run his two best races when completing over fences in the valuable three-mile handicap at the Cheltenham Festival. Those are also his only starts over that trip, and there are clear grounds on pedigree for thinking that a further step up in trip this afternoon will suit him down to the ground. He must go well. 

Others to consider include Rival d'Estruval, who looked an obvious sort for the race when shaping so well in the National Hunt Chase, Bradley, who may well have been freshened up by a break and shapes as if this trip will suit, and the Sue Smith-trained pair Aurora's Encore and Fill The Power. Grand National winner Aurora's Encore was second last year and looks sure to go close again if over his Aintree exertions. Fill The Power is well weighted and still has potential to improve at the trip. It's a race in which there's a good case for backing more than one runner, and Fill The Power gets the nod as second choice behind Our Mick.

The Spring Cup at Newbury (14.20) looks predictably wide open, with plenty of the market leaders having stated their case by running well in the Lincoln, the Spring Mile or on the all-weather. One who hasn't been out so far this year but who has the potential to improve again this year is the four-year-old Dream Tune. He won just once from seven starts at three, but was narrowly beaten on the first of two starts in handicaps and was well enough regarded to contest the Dante as a maiden. That came after he had finished second to the smart Noble Mission in the maiden on this card a year ago, a run which suggests he'll be ready to go this afternoon. A large field could play to his strengths as well, enabling his rider to get more cover than was the case on his final start last season. The booking for just the second time of James Doyle, who rode him for his win, can be taken as a positive sign of readiness. All in all, Dream Tune makes plenty of appeal.  
 
Recommended Bets:

Back Our Mick and Fill The Power @  17.0 and 21.0 respectively in the 15.50 at Ayr

Back Dream Tune @  24.0 in the 14.40 at Newbury