Take this chaser who is tailor-made for the Welsh National marathon test

Springfield Fox
3.10 Chepstow
Buy at 11 on the index

It may be Sean Bowen, rather than younger brother James who was booked on December 27, riding Springfield Fox, but the instructions will be the same. Get there, stay there.

The best betting angle in the Welsh National, beyond guaranteeing you are on a horse who stays well and acts in the mud, is to take prominent racers. Springfield Fox is defined by those three characteristics as well as being unexposed.

As much has not been lost on his connections, who have lined him up for this race. His wins at Chepstow and Exeter last year marked him out for this prize, and his unseating of his rider at the Cheltenham Festival came too far out to make any judgements.

A single spin in novice hurdles this winter is just the sort of prep needed for a big test like this, meaning Springfield Fox will be plenty fresh enough to do himself justice.

The elder Bowen is particularly adept on the front, much like regular rider Jonathan Burke, so Springfield Fox should be capable of making it into the places and rewarding his buyers.

3.10 Chepstow
Sporting (50-30-20-10): 16-19 Secret Reprieve, 8-11 Springfield Fox, 7-9 Truckers Lodge, Lord Du Mesnil, Christmas In April, 6-8 Yala Enki, The Two Amigos, 5-7 Dominateur, Prime Venture, 4-6 Ramses De Teillee, Cloudy Glen, Big River, 3-5 The Hollow Ginge, Vieux Lion Rouge, Bobo Mac, 2-4 Captain Drake, Calipso Collonges, 1-3 Joe Farrell

Match bet: Springfield Fox/Truckers Lodge 0-1.5

3.30 Kempton
Sporting (50-30-20-10): 10-13 Everglow, 9-12 One True King, 8-11 Glynn, Misty Whisky, 7-9 Hunters Call, 6-8 The White Mouse, Shang Tang, 5-7 Amour De Nuit, 4-6 Solo, 3-5 Big Bad Bear, Boreham Bill, Mount Mews, Polish, Castle Robin, Dhowin, 2-4 The Cashel Man, Shinobi, Exod'ela, Mahlers Promise, 1-3 Gerolamo Cardano

Match bet: Glynn/Hunters Call 0.5-2

Saturday tipping and analysis:

Pricewise: Tom Segal thinks last year's race might be the key to cracking Welsh National (Members' Club)

Saturday Sizzlers: Paul Kealy has a strong set of bets for Kempton with three cracking plays (Members' Club)

Big-race Trends: look for unexposed types with right-handed form in Lanzarote (Members' Club)

Paul Kealy's must-have banker at Chepstow on Saturday

The Punt Daily: Tom Collins' free horse racing tips on Saturday afternoon

Saturday's free racing tips: our tipping experts with the day's best bets

Paul Kealy reckons Kempton offers the best Placepot card

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