Chepstow tips for Saturday: Mr Mix to shine in Silver Trophy

Mr Mix looks pure gold in Silver Trophy

Mr Mix looks nicely treated on the pick of his form and decent value at the odds on offer to land the feature race on an excellent jumps card at Chepstow, the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle (16.25).

The French gelding showed progressive form last season after joining trainer Paul Nicholls, coming good at the third time of asking when easily landing a novice hurdle at Taunton by 18 lengths.

Mr Mix went on to finish a cracking second to Lanzarote winner Yala Enke in a decent class 2 contest at Ascot, sticking to the task really well to go down fighting by 3/4 of a length.

Yard in red-hot form

The five-year-old was allotted an opening handicap mark of 138 on the back of that game effort and was in the process of running a big race off it when falling two from home in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Mr Mix is able to race in this off the same rating and is a lightly-raced sort who looks the type who should have plenty more to offer this season.

Other pluses are that Mr Mix hails from a yard in red-hot form and has the services in the saddle of Harry Cobden whose claim takes another 3lb off his back.

Clan De Obeaux can collect on chasing debut

Clan Des Obeaux is also trained by Nicholls and can make his eagerly awaited debut over the larger obstacles a winning one in the 2m 3f novices’ chase (15.15).

The four-year-old looked a top notch prospect on debut for the Ditcheat handler when romping to a facile 21 length success in a juvenile hurdle at Newbury.

Clan De Obeaux then ran a blinder when second in the Triumph Hurdle trial at Cheltenham, looking all over the winner when tanking his way to the front, approaching the last before being headed in the final 100 yards and beaten 1 1/4 lengths.

Classy sort with huge engine

The gelding went on to round off the campaign with a solid sixth of 15 to Ivanovich Gorbatov in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival when again travelling well until getting outpaced two from home.

There is little doubt that Clan Des Obeaux is a classy sort with a huge engine and he looks a very exciting recruit to the chasing ranks.

His age also means that he receives a huge weight allowance from his rivals and the son of Kapgarde can capitalise to take this en route to much better things.