Stephen Harris’s Saturday Racing Tips for Hereford, Cheltenham and Doncaster

Jane Williams has now hit form after a quiet start to the jumps season proper, with two winners from her last eight runners in the past fortnight, and her tough 9-y-o mare looks very well placed in this Class 2 handicap.

She remains a maiden after five runs so far over fences (dual hurdle winner) but shaped nicely over this course and distance last time out and should be nearing peak fitness after two sighters this winter in better company.

David Noonan takes the ride fresh from Grade 1 glory last weekend, with a much more positive ride on the cards.

Paul Nicholls has a brilliant record in these valuable Saturday handicaps, and fresh might be the time to catch this classy (if rather quirky) performer.

He won five times over hurdles between 2020 and 2021 (extremely well treated on that form now) and remains open to improvement over fences after just three career starts (highly tried against warm novices each time).

This big field handicap should be strongly run which will help him settle in the early stages, and nobody is riding better than Harry Cobden this season.

Charlie Longsden would generally be better known for winners in the spring and summer (on decent ground when the competition is easier), but he seems sure to have his useful front-running chaser fit and primed after eight months on the sidelines.

He has won once and been placed twice from three previous visits to Doncaster, and a typically attacking ride from the front by the massively improved Paul O’Brien could soon take these Class 2 rivals out of their comfort zone from an early stage.

Drying eased ground suits ideally and making the running at this course is always a big tactical advantage if able to dominate from the tape.