Racing tips: Bank on Willie Mullins

With just 72 hours of the 2015/16 season to go, most interest is reserved for the jumps action and the battle royal between Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins for the trainers' title.

Title-chasing Willie Mullins, pictured, and Paul Nicholls could both be among the winners today. Picture: Getty

Mullins boosted his winnings when Up for Review won at Perth yesterday, and Townshend can pick up more valuable prize money for the Irish handler in the Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer Novices’ Hurdle at the same track today. The five-year-old has seen only limited action for Mullins so far, disappointing when failing to strike as favourite on two starts to date. He raced too keenly when fourth at Fairyhouse in February, with Cheltenham victor Mall Dini just in front of him, while he never looked like getting into a challenging position when down the field at Kempton last month.

Mullins is clearly chasing every penny and a drop in class should help his charge’s chance here.

Stilletto can make a significant contribution to Nicholls’ tally with victory in the Close Brothers Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Warwick.

The £25,000 event looks a fine opportunity for this seven-year-old after he fluffed his lines on his big day at the Cheltenham Festival. Sent off joint favourite for a Grade Three heat, he got no further than the third fence as Empire Of Dirt went on to a clear-cut victory.

Stilletto is clearly more than capable when he gets it right, as his previous win at Leicester showed, so Nicholls will be hoping for a clear round here.

Big things are expected from the Nicholls-trained Present Man in the Helen Tellam 50th Birthday Novices’ Handicap Chase at Exeter.

He looked ready to step up to fences when well beaten over hurdles at Wincanton earlier in the month and the fact Nicholls switches disciplines at this late stage of the campaign speaks volumes about his ability. Passmore rates the best bet at Market Rasen in the concluding Racing UK Day Pass Just £10 Mares’ Maiden Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Busy Street let down favourite backers last time but can make amends in the Alan McGuinness And Robin Lunness Memorial Handicap at Beverley.

The four-year-old was well supported to follow up on a December victory at Southwell when turning out at the Nottinghamshire venue again but he could finish only second behind Swift Cedar.

Admittedly that was his first run back after a bit of a break and he was keeping on at the end, so perhaps he will be a little sharper for this test.

BEVERLEY

1.50 Zig Zag Girl

2.20 Autumn Blossom

2.50 Arab Poet

3.20 Busy Street

3.50 Nietzsche

4.20 Chilworth Bells

4.50 Carenot

EXETER

4.55 Vieux Lille

5.30 Easy Street

6.00 Present Man

6.30 Fort Carson

7.00 Thirty Bob

7.30 Withy Mills

8.00 Bill And Barn

MARKET RASEN

4.45 Querry Horse

5.20 Mystic Sky

5.50 Chankillo

6.20 Call It On

6.50 Diego Suarez

7.20 Salut Honore

7.50 Passmore

PERTH

2.00 Townshend

2.30 Bring Back Charlie (nap)

3.00 Florrie Boy

3.30 Gallic Warrior

4.00 Just Cameron

4.30 Milans Well

5.05 Benny’s Secret

WARWICK

1.40 Sporting Milan

2.10 Ted’s Lad

2.40 Join The Navy

3.10 Mustmeetalady

3.40 Stilletto

4.10 Arbeo

4.40 Clondaw Cracker

5.15 Our Mick

DOUBLE

Townshend

2.00 Perth

Bring Back Charlie

2.30 Perth