'Horses like Samcro are why there are bookmakers waiting to take your money'

London Racing Club preview night
Thursday, March 8
Holiday Inn, Kensington

Panel Lee Mottershead (chair), Luke Tarr (Star Sports), Lydia Hislop (RUK presenter), Matt Tombs (Weatherbys Festival Betting Guide) and Phil Smith (chief handicapper)

The London Racing Club panel (from left to right): Luke Tarr, Matt Tombs, Lydia Hislop, Phil Smith and Lee Mottershead

What they said . . .

"It's a sport full on fences, but she never sits on one" – Lee Mottershead introducing Lydia Hislop

"Welcome to Groundhog Day. Find Mullins, find Walsh, find the Mr Blobby colours and put it up as short as you can get away with" – Luke Tarr on how to tackle the Supreme

"I don't believe any of them are as good as the last three years, but they're better than Western Warhorse" – Phil Smith on the Arkle field

"Well we're all better than Western Warhorse" – Lee Mottershead

"Search for horses running off a lower chase mark than their hurdle mark, because there's still massive potential in those horses. They may have been 150 over hurdles but can't get higher than 144, 145, 146, and that's what they'll go off, so look really carefully for that type of horse" – Phil Smith's top tip

"Horses like Samcro are why when you go in through the gates there are bookmakers waiting to take your money" – Luke Tarr on bookmaking 101

"Getabird is the sort of favourite you've got to want to take on. There's a bit of a question mark about him going left-handed, I'm a little worried about that but I'm more worried about the fact he's fragile, he's got a scratchy action, Mullins said his recent work hadn't been that great – there are loads of reasons to take him on" – Matt Tombs on the hot Supreme fav

Lee Mottershead:"Any doubts about Altior?" *Tumbleweeds roll by

"The Foxhunter is a fun event because from about January I have trainers ringing me up saying I have their horses too low" – Phil Smith

"This raffle is about as confusing as the Grand Annual" – Luke Tarr tackles the coffee break charity challenge
"The Grand Annual is easy" – Lydia Hislop isn't so flummoxed

"The Ryanair shouldn't even exist" – Lydia Hislop
"That's a straight red card, get out" – Luke Tarr

Best bets

Luke Tarr – Kalashnikov (Supreme), Black Op (Ballymore), Santini (Albert Bartlett)

Lydia Hislop – Poetic Rhythm (Albert Bartlett) and Diego Du Charmil (Grand Annual)

Matt Tombs – Sam Spinner (Stayers' Hurdle)

Phil Smith – Each-way double: Definitly Red (Gold Cup) and Definitly Red (Grand National)

Members can read the full report online from 4pm