Find your racing speciality and Christmas may come early

Steeplechase Saturday is nearly upon us and it is a personal favourite, as it should be for all chasing fans. In the last ten years, the Tingle Creek has been joined by the London National, a promoted Henry VIII and the Becher/Grand Sefton card at Aintree, itself augmented by what has become the Many Clouds Chase.

To emphasise, that is Britain's first Grade 1 novice chase of the season, the best two-mile chase outside the Champion Chase, a soft King George/Gold Cup trial and 40 per cent of the annual diet of races over the National fences, all in the space of an hour and forty five minutes. If you ask me, they were a bit hasty in claiming 'Super Saturday' for July.

Naturally, there is a bit of a bias there. Chases are my personal area of focus. I reckon I do at least 80 per cent of my betting in races over fences and I would recommend similar specialisation to any serious bettor who has to factor in the day job. Getting to really know a subset of horses is the fastest way to becoming a more informed punter.