Monday racing tips: Andy Ayres picks out his best bet for today’s racing and has the weekend’s biggest punts as well as his take on Cheltenham Trials Day

IT WAS definitely a case of ladies first at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Unstoppable Bryony Frost grabbed centre stage with another heart-on-sleeve win aboard the mighty atom Frodon.

It’s difficult to get a unanimous verdict on anything in this game, but there isn’t a punter, pundit or purist who wouldn’t love to see this duo half-inch the Gold Cup in March.

Lizzie Kelly hasn’t always looked a tactical genius and gets plenty of stick from the armchair jockeys.

She gets `em jumping though and squeezed a proper tune out of Siruh Du Lac who won a red-hot 2m4f handicap chase on this card.

You had to love the way the winner knuckled down to nut Janika and he’s just the sort to make a National horse one day.

Emma Lavelle completed the girls’ hat-trick when heavily punted Paisley Park (11-2 to 100-30) ran away with the Cleeve Hurdle.

Most horses need ropes and a pulley to get up the Cheltenham hill but this bad boy climbs better than Sherpa Tenzing and is a rock-solid jolly for the Sun Racing Stayers Hurdle at The Festival.

Lady Buttons took a few weeks off young Tommy Dowson’s life when scrambling home in a Grade 2 mares’ hurdle up at Doncaster.

Tommy hit the front about a furlong too soon and only held on by the skin of a rice pudding as the queen of the north started dossing close home.

Trainer Phil Kirby is enjoying a rare old time with this flying machine and she’s entitled to have a crack at Altior in the Champion Chase.

HOTPOTS & HOWLERS Check out who made the cut in the latest Hotpot & Howler column from Sun Racing

Charlie Hills looked like an ice sculpture in the paddock at a nippy Lingfield on Saturday, but he made the trip worthwhile when Moongazer (2-1 to 5-4) landed some lumpy bets in a weak sprint maiden.

Cheerful Charlie then managed to get lost when trying to find the winners’ reception area and, unless the search party was successful, may still be AWOL!

Little Levi Williams drew a blank on his first 21 rides but finally hit the bullseye when Simon Dow’s Mr Scaramanga sprang a 20-1 shock in the mile handicap here.

The kid might sound like a welsh jeans designer, but Dow reckons he’s got a bright future and plans to let him and the horse have a crack at the apprentice final back here on Good Friday.

Mick Attwater’s morale has been lower than a snake’s undercarriage, but the normally chirpy trainer should have a spring back in his step after Sheila’s Fancy ended a five month barren spell for the yard at Fontwell on Sunday.

Big Mick has a secret weapon in stable star The Cruising Lord and could be a man to keep an eye on round the all-weather tracks in February.

Jamie Snowden sponsored the maiden hurdle on this card and must have been chuffed with his Grange Ranger who finished an eye-catching fourth.

He looked a run short of being in the pink and will win races for what is rapidly becoming a useful yard.

By the way, Gay Kelleway’s Scale Force was noted working well after racing at Southwell last week and is entered in a 5f handicap (3.10) there on Thursday. This speedball put a dent in the track record on his latest outing and will take a bit of catching if he lines-up.

Closer to hand, TALKISCHEAP (1.30) is the percentage call in a decent novice chase at Kempton, where KING CNUT (2.40) has a big chance in a run-of-the-mill handicap.

MISTRESS MASSINI (4.00) looks the best bet at Ludlow and will take some stopping off bottom weight.

Anthony Honeyball’s mare has the excellent Rex Dingle on top and his 5lbs claim is a massive plus.