Guide to Saturday’s ITV Racing

Last Saturday’s racing was abandoned due to the Equine Influenza outbreak, but thankfully we’re back on for this weekend and now have a ‘Super Saturday’ to look forward to! Ascot is staging a bumper nine-race card with the Betfair Hurdle and Denman Chase added to the fixture following their cancellation from Newbury a week ago. In addition to the Grade 1 Ascot Chase, featuring last years winner Waiting Patiently, the Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase and Listed Handicap, there are five races on ITV from the Berkshire venue. A pair of races each from Haydock and Wincanton plus the Red Mills Chase from Gowran Park complete a stellar afternoon of ten televised races. Our ITV Racing Tips are ready and waiting!

Connections should be rewarded for Waiting Patiently

Since winning the Ascot Chase last season, we have only seen Waiting Patiently on one occasion. That was when he unseated in the King George after being badly hampered by a falling Bristol De Mai. He is unbeaten over fences aside from that and given how good he was in this very contest last season, plus with the factor that there could still be more improvement in him, he looks the standout in the field. The Nicholls pair of Cyrname and Politologue will prove tough opposition as the former was an emphatic twenty-one length winner here last time. The latter is a dual course and distance winner and will appreciate the drop back in distance having not stayed the King George trip last time. Fox Norton has won his only start around this trip so is an interesting runner. Plus Aso and Charbel are having brilliant seasons and can’t be discounted.

Our Ascot Chase Tips are on site!

Dancer and Trump do battle in rescheduled Betfair Hurdle

Often a key pointer towards the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, this years renewal of the Betfair Hurdle may well have a big impact on that market once again. Al Dancer made a mockery of his opening handicap mark when hammering a field at Cheltenham last time. He’s been raised twelve pounds but looks sure to go well again and enhance his Supreme claims. Getaway Trump travelled superbly in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle last time out but couldn’t live with Champ. That could end up being strong form and Paul Nicholls’ charge is interesting on handicap debut. Lisp has been bang there in high end handicaps recently and his consistency should reward him with another good show today. Didtheyleaveuoutto is a dual course and distance winner (one Bumper, one Hurdles) and the drying ground will play to his strengths on his handicap debut.

Our Betfair Hurdle Tips are on site!

Going Reports

Ascot – Good to Soft, Good in places

Haydock – Good to Soft, Soft in places (Chase course)

Wincanton – Good to Soft, Good in places

Gowran Park – Yielding to Soft

Lingfield – Standard

Kempton – Standard to Slow

Market Movers

1.25pm Haydock – Laskadine (11/4 into 13/8)

1.50pm Gowran Park – Darasso (4/1 into 2/1)

2.55pm Haydock – Champers On Ice (16/1 into 9/1)

5.15pm Kempton – Cockney Hill (22/1 into 7/1)

Saturday’s Tips

The last time we had action on ITV Racing we landed an 11/1 Acca! We have a monster 156,349/1 and 10/1 Accumulator Tips for today. In addition to that, seven on the last eleven best bets have landed and today’s NAP of the Day runs on ITV!

Stat Of The Day

Paul Nicholls has a 25% strike rate in the past year when running a horse in a handicap for the first time. Both Getaway Trump (3.20pm Ascot) and Dan McGrue (4.35pm Wincanton) fit those criteria today.