Guide to Saturday’s ITV Racing

It’s the final day of racing before a mini Christmas break and we’ve got a cracking card at Ascot with four races on ITV4. The Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle is the feature contest of the day, which has drawn a competitive eleven runner field. Gold Present returns to Berkshire for a repeat bid in the Silver Cup and a pair of other competitive handicaps complete the action from Ascot. Elsewhere two races come from Haydock with a five runner Handicap Hurdle as well as the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase which has attracted an ever-competitive twelve competitors. All our ITV Racing tips are live!

Call Me Lord taking Long Walk to the top

Since joining Nicky Henderson’s yard from France, Call Me Lord has done nothing but improve. He ended last season with an emphatic sixteen length Grade 2 win at Sandown on his first try for the stable over further than two miles. Having relished the trip, the logical starting point this campaign is to see if he’ll make it as a stayer, on that evidence he shouldn’t have any problem whatsoever. It’s a deep enough race for his first try at three miles with ten other rivals, including last years victor Sam Spinner. Jedd O’Keeffe’s stable star needs to improve on his reappearance effort when readily held by Unowhatimeanharry, who won this contest in 2016. Soul Emotion is a fascinating contender for Nicky Henderson having won both starts for his handler in great style and could be anything.

Our Long Walk Hurdle tips are on site!

Gold Present bids for Silver Cup repeat

Gold Present‘s last win came in this race twelve months ago and the form reads extremely well. Frodon was back in second who is now rated eighteen pounds higher at 169 and Becher Chase winner Walk In The Mill came home in third. So the fact Gold Present is now five pounds higher doesn’t look too harsh at all, especially back at Ascot which is a track he clearly likes. A promising third in a Grade 2 here on seasonal reappearance should have set him up perfectly for this. Benatar was behind him in fourth that day so that one has a bit to do in order to reverse the placings. Gary Moore’s keen goer is yet to be tried over this trip under rules, but did win a PTP over the distance so could go well if he settles. Thomas Patrick is another not to write off as his run in the Ladbrokes Trophy was too bad to be true when sent off favourite.

Our Silver Cup Handicap Chase tips are on site!

Going Reports

Newcastle – Soft

Haydock – Heavy, Soft in places

Lingfield – Standard

Thurles – Good, Good to Yielding in places on Hurdles track

Ascot – Soft

Market Movers

12.15pm Thurles – The Conditional (12/1 into 6/1)

3.05pm Newcastle – Bempton Cliffs (18/1 into 8/1)

Saturday’s Tips

We’ve had three NAP of the Day winners from five this week which included 9/1 & 7/2 doubles with the Next Best, today’s best bet runs at Ascot. Our Early Value tip runs at Lingfield as we bid to continue our good run of form following 16/1 & 12/1 winners last week as well as 50/1 & 33/1 places this week!

Stat Of The Day

Nicky Richards is enjoying a tremendous run of form at present, operating at a 57% strike rate in the past two weeks with eight winners from fourteen runners; only two were out of the places! He saddles four runners today – Western Rules (12.10pm Newcastle), Chidswell (1.20pm Newcastle), Rubytwo (1.55pm Newcastle), Better Getalong (2.05pm Haydock).