Expert Punter
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What a superb day of racing we have on Saturday, with Jumps action coming from Down Royal, Wetherby and Ascot. So, I’ve put together an each way Lucky 15 for you that covers all bases, and all four of my betting tips are selected for value.
My first selection runs at Down Royal, then I have one from Wetherby in the Grade 2 West Yorkshire Hurdle. After that, we move onto Ascot, where I have two picks, but my strongest fancy of the day runs in the headline race, which is the deeply-competitive Sodexo Handicap Chase. This one will love the flat track at Ascot, and goes very well fresh too. Have a great day watching the Saturday action, and be lucky racing fans!
Before we get to Saturday’s betting tips, I just want to remind you about this great deal from Ladbrokes.
Bet £5, and you’ll get £20 in free bets. A fair deal for a big day of racing.
Most eyes will be immediately drawn to Gordon Elliott’s mare Kala Conti here. She was well-regarded as a Juvenile, and even had the better of Kargese at the beginning of last season. She is a horse I am extremely interested in for the future, but she is on the market at a very short price to win here. Considering this race is her seasonal debut, and it’s a deep field, I’m going to take her on this time.
At a great price, I’m siding with Enniskerry, who seems to be on a very good mark. He is a strong traveller, who does very little wrong in his races, and he is certain to get competitive here. He has run five times on the Flat winning two, and even had the better of Gavin Cromwell’s Sixandahalf at Listowel - form that has worked out nicely since. Enniskerry may have to give weight all round in this field, but he is on a handy mark. He is a good each way bet to kickstart the day in my opinion.
We head over to Wetherby next for the West Yorkshire Hurdle. Olly Murphy’s Thunder Rock definitely has the ability to go well here and poses the main threat. He was highly-touted around this time last year, and beat Mahler Mission in a Chase over a shorter distance at Carlisle. He runs well fresh, and shouldn't be far away at the line.
With just seven runners, there are only two places, but I think that DanSkelton’s
Kateira
is the one. She is a mare that has simply gone from strength to strength, and she has bags of speed to go with her stamina, which could make all the difference here. On her final start of last season she won the Grade 3 at Aintree, beating the well regarded Jango Baie in very smart fashion. A repeat effort would give her obvious claims too.
Kateira
is rated at 144 already, and I think there is still plenty to come. But, just so as you know, she is likely to come from off the pace, and use her speed late on. I find it hard to see her outside of the first two in this field.
Moving on swiftly to Ascot, we have a highly-entertaining Handicap Hurdle. And I say “entertaining” for good reason. Last time out things did not go according to plan for Fiercely Proud (who was my NAP at the Cheltenham Showcase meeting last week). He got worked up at the start, which culminated with his Conditional jockey being thrown, and he didn’t run at all, unfortunately. Strangely enough, he is still the current favourite for this race…
So, Fiercely Proud’s antics the last time lead me to side with Break My Soul, who looks like a much more reliable prospect. This is a mare who clearly oozes talent, and with the summer on her back, I expect her to improve plenty for the break. Her mark of 122 is nowhere near the ceiling of her ability in my eyes. Even if Fiercely Proud turns up in a better frame of mind, I am expecting a big run from Nicky Henderson's Break My Soul, and we are getting a much better price besides!
The biggest race on Saturday is the Sodexo Handicap Chase. Here we will witness the return of Ultima Chase winner Chianti Classico. He was superb at the Cheltenham Festival and likely to make a bold bid for this race too. However, carrying weight as a front running horse will not make it an easy race for him. He surely won’t be far away though, and as the Grand National is his main target, he poses quite the threat here still.
Moving away from the top of the market, I think Ditcheat’s Solo is way overpriced. He loves a flat, right-handed track ,and coming here fresh could be exactly the right time to catch him. There has been a lot of talk about how the Paul Nicholls team are out of form, but that doesn’t put me off, and I am expecting Solo to put his best foot forward. He is fairly high in the weights, but he comes here fresh and in the prime of his life. He also has some good form in the book, so I think he is being underestimated in the market. With plenty of places on offer, he is a very solid each way bet.
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