Horse Racing tips: Ruby Walsh’s best bets for Saturday’s ITV racing

Ruby has got you covered for all the action on the box this Saturday

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change

Ruby Walsh has picked out his selections ahead of a packed Saturday of action around the tracks.

Eight races are due to be shown on ITV, although an 8am inspection is planned at Haydock due to heavy rainfall this week – casting doubt on the meeting.

Speaking on the latest episode of Paddy Power’s From The Horse’s Mouth podcast, our resident jockey-turned-pundit revealed his best bets at Ascot and Taunton as well as a trio of Haydock tips.

1.15pm, Ascot – Roksana

I like ROKSANA here but I can’t see her winning the Stayers’ Hurdle moving on from here – I think she’s got a better chance of beating Honeysuckle or Concertista in the Mares’ Hurdle. Magic Of Light is just not as good a hurdler as Roksana but she could end up in the Mrs Paddy Power Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. We’ve got two good mares clashing here that might go down different roads in March.

1.30pm, Haydock – Llandinabo Lad

(Inspection at Haydock scheduled for 8am on Saturday)

LLANDINABO LAD‘s form, when second to My Drogo at Ascot, is probably the strongest on offer here, but I don’t think there is a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle horse in here. Llandinabo Lad is possibly the most obvious horse in the race to win here though.

 

My Drogo Harry Skelton, Llandinabo Lad RIchard Johnson Ascot December 18, 2020

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1.50pm, Ascot – Botox Has (Each-Way)

I’m going to go for one each-way, and well down in the betting – BOTOX HAS. He’s a horse I really liked as a juvenile last year and he started the season well when he won at Cheltenham, beating The Pink’n over 2m. He was no match for Floressa at Newbury in the Gerry Fielden and then ran poorly behind Not So Sleepy in the big handicap hurdle at Ascot before Christmas, but I just think stepping up to nearly 2m4f gives him a great chance.

I’ve been a little bit disappointed with Danny Kirwan but Arrivederci certainly has a chance. Craigneiche was a fair horse at one stage but hasn’t run in almost a year and I would be willing to forgive Botox Has his last couple of starts.

2.10pm, Taunton – If The Caps Fits

(Inspection at Taunton scheduled for 7.30am on Saturday)

I think Yala Enki’s run was very solid in the Welsh National, but it was only 14 days ago and he went three-and-a-half miles at Chepstow in the mud. I know he’s an 11-year-old but can he really be as good a horse again this soon? IF THE CAP FITS‘ run was four weeks ago and I think he could just be the fresher horse. He’s be the one I would side with but if the sun shines at Taunton, unfortunately it will be the fences in the back straight that go missing – not the ones in the home straight – so jumping is still a worry for If The Cap Fits.

 

If-the-Cap-Fits

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2.40pm, Haydock – Royal Pagaille/Potters Legend (Each-Way)

(Inspection at Haydock scheduled for 8am on Saturday)

ROYALE PAGAILLE definitely looks a good one, and he could maybe even be a horse for the Festival Novice Chase or the National Hunt Chase if he wins here. Stamina will be to the fore, and I do fancy him. He’s definitely the one horse in the race who looks to be improving.

 

I’m going to go to the very other end of the scale for a horse each-way that will do exactly what is required here – POTTERS LEGEND. This will be slow and attritional, and he will just keep pottering away.

3.00pm, Ascot – Windsor Avenue

Espoir De Guye is tongue-tied for the first time and, as a seven-year-old, is the youngster horse in the field so could be the one horse open to most improvement. Good Boy Bobby is definitely going to be on most people’s shortlist as well but I’m going to go for WINDSOR AVENUE.

I’m going back a couple of runs but if you go back to his Carlisle run behind Imperial Aura, that is rock solid. He was pulled up behind Chatham Street Lad in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup, he was third at Wetherby on St Stephen’s Day behind Canelo in the Rowland Meyrick – I think that was a solid enough run as Snow Leopardess was second and he was three-and-a-half lengths back.

Brian Hughes rides him and Brian Ellison trains him, so at a price it’s Windsor Avenue for me.

 

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3.15pm, Haydock – Buveur D’Air

(Inspection at Haydock scheduled for 8am on Saturday)

It is some injury for BUVEUR D’AIR to come back from, but he wouldn’t be back unless he is 100 per cent. We will take that he is fit and well as a given. Ballyandy and Navajo Pass have a fitness edge and I imagineSam Twiston-Davies and Sean Quinlan will be trying to play that card but in doing so they’re just going to let Buveur D’Air slot right in behind them. I can just see Nico de Boinville producing Buveur D’Air at the 100-yard mark to pass whichever one is left in front. I really fancy him and think he will have too many gears for these.

3.35pm, Ascot – Fanion D’Estruval (Each-Way)

Politologue has been in really good form, there’s no doubt about that, and Harry Skelton has won the Champion Chase and Tingle Creek on him. He also won the Tingle Creek in 2017 when ridden by Harry Cobden, so no worries on the rider front with the switch.

The 2019 Tingle Creek saw Defi Du Seuil having too much pace for Waiting Patiently – he quickened away from him at the back of the second-last and Waiting Patiently tried to chase him home. But there is a dead eight in this race and if the dead eight line up, I think there could be an each-way angle here. That could be FANION D’ESTRUVAL, who was travelling really well when he fell at the third-last in the Peterborough Chase. He’s only a six-year-old and has a bit to find on the ratings, but will the big three turn up and run their races? That’s always questionable and I think Fanion D’Estruval is the each-way bet in the race, although Politologue is possibly the most likely winner.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change

Ruby Walsh’s bet summary – Saturday, January 23

1.15pm, Ascot – Roksana
1.30pm, Haydock – Llandinabo Lad
1.50pm, Ascot – Botox Has (Each-Way)
2.10pm, Taunton – If The Caps Fits
2.40pm, Haydock – Royal Pagaille/Potters Legend (Each-Way)
3.00pm, Ascot – Windsor Avenue
3.15pm, Haydock – Buveur D’Air
3.35pm, Ascot – Fanion D’Estruval (Each-Way)

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