Matt Chapman: 8/1 Embour can make it a Saturday to remember

Saturday was meant to be a huge day at Sandown on ITV4, but as that card has been cancelled there are still six races to enjoy from Wolverhampton and Ayr on the main ITV network! So good has come of bad.

I’ll be on ITV all day tomorrow, so hopefully, I can find you some winners.

Let’s get straight to it, and the 1.35pm at Wolverhampton is an extended 1m handicap trial for the Lincoln at Doncaster. Market leader FOX POWER (9/4) is going to be very hard to stop in this for Richard Hannon and Silvestre de Sousa. He gets a huge 9lb pull with Via Serendipity on their last clash, and a lot of the others in the field might be exposed now after good campaigns. I think he will take a world of beating at reasonable odds.

Next at Wolverhampton is the 2.10pm, a handicap over 6f. First time out might not be the moment to catch EMBOUR (8/1), but the Ayr Gold Cup fifth has plenty of class and might be hard to keep out the frame for Richard Hannon and Ryan Moore. I will have a few quid each-way as the draw has been kind.

The 2.45pm at Wolverhampton is the Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes over 7f. Jersey fourth URBAN ICON should be too classy for this lot and be another for Moore and Hannon. My hope makes the seasonal debut, but he has a fine draw and stays up to a mile so should come home strong.

Meanwhile, over at Ayr the 1.55pm is a handicap chase over an extended 2m. VENGEUR DE GUYE (16/1) is back over fences here and is well enough handicapped if anywhere near right. Trained by Lucinda Russell and ridden by 5lb conditional Thomas Willmott, my selection was a decent winner at Kelso a few runs ago and goes in any ground.

Also at Ayr is the 2.30pm, a mares’ handicap hurdle over an extended 2m5f. I will take an each-way chance with OFF THE HOOK (10/3) who has headgear on now and is down in the weights. Of course, there is a reason for that as he has not been running very well, but fingers crossed he can get back to form here.

And finally, at Ayr the 3.05pm is a handicap hurdle over an extended 2m4f. THE CON MAN (9/4) was far from disgraced at Ascot last time and this should be easier. Trained by Donald McCain and ridden by Brian Hughes, my hope was behind Nordano and Malaya in that Ascot race and that is decent form.

So best of luck and pray for Yeeehaaas. You hear me Paddy?

*All odds correct at time of publication