Mick Fitzgerald’s Saturday ITV Tips:
13:50 Haydock – Hitman
14:05 Ascot – L’Homme Presse
14:25 Haydock – Botox Has (each-way) / Good Risk At All
14:40 Ascot – Constitution Hill
15:00 Haydock – A Plus Tard
15:15 Ascot – Edwardstone
15:35 Haydock – The Big Breakaway / Truckers Lodge (each-way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
What a day on ITV Racing with the top rated hurdler in the country and ante-post Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill making his seasonal reappearance at Ascot and last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard reappearing at Haydock in the Betfair Chase.
13:50 Haydock – Hitman
It turns out it was a pretty tough task for Hitman to give so much weight to last week’s Paddy Power Gold Cup winner GA Law at Aintree last season. He gave him 17 lbs and beat him by a length and a quarter that day. He runs at level weights against much lower rated rivals now and it is very hard to see him not winning. If there is to be an upset it will surely be Minella Drama who is a little more reliable over fences than Itchy Feet who is a sloppy jumper.
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14:05 Ascot – LHomme Presse
England’s big Cheltenham Gold Cup hope L’Homme Presse gets weight off some lesser rated rivals and has to be the one. A slight concern for backers is Venetia Williams’ lack of winners. I saw this son of Diamond Boy parading at Hereford a few weeks ago and he looked pretty fit. Connections have warned that he will improve for the run and his slick jumping will surely prove too difficult to pass.
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14:25 Haydock – Good Risk At All
I will be playing twice in this race as I like Botox Has as an each-way bet, who has a good value 7lb claimer on board in Caoilin Quinn and he will surely be in the places. However, Good Risk At All from the Sam Thomas stable is the win proposition – if his jumping holds up. That’s his problem but this longer trip should help that. He is very smart and the softer the ground the better for his chances.
14:40 Ascot – Constitution Hill
Some monster performances from Constitution Hill last season saw him rated the highest novice hurdler for many years. He will improve further in the season but even allowing for that, this should be the perfect starting point for him on the road to the Champion Hurdle next March at the Cheltenham Festival.
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15:00 Haydock – A Plus Tard
It’s hard to believe A Plus Tard got beat last season in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown by Galvin when you look at his performances either side of that defeat. It just shows that every horse is beatable. The slight concern is the ground is getting softer all the time for his first run this season and that will help a couple of the others. However, he won this last year on his seasonal debut and surely will prove too good again.
Protektorat looked so impressive over three miles on soft ground at Aintree that he has to enter calculations to chase A Plus Tard home, while this is usually three-time Betfair Chase winner Bristol De Mai’s Gold Cup at his happy hunting ground.
15:15 Ascot – Edwardstone
Alan King’s charge Edwardstone was a real friend to me last season and I feel it would be terrible to desert him now. However, if he is to be beaten this would be the time he is most vulnerable. He is a very sound jumper and an uncomplicated ride and for that reason I’m sticking with him. The danger is Thyme White, who was a convincing winner at the track last time having settled much better than in previous starts. If he can repeat that, he will be the one to serve it up to last season’s Arkle Chase winner, Edwardstone.
15:35 Haydock – Truckers Lodge (each-way)
A competitive Chase handicap where I’m prepared to back two against the field. The first is The Big Breakaway as he served it up to Bravemansgame first time out last season at Newton Abbott and the ground conditions will not be a problem. He is not badly handicapped either. The other I really like is Paul Nicholls’ Truckers Lodge. A confirmed mud lover who was placed in last season’s Welsh Grand National, he’ll be ridden by 10lb claimer Freddie Gingell. That makes him almost a stone (14lb) lower than when finishing third in the Welsh showpiece. Nicholls is keen to have a shot at these big races with using that sort of claim.
Mick Fitzgerald’s Saturday ITV Tips:
13:50 Haydock – Hitman
14:05 Ascot – L’Homme Presse
14:25 Haydock – Botox Has (each-way) / Good Risk At All
14:40 Ascot – Constitution Hill
15:00 Haydock – A Plus Tard
15:15 Ascot – Edwardstone
15:35 Haydock – The Big Breakaway / Truckers Lodge (each-way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
READ MORE
- Horse Racing Tips: Matt Chapman’s top picks for Saturday’s ITV Racing
- Horse Racing Tips: Ruby Walsh’s fine fancies for ITV Racing on Saturday
- Horse Racing Tips: Ruby Walsh’s Punchestown picks for Saturday’s action