Horse Racing Tips: Mick Fitzgerald’s Slick Saturday ITV Racing Picks

Top TV pundit Mick Fitz reckons class will tell at Ascot & Haydock where Shishkin & Bravemansgame take centre stage.

By / Horse Racing Tips / 12 months ago

Mick Fitzgerald’s ITV Racing Tips

13:30 Ascot – Shishkin
13:50 Haydock – Gaillard Du Mesnil
14:05 Ascot – Theatre Glory
14:20 Haydock – Fine Margin (each-way)
14:40 Ascot – Fortuna Ligna
15:00 Haydock – Bravemansgame
15:15 Ascot – Boothill
15:35 Haydock – Credo

*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.

13:30 Ascot – Shishkin

Fitness could be the deciding factor and Paul Nicholls’ stable jockey Harry Cobden will hope that Pic D’Ory has an advantage. The track is not that soft and that could swing things in Shishkin’s favour as he prefers better ground. Connections have added cheekpieces to try and get him to travel a little kinder in his races and the small field should suit him. Harry Cobden will be trying to expose any flaws in the Nicky Henderson trained chaser though. It’s an intriguing contest even if there’s only four runners.

13:50 Haydock – Gaillard Du Mesnil

Willie Mullins’ runner Gaillard Du Mesnil won the National Hunt Chase at the Festival last March and ended his season finishing a good third in the Aintree Grand National. He has run well over shorter distances as he showed last season when finishing runner-up in the Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse. Patrick Mullins rides him again after that Cheltenham win.

14:05 Ascot – Theatre Glory

Nicky Henderson has a fantastic strike rate at the moment and it may pay to follow him today. Theatre Glory will love the drying ground and this looks a very winnable contest. Goshen was well beaten at Newmarket in the Cesarewitch and the drying ground here is not a positive for him either.

14:20 Haydock – Fine Margin (each-way)

The 3m handicap hurdle looks competitive and Fine Margin used to be trained by Matthew Daly but he is now in the care of Willie Mullins and Patrick Mullins used to ride him in bumpers.

He has run in a few good novice hurdles and, despite finishing last at the Punchestown Festival, connections must be seeing something that makes them want to come for this big prize for a new owner in the yard who has horses with Venetia Williams and Henry de Bromhead. Dubrovnik Harry also looks like he could be a player in this open contest. Crambo will find it harder in this big field.

14:40 Ascot – Fortuna Ligna

This daughter of Soldier of Fortune didn’t wear blinkers when narrowly beaten by the re-opposing Lassue at Chepstow last time. Anthony Honeyball’s runner is 4lbs better off now and the trainer is putting the blinkers back on Fortuna Ligna. That’s enough to see him reverse the form in my opinion.

15:00 Haydock – Bravemansgame

The biggest surprise is that Harry Cobden is not riding Bravesmansgame, he’s gone to Ascot, as he has been on board for every one of his 18 runs to date. Bravesmansgame is best horse in the Nicholls’ yard and Cobden is bound to be disappointed he’s not riding him and Daryl Jacob is. I hope last season’s King George VI Chase winner and subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up wins nicely.

Last year’s winner Protektorat has had this as his aim for some time and should be fit and ready. He has had a wind op but the Dan Skelton team are operating at a slightly lower strike-rate this season at 14 per cent compared to an average 18 per cent over the past five seasons and a few of their runners have needed their first run of the season.

15:15 Ascot – Boothill

I’m a big fan of Boothill and won here comfortably at the last meeting. He is up 6lbs in the rating for that victory and now races off r a career high mark. The drying ground will not be a problem for him and he can get the job done again.

15:35 Haydock – Credo

It could be a good day for Anthony Honeyball as Credo won very nicely at Wincanton on soft ground on soft ground last time and can go in again. She can be a little bit hit and miss, but in an open contest she is a strong traveller who should get the kind of race that will suit her.

Saturday’s Horse Racing Tips

13:30 Ascot – Shishkin
13:50 Haydock – Gaillard Du Mesnil
14:05 Ascot – Theatre Glory
14:20 Haydock – Fine Margin (each-way)
14:40 Ascot – Fortuna Ligna
15:00 Haydock – Bravemansgame
15:15 Ascot – Boothill
15:35 Haydock – Credo

*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.

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