Mick Fitzgerald’s ITV Saturday Racing Tips
13:20 Doncaster – Astral Beau
13:30 Bangor – Jungle Jack
13:50 Doncaster – Mystical Elegance
14:10 Newbury – Into The Park
14:25 Doncaster – Thunder Roar
14:40 Newbury – Gustavian
15:00 Doncaster – Baradar
15:15 Newbury – Larchmont Lass
15:35 Doncaster – Johan (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.
13:20 Doncaster – Astral Beau
There’s a bumper nine races on ITV Racing as the Flat turf season starts at Doncaster but be warned – it’s on heavy ground. The jumps action comes from Newbury and Bangor. I’ll start on the Flat at Doncaster though and ASTRAL BEAU loves bad ground. She seems to cope with it better than some of the others and I want to have her on side now, even though she has little to find on ratings. She was a run-away winner of this contest last year and conditions are very similar.
13:30 Bangor – Jungle Jack
JUNGLE JACK beat Homme Public last year in this contest and it’s hard to dismiss a Donald McCain-trained runner at his local track. That’s strong form and he is only slightly higher in the handicap. The ground is not a problem, it was a good run last time after a wind operation so there are several positives.
13:50 Doncaster – Mystical Elegance
MYSTICAL ELEGANCE is my pick. The Amo Racing team are worth following with their two-year-old team and they will have had a few options for this contest. They would love to get their new season off to a flyer with David Egan as their retained rider. Dominic French Davis’s string are easy to spot around Lambourn all in purple!
14:10 Newbury – Into The Park
INTO THE PARK was a good winner over two miles at Taunton last time. He did get raised 6lb by the handicapper for that win, but it might still underestimate him, especially now he steps up in trip. I was looking to steer away from the likely favourite here, but I can’t!
14:25 Doncaster – Thunder Roar
THUNDER ROAR ran well to finish third at Southwell a couple of weeks ago, which should put him spot-on for this valuable contest. He loves the ground and has to be of interest.
14:40 Newbury – Gustavian
GUSTAVIAN was only 10L behind Heltenham last time and he enjoys a decent pull at the weights. The ground is the key now. Heltenham was good last time when it was properly heavy. The whole race was almost in slow motion, which helped his jumping. It will be nowhere near as easy for him, with the ground drying out at the course now.
15:00 Doncaster – Baradar
BARADAR won a big handicap at Ascot in July and George Boughey is another trainer who would love to hit the ground running for the start of the Flat Turf season. He was a winner at the track over slightly farther on slow ground and this looks a really good fit as he also finished third in the Lincoln last year, when carrying plenty of weight.
15:15 Newbury – Larchmont Lass
LARCHMONT LASS is on a great handicap mark and Paul Nicholls will not be able to believe his luck, especially when you think she won a Listed Mares’ bumper at Sandown last season. She has been disappointing though and that’s the reason she has ended up with this handicap mark. The extra trip will help her as she has looked one-paced at times. They should go quick here so a a’ stayer’ is what you need.
15:35 Doncaster – Johan (each-way)
The feature race of the day is the Lincoln Handicap over the mile and JOHAN fits the bill. It’s tough to get this competitive race right but Sylvester De Sousa will be keen to make a mark back in the UK again and the Channon family are always keen to have the horses fit to go. You’re not guessing about the ground as he handles heavy and is a former course and distance winner. There is a lot to like, especially with the extra places on offer.
Mick Fitzgerald’s ITV Saturday Racing Tips
13:20 Doncaster – Astral Beau
13:30 Bangor – Jungle Jack
13:50 Doncaster – Mystical Elegance
14:10 Newbury – Into The Park
14:25 Doncaster – Thunder Roar
14:40 Newbury – Gustavian
15:00 Doncaster – Baradar
15:15 Newbury – Larchmont Lass
15:35 Doncaster – Johan (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: Paul Jacobs’ best ITV Racing bets on Saturday
- When is the Lincoln Handicap 2024? Doncaster date, start time, runners and betting
- When is the Grand National 2024? Aintree date, start time, runners and betting
- Grand National 2024: Paddy’s Non-Runner Money Back offer at Aintree
- Irish Grand National weights: Full list of Fairyhouse 2024 handicap ratings
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO SAFER GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
