Rory Delargy’s Saturday ITV Racing Tips
13:09 Wincanton – Killer Kane
13:20 Doncaster – Zoum Zoum
13:30 Aintree – Harbour Lake
13:45 Wincanton – Pretending
14:05 Aintree – Imperial Saint
14:23 Wincanton – Handstands
14:40 Aintree – Harpers Brook
15:10 Doncaster – Estrange
15:30 Wincanton – Forward Plan (NAP)
15:45 Doncaster – Chillingham
*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.
13:09 Wincanton – Killer Kane
I thought the addition of blinkers to Killer Kane is an all-or-nothing measure but, interestingly, if you did a bit of research and you backed all of Oscar’s offspring wearing blinkers for the first time you’d make a decent profit. And if you backed all off Joe Tizzard’s horses wearing blinkers for the first time you’d make a profit as well.
He’s a slightly tricky horse, Killer Kane, but he’s got plenty of ability. A mark of 122 underplays that ability. He shaped okay when third at Kempton and went odds on in that race. While he’s not one to trust implicitly, I think the blinkers might make all the difference.
13:20 Doncaster – Zoum Zoum
Zoum Zoum was very good at the back end of last year on soft ground and he seems to be an autumn horse judging by the way his campaign has gone this time around. His record now just in the month of October reads 1-1-1-1 and he’s unbeaten in November too.
Plus, Ralph Beckett is finishing the season really well and has had a very good time. He deserves to be near the top of the market. If he gets away well, he should be able to cross over to the middle of the track very easily and that means he won’t be isolated too much from the main action and I think he’ll take all the beating.
13:30 Aintree – Harbour Lake
I was tossing up between Guard The Moon and Harbour Lake but I’ve erred towards Harbour Lake. He’s ran three times at Aintree and ran pretty solid races each time. After the debacle of chasing he’s come back to a decent mark. I actually think he’s at his best at this sort of trip on good ground so he makes a lot of appeal for a yard in form.
Alan King has a very good record of bringing his horses back off a break. He does get them very fit at home and I don’t think Harbour Lake will need the run at all so off a very fair mark, coupled with the trip and ground, he’s my pick.
13:45 Wincanton – Pretending
Pretending has been first or second in her last four starts and climbing the ranks slowly. She impressed at Cheltenham in April and I think she’ll still win another race or two before the handicapper catches up with her.
She travelled really well at that race in Uttoxeter, Gavin Sheehan struggled to hide her superiority, she could’ve won by a fair bit further if she was asked to do so. Gavin himself is riding really well at the moment and I think Pretending, despite having a big-enough weight, is still thriving and I think she wins again.
14:05 Aintree – Imperial Saint
The most interesting thing about this race is how many of these made the running last time out or in previous starts. So I think this is a race where you don’t really want to be sitting right on the pace. I think they’ll change tactics with Imperial Saint. He’s not normally a front runner.
He won over this in course and distance last time out in good style but he races a bit keenly. I think he’ll prefer to get a lead so I think Michael Nolan will be more than happy to tuck in behind the leader which will be Calgary Tiger and at least one other. I don’t think the handicapper has got him yet and I think he can take a step forward here.
14:23 Wincanton – Handstands
Handstands is very lightly raced obviously and switching codes now. He went to the Baring Bingham and was well held there on heavy ground. His last three runs have been on heavy but he did win impressively on good to soft at Hereford on his hurdles debut so I don’t think there will be an issue with the ground.
He was a winning point to point before he went over hurdles so I do think he’ll improve and that’s what connections have always thought about him as well – they couldn’t wait to get him over fences. I do think he’ll find the requisite improvement to win here and particularly with Ben Pauling and Ben Jones having such a good run at the moment.
14:40 Aintree – Harpers Brook
He’s a bit of a monkey but I think Harpers Brook will run a big one here. I was with him once or twice last season. His form figures don’t look terrific. He hates Cheltenham. A lot of people tipped him up Ante Post for the Grand Annual. When you take his Cheltenham runs off his record his form reads pretty well. The key to him is keeping him away from there and at a nice friendly track like Aintree.
He’ll actually enjoy himself here. He’s obviously switched stables from Ben Pauling to Dan Skelton but Kielan Woods keeps the ride and he knows the horse very well. What he does at the last fence is another matter altogether but I do think he will take to this. He’s a sound jumper on his day and as long as Kielan can keep him amused and he’s got something to chase I think he’ll out run his odds.
15:10 Doncaster – Estrange
Estrange made a massive impression in a maiden race at Goodwood on softish ground in August and she absolutely bolted up in that. Now, it wasn’t the strongest of events but in saying that the third and fourth that day were winners next time out.
She didn’t get the clearest run through at Yarmouth and eventually couldn’t quicken up on the quicker ground. I think she’ll be a much better filly on softer ground. Defeat at Yarmouth will have done her good in her development and it’s also put a few people off her price wise which is good news for me.
15:30 Wincanton – Forward Plan (NAP)
I think Forward Plan will have another good season. I still think he’s on very workable mark. He won the Coral Trophy at Kempton and I thought he might have won at Aintree. Ben Godfrey has ridden him very well but I thought he allowed Cruz Control to get the run of the race that day but he still ran very credibly.
He’s a pound higher here at a mark of 138. Ben is no longer able to claim so he will need to improve a little bit but I thought he really thrived in his racing last year and I hope he’s fit enough. I suggest he will be ready to go here.
15:45 Doncaster – Chillingham
There’s a few I could’ve gone for but I’ve come down on Chillingham in the end. He bounced back to form last time out with William Buick riding when second to Not So Sleepy. He caught the eye that day, being held up, travelled well into the race and aside from Not So Sleepy, he beat the rest very well.
He’s been given a quiet season. I’m guessing he was laid out for the Ebor and it didn’t quite work out for him but he’s more lightly raced than most here and conditions are ideal for him. I think he’ll run a really good race here from stall 9.
Saturday ITV Racing Tips
13:09 Wincanton – Killer Kane
13:20 Doncaster – Zoum Zoum
13:30 Aintree – Harbour Lake
13:45 Wincanton – Pretending
14:05 Aintree – Imperial Saint
14:23 Wincanton – Handstands
14:40 Aintree – Harpers Brook
15:10 Doncaster – Estrange
15:30 Wincanton – Forward Plan (NAP)
15:45 Doncaster – Chillingham
*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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