Rory Delargy’s Saturday ITV Racing tips
12:55 Haydock – Kelya Wood
13:50 Ascot – Jungle Boogie (NAP)
14:05 Haydock – Famous Bridge
14:25 Ascot – Strong Leader
15:00 Ascot – The Changing Man
15:35 Ascot – Black Hawk Eagle (each-way) (Next Best)
*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.
12:55 Haydock – Kelya Wood
Holloway Queen won nicely at Lingfield in November and she jumped soundly but Kelya Wood could have been called the winner a long way from home when winning at Uttoxeter. She looked very good and she seemed easy to handle. There was more in the tank and I can see her improving for that run.
13:50 Ascot – Jungle Boogie (NAP)
I like Iroko as a horse. He was always going to be favourite for this race.
But I went back to look at the Gold Cup again and see if Jungle Boogie was flattered by where he finished and he wasn’t at all. He was the third best horse in the race for me, he just did a bit too much wanting to get closer and just got a bit tired from the third last.
I’d have him as a probably non-stayer beyond 3m anyway, so the fact he was still on the bridle after the third last fence says an awful lot as there weren’t a whole lot in that race who were.
He traveled better than Bravemansgame and plenty of others but just ran out of stamina. The drop back to 2m5f will suit him on good-ish ground. I’d very nearly make him favourite for this race.
14:05 Haydock – Famous Bridge
Famous Bridge is the one they have to beat. He’s got plenty of weight on his back but he’s built to carry hit. He’s very reliable and he’s 2lb lower than shaping better than the result suggested in the Ultima at Cheltenham. There’s a lot to like about him and the Nicky Richards yard are ticking along very nicely.
14:25 Ascot – Strong Leader
I’d want to be certain on the ground. Good-to-soft will be absolutely fine for Strong Leader. If it is genuinely good-to-soft he is hard to beat here. He improved stepping up to 3m last season, running very well in the Ascot Hurdle and got better at Aintree when he won.
Olly Murphy’s has a good start to the season too. He hasn’t always finished season’s as strongly, but he did last year with Strong Leader’s performances being typical of the sorts of horses he’s producing.
Strong Leader has been a slightly “guessy” jumper in the past but with his stamina proven he might still be getting better at the age of seven, so while it’s not the easiest race in the world, he’s got strong credentials and is well worth backing.
15:00 Ascot – The Changing Man
Victtorino is the blindingly obvious one given how well he finished at Newbury last time and that he’s still very well-handicapped.
He doesn’t handle very deep ground and his chances are increased if the going isn’t any worse than the official description. Like Strong Leader, he can take his chances with fences at times, and he is the right favourite here.
However, I’m inclined to take a chance on The Changing Man. He’s a horse I’ve liked for a long time. He has been held back by his jumping too, but Ascot might suit him.
He ran really well in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle, looking the winner all the way up the straight but not jumping the last two fences as well as Frero Banbou, finishing second. That form is very solid. He’s up 5lbs in the weights, but he has shown a number of times over fences that he is potentially better than that.
I’ll give him one more chance at a bigger price than Victtorino.
15:35 Ascot – Black Hawk Eagle (each-way) (Next Best)
I was with Dysart Enos at Cheltenham but I’m against her as I’m not convinced by the form of the Fergal O’Brien yard at the moment. I like Black Hawk Eagle as an each-way shout.
I’ve liked him for a while and he had a couple of decent wins last season. His two runs this season have shown he still holds plenty of ability.
He ran a decent second last time out and the Kerry Lee yard are usually very consistent. Her yard is getting back on track after a slightly slow start. Black Hawk Eagle is well handicapped off a mark of 122 and he can go well.
Rory Delargy’s Saturday ITV Racing tips
12:55 Haydock – Kelya Wood
13:50 Ascot – Jungle Boogie (NAP)
14:05 Haydock – Famous Bridge
14:25 Ascot – Strong Leader
15:00 Ascot – The Changing Man
15:35 Ascot – Black Hawk Eagle (each-way) (Next Best)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at the time of publishing but subject to change.
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