Saturday ITV Betting Tips & Preview

The Ascot handicap won by Elgin is already yielding a plethora of winners with the likes of Verdana Blue and Dolos scoring at the Berkshire venue yesterday, while the winner helped himself to victory in the Greatwood Hurdle last week. LIMITED RESERVE (Best price 4-1) is the next cab off the rank from that race today and there are solid reasons for believing he can trouble likely favourite Clyne. The latter has a pretty impressive track record with figures of 112 with his only course defeat suffered at the hands of old nemesis The New One, however Limited Reserve has often promised to achieve plenty in good quality handicaps and he was unlucky not to win on his sole track start last term when he lost a shoe. The step up in trip on a flat track should hold no terrors and, as he is usually one of the last off the bridle, I’m hopeful the excellent James Bowen will deliver him late.

Plenty looked to have been laid out for a tilt at this nice prize and my shortlist was longer than Moeen Ali’s beard. The likes of The Worlds End, Champers On Ice and Sam Spinner all look huge players and deciding between them was tough given all three boast excellent credentials. In this type of scenario I would rather take a chance at the other end of the market and the pin fell on SILSOL (Best price 28-1) who appears to have outstanding claims for a yard which has pulled off some excellent results in recent Saturdays. Young Henry Morshead has impressed in his few rides to date and could be poised to land the first big pot of his career courtesy of the top-weight who has a number of positives going for him. Silsol will cope with deep ground, enjoy the track and his record following a break of more than 20 weeks is 111. He is also unbeaten in three career starts in November so appeals as lively outsider and one capable of troubling the main market protagonists. 

Given he was only five last year and expected to compete at the highest level, I thought the level of criticism BRISTOL DE MAI (Best price 6-4) attracted for one or two of last season’s performances was ludicrous. 
Admittedly, last February’s 22-length romp in the Peter Marsh Chase at today’s venue was followed by an abject performance at Newbury three weeks later where he failed to lay a glove on subsequent Gold Cup-third Native River.
However, reasons for that reverse emerged and I’m not sure he can be damned for failing to produce his best on good ground at either Cheltenham or Aintree in hot races. It has become pretty obvious that Bristol De Mai requires proper soft ground to showcase his talents and thankfully he has the opportunity today to take the leap into the big league at a track where he is unbeaten in two starts where the winning margins have been 20 and 30 lengths.

It was highly unlikely BAYWING (Best price 9-1) was ever going to trouble the useful Waiting Patiently over a wholly inadequate trip at Carlisle on his comeback, but could go well here now that he tackles a more severe test of stamina. Unfortunately some of the fancy prices have disappeared, but the selection boasted the quality to hammer Calett Mad in a Wetherby Grade 2 novice chase in February and, although he is forced to carry top weight, he has earned the privilege and should find the ground to his liking.

A tricky race to unravel with the loveable Smad Place, a gritty winner at Aintree on his return, vying for favouritism with Top Notch who enjoyed a prep over hurdles at Liverpool during the same weekend. The latter should improve for the outing and is respected as is Alan King’s grey who goes well at this venue and looks likely to give another huge account. However, in the hope that ROYAL REGATTA (Best price 12-1) relishes the return to royal pastures, he is offered as a value alternative. The selection’s track figures read 2612313 and he was tenacious in victory when landing this event 12 months ago so it seems a safe assumption that connections have their eye on the race again. Admittedly, his form figures feature more ‘P’s than a Scottish Football coupon in the deep midwinter, but he is useful on his day and is worth risking at double figure odds.

As is often the case at this stage of the season, punters are faced with a quandary with a race of this nature. Do we side with the horse with the most natural ability in the field in Defi Du Seuil even though he is unlikely to be cherry ripe with other, loftier targets on the horizon. Alternatively, should the preference be LIL ROCKERFELLER (Best price 11-4) who has four track appearances to his name which have yielded figures of 1322 including a fine second in this race 12 months ago behind Yanworth. The selection always needs his first run of the season so it was no great surprise to see him turned over at Wetherby on his comeback (0-3 at that track) and he is sure to make his two main market rivals dig deep if they are going to beat him this afternoon.

Bryony Frost has produced some sparkling efforts in the saddle on the last two Saturdays and SAN BENEDETO (Best price 10-3) could continue her magical run with victory here. A dramatic improver during the spring, there was little wrong with the six-year-old’s performance in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter where he was beaten by stablemate Politologue. The selection’s conqueror is touted for Grade One glory this winter so San Benedeto’s display looks the key piece of form on offer here. The return to a slightly quicker surface and a track which suits could be the final pieces of the jigsaw.