Hanbury Racing Tips Saturday each way double

This is a high-profile meeting with the Group 1 King George on the card, and this 7F handicap is a competitive sort after prize.

The 10-year-old RAISING SAND has been a standing dish at Ascot’s biggest meetings and loves Ascot’s straight mile, winning at Royal Ascot, but connections also target this racing, being victorious in 2019 off a mark of 103, and finishing eighth last year off 97.

Last year as a nine-year-old Raising Sand he was still good enough to run sixth at the Royal meeting off 102, where he was drawn on the wrong side, but still finished first past the post in his group of twelve.

Raising Sand had a mini break after August 2021 and came back for four Autumn runs which were below his usual standard, but none were at his beloved Ascot, which saw his mark drop to 91.

He made a belated start to this season and was too low in the weights to make the cut at Royal Ascot but made a pleasing enough start finishing a staying on third on his second start, suggesting he was running into form.

I’m sure connections have targeted this race, especially after missing Royal Ascot, and he arrives here fresh, well, and looking exceptionally well handicapped off a mark of just 86, some 16lb lower than his victory in this race in 2019.

It’s always tricky to know the effect of the draw, but at Royal Ascot, the centre was the place to be, so I’m hopeful this will be replicated here.

At current odds of 66/1 with six places on offer, Raising Sands looks a cracking bet and I recommend  1 point each way.

TOUTATIS is a big backward sort and only started racing as a four-year-old. He reach 130,000 US dollars at the Keenland yearling sales but must have suffered injury as he was sold on before making the race track for just 4000 guineas.

The gelding started life with Fergal O’Brien in 2-mile National Hunt flat races, acquitting himself well enough, twice postmarking a high of 96 from three runs.

He was sold on and switched to David O’Meara’s flat yard where he ran moderately twice, before moving again to his current dual-purpose trainer, Ewan Whillans, who gave him another flat run over a totally inadequate 1 mile to qualify for a handicap mark. 

At the end of 2021 Toutatis was given three quiet maiden hurdle races and put away for the winter and looks every bit a well-handicapped horse in both spheres when he is stepped up to staying trips.

Toutatis made his reappearance this year on the flat and has progressed in his three runs over middle distances. He has been staying on dourly and today’s 2-mile handicap is exactly what he needs.

Running off a basement mark of 45 gives him every chance, especially with a better pace to aim at, and at 25/1 he is generously priced considering he has only beaten 4 lengths last time out with improvement very likely over this extra two furlongs.

I, therefore, recommend 1 point each way.

I also recommend the double at 0.20 points each way