Saturday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

This looks a competitive 7f handicap but BLESS HIM (best priced at 12/1) looks overpriced given his solid form so far this season. He is a two-time winner at Ascot over a mile who last won at Newmarket in July 2022 in the Bunbury Cup off a mark of 101. He outran odds of 40/1 to finish 5th in the Royal Hunt Cup this year off a mark of 103 before finishing a close 4th in the Bunbury Cup off the same mark.

The handicapper has dropped Bless Him down to his last winning mark of 101 for this race following a below par effort over this course and distance last time and he should run well with up to five places available. 

The Jim Goldie trained EUCHEN GLEN (best priced at 11/1) has a good record in this race and he should be involved in the finish once again. The ten-year-old won this race off a mark of 101 in 2020 before finishing 3rd last year off a mark of 105. He has since dropped in the ratings and finished a close 3rd behind Sweet William at Goodwood on his penultimate start before finishing only 2 ¼ lengths behind Absurd when 4th in the Ebor.

Euchen Glen is only 1lb higher in this race off a mark of 97 so he is still well handicapped in comparison to his previous appearances in this race and he should run well with five places on offer.

Topweight ESPRESSO FREDDO (best priced at 7/1) has shown his best form at Kempton in his career so it was encouraging to see him run so well at Bath on his stable debut. The nine-year-old was returning from 284 days off the track when 6th on his first start for Adrian Wintle so he was entitled to get tired late on in the contest.

Espresso Freddo is a two-time course and distance here off a mark of 73 and 69 so he looks incredibly well handicapped off a career low mark of 57. He was only beaten three lengths on his previous start at the track off a mark of 72 and he is a confident each way selection dropping into a 0-55 handicap for the first time.