ITV Racing Tips: Saturday Double for Ascot Chase Day

The Grade 2 Sodexo Live! Reynoldstown Novices' Chase has attracted a field of five runners, and I am sweet on the chances of Anthony Honeyball’s KILBEG KING (best price 3/1), who has been targeted at this race for quite some time and can reap the rewards for his patient handler. 

The nine-year-old remains extremely lightly raced for his age and has an excellent strike rate, with four wins out of his nine starts. The only time he has finished out of the frame was when he finished sixth in the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle in what was just his second start over hurdles. 

He concluded last term with a win over three miles in Ireland, having been touched off by just a neck in his previous start at Newbury in his first attempt at the same distance. Since then, he’s taken well to this sphere, placing in all three starts, including when he finished third in the Grade 1 Kauto Star over Christmas.

The headgear worn that day is retained here, plus he has his sights lowered and is actually the highest-rated runner in the field. Apple Away and Brave Kingdom deserve respect, but they will need to pull out more to get the better of the selection, who should get the ideal setup. He can land the spoils. 

This is an open-looking renewal of the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle, but with the ground testing, BOTOX HAS (best price 9/4) gets my vote. He is the class act in the field and can capitalise on the drop in grade with a second win of the season at this level. 

The eight-year-old won the Betfair Exchange Stayers' Handicap Hurdle over course and distance in his only previous visit at this course and took the scalps of some high-profile horses, such as Thyme Hill, Dashel Drasher, and the reopposing Red Risk, on his reappearance.

Even after making mistakes at the last couple of hurdles, he had plenty in reserve to score by a length in that Grade 2 Bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby, and the winning margin would have been larger otherwise. He gets along very well with Caoilin Quinn, and the pair could get an uncontested lead. 

Gary Moore will also fit him with the reapplied cheekpieces after far from disgracing himself when sixth in the Long Walk Hurdle and Cleeve Hurdle the last two times.

He has plenty in his favour this weekend and is strongly fancied to make his class count. I would actually go so far as to say he’s one of my strongest bets. 

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I was immediately drawn to the effort TEDDY BLUE (best price 12/1) produced in the Lanzarote Hurdle last time out despite only managing sixth in the end, and he is an appealing proposition in the

Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Handicap Hurdle. A couple of years ago, big things were expected of this six-year-old, and although he finished well beaten in two previous starts at this course earlier this season, the way he travelled last time out was eye-catching, to say the least.

He went through the race like the best horse in the race, as he cruised past rival after rival from the rear of the field to get himself into a prominent position. 

He was unable to sustain that position given that he faded before the last hurdle due to the longer trip stretching his stamina to the limit, but that was a return to form, and the combination of a 1Ib lower mark and a drop in grade is a positive factor. The in-form Tom Cannon is booked to ride, and, with five places generally available, he’s the one for in this race. 

SHAN BLUE (best price 7/1) was a top-class horse as a novice hurdler and chaser, and while this former Grade 1 winner has not been the same horse since he fell in the 2021 Charlie Hall Chase with the race at his mercy, this is a great chance for him to roll back the years and come out on top. 

Dan Skelton’s ten-year-old pulled up in his first three starts of the season, which hardly set the pulse racing, but he showed a resurgence in form with a fair second at this course last time out and will be better suited to the return to three miles this time, which had previously seen him produce his best form. 

The assessor has raised his mark by 1Ib, but he still remains a well-handicapped horse based on historical form. He was once rated as high as 152, and I think he’s the best chance of a winner for the in-form Skelton combo. His best form would entitle him to outclass these. 

The other one I like at a juicy price for the same race that Shan Blue runs in is DO YOUR JOB (best price 11/1), who comes out very well at the weights and should arrive into the race full of confidence after scoring with a bit up his sleeve at Wetherby last time out over shorter.

Following that success, he will now make his stable debut for Charlie Longsdon and has only been raised 2Ib for that success. Even with a mark of 135, he is well treated, as he historically spent a long time rated in the 140’s and contested various graded events in his first season in this sphere. 

He is, after all, a Grade 2 winner and sneaks into this on a nice weight with Lily Pinchin in the saddle. This will be the longest trip he has tackled during his career, but the way he hit the line last time suggests he could improve for it. He is worth an each-way play at value odds, with four places on offer. 

The one I’m interested in for the Virgin Bet Grand National Trial Handicap Chase is Gary Moore’s FULL BACK (best price 22/1), who is an appealing bet at the available odds despite taking a heavy fall on his return in the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase. 

He was never going to win that race, but the fact he made his long return against a high-class field was indeed interesting. The nine-year-old will need to get back on track here, but he has a good record on soft or worse ground and could have more to come over this trip. 

Deemed good enough to contest the Ladbrokes Trophy back in 2021, the nine-year-old does have risks attached, but he’s dangerously well handicapped and will find the return to handicap company a lot easier. Caoilin Quinn can also claim a valuable 3Ib. 

It remains to be seen if that latest fall has knocked his confidence, but Gary Moore seems keen on exploring this route, and I believe he is one of the well-handicapped horses in the race, plus he has been given plenty of time to recover from his mishap last time out. 

The last time he ran over 3m4f, he finished a very solid second to Yala Enki in the Portman Cup at Taunton, where he kept on well in the closing stages, and with his only future entry after this being the Grand National in April, a big performance will be required in this if he’s to take up that possible assignment. 

He is a strong stayer, with plenty in his favour, and can operate from a mark that’s lower than when he last got his head in front. The price tag significantly underestimates his chances here because his best form is good enough to beat these, so he must be backed regardless of the outcome. Four places available. 

I nominated IRON BRIDGE (best price 11/2) as an each-way tip when he finished a gallant second in the Welsh Grand National last time out, and that suggested he could be a major contender in most of the staying handicap Chase events under the right conditions, including this one. 

He handles most conditions but is more effective when the ground is testing, and this weekend’s race will play to his strengths. He is eligible to compete in this race with a lower mark than last time, and although he is entered for a race at Ascot, this is his first preference. 

His actual record when the ground is soft or worse reads 111122, and the course is currently described as "heavy,"  which will see this unexposed chaser in his element. He has a striking profile for this race, with a clutch of positives towards his chance, and is my idea of the winner.