Ascot will play host to a hugely entertaining card on Saturday, featuring the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase. GG tipster Joe Napier has scanned the runners and riders in each to come up with four best bets at the Berkshire venue on the day.

12.30 Ascot – BetMGM Juvenile Hurdle
When an ante-post market speaks favourably about a Nicky Henderson runner, it usually pays to listen. However, the result of the support Lulamba has received for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, without having even made his debut yet for Henderson, has made him a near unbackable proposition at the prices at Ascot.
If he follows in Sir Gino’s hoofprints, he will win, but in MONDO MAN, he faces a seriously high class flat horse the like of which rarely goes over hurdles nowadays. The son of Mondialiste was fourth in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Ascot to Calandagan having also been fifth in the French Derby when trained on the continent.
For context, his rating of 111 is 10lb superior to that of Burdett Road when he went hurdling last season. The change of scenery and onus on jumping will provide a totally different test, but his flat ability should stand him very well and he receives 10lb from Lulamba too. With all that considered, he is the better betting prospect in the current market.
2.15 Ascot – bet365 Handicap Chase
Martator has already beaten Kotmask twice at this venue this season, but his third last time out in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton suggested he is now in the jaws of the handicapper. The step up in trip is interesting for him, but a mark of 151 might now be too tough to defy.
Kotmask himself could still be on a winnable rating of 133, but SCARFACE, who was runner-up to him four weeks ago, could well turn the tables now. While the winner crept up another 3lb, Joe Tizzard’s eight-year-old remains on the same mark for a defeat of under two lengths.
He has been a runner-up on his last two starts off this mark, but the first of those saw him bump into one at Newbury and that defeat by Kotmask came over two furlongs shorter. The 2m5f distance may play even more to his strengths, and he will be winning sooner rather than later in his current form.

2.50 Ascot – BetMGM Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle
After suffering interference at the start on Boxing Day, DODDIETHEGREAT was pulled up after only one flight was jumped at Kempton. However, he was well-fancied that day, going off at just 100/30, so is worth siding with now that he will get a clear run, especially as he is currently trading at twice the price for this contest.
Ascot was the home of one of his two wins over hurdles so far, while his mark of 129 is 2lb below that which he was second off at Cheltenham in December 2023. He was also fourth in the Betfair Hurdle last season off 132, so there is a high level of handicap form to his name from within the last 14 months.
The presence of stablemate Bo Zenith, who was a big eye-catcher at Cheltenham last time, has added some of the juice to his price, but that rival is not guaranteed to back up that impression, whereas the selection should be coming good any day now. Nico De Boinville is aboard too, which should further help the cause.
3.32 Ascot – BetMGM Clarence House Chase (Grade 1)
Jonbon faces Edwardstone and Boothill again, which should conclude in a familiar result. However, for the first time ever, he faces two-time Champion Chaser ENERGUMENE, and once again, the market has set up to make the second favourite the bet.
Jonbon is the only horse of a single-figure age in here, unusual for a Grade 1, while he may have achieved a career best in swatting his rivals aside in the Tingle Creek. However, for all his consummate consistency, it is possible he has only ever faced one genuine Grade 1 rival in 2m chases, that being El Fabiolo, with whom his score is 1-1.
Energumene is an 11-year-old now, so it is reasonable to expect he may be on the downgrade soon. However, he has produced four performances to surpass Jonbon’s career best on Racing Post Ratings (RPRs), while he also returned in fine fettle at Cork last time out for all King George hero Banbridge could have given him a fright conceding him 10lb.
Nevertheless, that would still have been a highly pleasing return, while his record right-handed is potentially even better than it is going anti-clockwise. This race could produce the long-awaited changing of the guard into Jonbon’s hands, but expecting it at odds-on may be premature.

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