With less than a month to go until the Cheltenham Festival, there will be some horses heading to Ascot and Haydock on Saturday in front of the ITV Racing cameras having their final runs before a trip to Prestbury Park in March. Our in-house tipster Steve Chambers takes a look through the live terrestrial action and picks out his best bets…
1:15pm Ascot – Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle
Disappointing on debut, Nicky Henderson’s BECTIVE ABBEY took a huge step forward when bounding to a two-and-a-quarter length victory at Warwick last time out and the Seven Barrows inmate can kick on from that success and claim victory in Ascot’s opening contest at 1:15pm. The seven-year-old has been handed an initial mark of 114 which certainly looks workable and he could be one that improves for the step up in trip here. Dubrovnik Harry and Thank You Ma’am are two leading dangers here and head into the contest in decent form, but Bective Abbey could be attractively handicapped and is the solid pick.
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2:25pm Ascot – Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle
A winner here back in January, Altobelli is the one to beat in the hugely competitive 2:25pm contest, but he will have to defy a 5lbs rise and he could be vulnerable off top weight. The one to side with his Jonjo & A J O’Neill’s COUNTRY PARK, who marks superb each-way value at double-figured odds, at the time of writing. The six-year-old was travelling eye-catchingly well two starts ago at Ascot when falling at the second last, while he came back off that with a decent second placed at the same track last month. Well beaten that day he was given an easy time in the closing stages to bag second place and lining up off the same mark here he looks more than capable of going very close and hitting the frame.
3:00pm Ascot – Betfair Swinley Handicap Chase
Victtorino is a hugely progressive chaser and he could be more than capable of continuing on an upward curve and land victory in the 3:00pm contest, but he’s rather short for such a competitive contest. The one that catches the eye is here ANNSAM, who was fourth last time out at Ascot when unable to get on terms and having been dropped 2lbs he’s on a very attractive mark of 140. A winner off 142 last season, the ten-year-old has to be given a huge chance of being more prominent from the get go and he could well upset the favourite in what is another intriguing betting heat at Ascot.
3:15pm Haydock – Oddschecker Grand National Trial Handicap Chase
A real Haydock specialist, ROYALE PAGAILLE can claim another notable win at the Lancashire track on Saturday by storming to victory in the Grand National Trial at 3:15pm. A dual Peter Marsh Chase winner, the Venetia Williams-trained 11-year-old has also claimed a Grade 1 Betfair Chase crown at the track and he can duly defy top weight here. He disappointed last time out in the Peter Marsh, but if he can bounce back from that effort then he’s a class above the likes of Jubilee Express and Welsh National winner Val Dancer.
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