The ITV7 is worth a huge £50,000 to the winner this Saturday. With seven competitive races to try and unearth the winner from, GG’s Joe Napier tries to point you in the right direction.
Race 1 – 1.50pm Ascot
A fiercely competitive opener for a four-runner race. Sole British entry Iroko reportedly has the Grand National as his aim, but his mark would not want to take too much of a pummeling for winning this, and he may have his work cut out anyway. JUNGLE BOOGIE is unusually inexperienced for a ten-year-old, but he ran a belter in the Gold Cup and may be able to cope with this step back in trip. He has a 3lb penalty, as does Fil Dor, but it is Henry De Bromhead’s charge who looks likeliest to overcome it.
Race 2 – 2.05pm Haydock
Both of last year’s first and second, Famous Bridge and CREDO, return here off tempting marks again, but the latter is taken to go one better this time around. 10lb claimer Chad Bament rode a winner for Anthony Honeyball at Sandown two weeks ago and looks more than capable of making good use of that sizeable claim with the right opportunities. As such, Credo looks too well weighted to ignore, being 5lb lower in the handicap even before taking into account her rider’s 10lb, and one poor run, such as at this venue last time out, can be forgiven.
Race 3 – 2.25pm Ascot
The standard set by Strong Leader is a surmountable one, and conditions may come right for SHOOT FIRST, who gamely held off all comers in a Haydock handicap last time out in which last year’s winner of this race was only placed off the same mark in 2023. He could still have plenty of improvement to come given he is relatively inexperienced and could make a splash in his first Graded race.
Race 4 – 2.30pm Thurles
This can go to the in-form WEE CHARLIE, who has run really well on all three starts since joining Gerard O’Leary in August. He won twice at Galway, shooting up 22lb in the handicap in the process, and was only just touched off at that same venue last time out having travelled like the winner. This race is competitive, and he is up another 3lb, but he looks capable of rating better still, and will be suited by a return to the likely good ground.
Race 5 – 2.40pm Haydock
Lune De La Mer is of worthy note after a substantial break, especially on his bumper form, but the safest bet looks to be JILAIJONE. He has been a runner-up on his previous two starts to some in-form rivals, both of whom have gone in again since, and with David Pipe’s charge having beaten every other horse in those two races by at least ten lengths, he should still be well-handicapped, for all his winless run stretches an uncomfortable length.
Race 6 – 3.00pm Ascot
This looks best left to last year’s winner VICTTORINO, who arrives in good shape after a promising third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. Venetia Williams’ string have had a disappointing week in the form book, but she sent out the winner of the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham last weekend, and her charge here is only 1lb higher than when holding off a subsequent winner in this last season. The Changing Man will surely win over fences soon, while it will be interesting to see how French raider Heloy Delabarriere gets on given he has some very high class hurdles form in his home country.
Race 7 – 3.35pm Ascot
Be Aware and Dysart Enos renew acquaintances from the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham last time, but while they could both easily still be on the up, FAVOUR AND FORTUNE has similar claims. He prevailed in a bunched finish to the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr, but is only up 3lb and goes particularly well fresh. He will cope with any ground, although it would appear particularly beneficial if it remained on the quicker side of soft.
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