ITV Racing Saturday Haydock And Ascot Preview

The first race of the afternoon on ITV from Haydock is the Graduation Chase over 2m5 1/2f and Hitman for Paul Nicholls is the stand out candidate off the back of his seasonal debut.

A working progress horse for the champion trainer who thinks a lot of this gelding and he has shown big potential to be a classy horse over fences.

Sent chasing for the yard in 2020 when having a good novice career, finishing second to Allmankind in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices' Chase and having won twice that season he rounded it off at Aintree when narrowly denied in the Manifesto Novices' Chase.

Last season he made his seasonal debut in the Haldon Gold Cup when second to Eldorado Allen and next time out he had to settle for second again in the Grade One Tingle Creek behind stablemate Greaneteen.

Third of four in the Game Spirit Chase when not beaten far, he then went to Aintree and again played Bridesmaid in the Marsh Chase behind Fakir D'oudairies when looking the winner.

The theme continued on seasonal debut this term when second in the Grade Two Old Roan Handicap Chase at Aintree going down by a head but now pitched into a much easier event he should get back to winning ways.

Bundles of ability and now just needs to find that winning attitude.

The first big race of the afternoon from Ascot on ITV this weekend is the Grade Two 1965 Chase and this event has seen some nice winners in the past and we think it will again with L'Homme Presse.

He was campaigned very lightly over hurdles two seasons ago now, obviously going over the larger obstacles was always at the forefront of connections thinking, and that was a brilliant decision made by them.

L’Homme Presse has won five of his six chasing starts by a combined 53.5 lengths, getting better with every run, apart form when last seen and it may have been a case of being burnt out.

Making a smart seasonal debut at Exeter over 2m3f, he then went to Ascot and landed a Graduation Chase over 2m5f in emphatic style.

On New Year's Day he put up another career best to take the Grade Two Dipper Novices' Chase by 10 lengths giving weight away to the mare The Glancing Queen.

Looking to land Grade One honours next time out he improved once more to take the Scilly Isles Chase by 21 lengths.

Heading into the Cheltenham festival going up in trip to three miles he made every yard from the front to land the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices' Chase in tough conditions.

Looking to make it a hat-trick of Grade Ones at Aintree's Grand National meeting in the Mildmay Novices' Chase, he unfortunately did not look the same horse and ultimately tired from his festival win.

Given a good break since then he returns in this in a season that looks targeted at the Gold Cup in March.

One of our best value bets of the day comes from Haydock in the Stayers' Premier Handicap Hurdle over 3m 1/2f and Might I for Harry Fry looks a seriously solid contender.

A horse that bounced onto the racing scene when landing a bumper in December 2020 at Warwick in good style and then off the back of that went to Newbury and finished fifth in a Listed bumper that had one of the best form lines throughout the season, finishing behind the likes of Good Risk At All, I Like To Move It and Gelino Bello.

Sent hurdling in December 2021 at Sandown he was backed into favouritism but bumped into the superstar Constitution Hill and finished second.

He again bumped into another star at Haydock next time out when a close third behind Grade One winner Jonbon in the Grade Two Supreme Trial.

Might I rounded off his season in the Grade One Mersey Novices' Hurdle when second behind Three Stripe Life, who is another superb animal.

Sent into a handicap for his seasonal debut this term he could be well treated off a mark of 142 and being stepped up to three miles makes big appeal being a full brother to National Hunt Chase winner at the festival last year in Stattler.

Huge player.

The Grade Two Coral Hurdle looks to be extra special this season with the reappearance of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Constitution Hill and he should not be beat.

The gelding is a serious animal for Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley, with the £120,000 purchase first taking the eye on debut at Sandown in December.

Heading to Sandown in a Novices' Hurdle, he cruised next to the favourite Might I for Harry Fry, who is a good horse in his own right, and having jumped the last impeccably he went on to take the event by 14 lengths.

Next time out he managed to land Grade One glory in the Tolworth Hurdle winning just as impressively as his previous, pulling away from a decent field to win by 12 lengths.

Sent straight to the Cheltenham festival off the back of that run he made it 3/3 under rules when taking the Grade One Supreme by 22 lengths from the superstar Jonbon

He looks a freak of a horse and although stepping up in trip he is a class above this field.

The feature race of the weekend in the UK is the Grade One Betfair Chase and last years winner A Plus Tard will be very tough to beat if the ground isn't ridiculously bad.

The eight year old has been a superb horse during his career, really bouncing onto the scene in 2019 when taking the old Novices' Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

Two seasons he again put up another superb performance at Leopardstown over Christmas, when becoming one of the very few horses to beat Chacun Pour Soi in a Grade One.

He went to Cheltenham off the back of that run in the Ryanair and when punted to run a big race, could only finish third behind Min.

Last term, he made his seasonal debut in the two mile Grade Two Fortria Chase at Navan, where he was narrowly beaten by Castlegrace Paddy.

It was obvious that two miles was not his trip and De Bromhead last time out sent him over three miles for the first time in his career and didn't half suit him.

In the Grade One Savills Chase he came from a long way back off the pace to snatch victory at Leopardstown.

He headed into the Gold Cup with a huge chance and in the end ran a valiant race in second just being seen off by stablemate Minella Indo who outstayed him on the day.

Returning last season in this event he took the event by 22 lengths from Royal Pagaille and then went to Leopardstown at Christmas looking to land back to back Grade One events in the Savills Chase.

Looking the winner close home he was chinned by Galvin, but having been waited on since then he went to the Cheltenham festival and got his redemption in the Gold Cup when bolting up by 15 lengths.

Back to the scene of his seasonal debut win last year with the field looking arguably not as deep as the 2021 renewal, he looks very tough to beat.

The final event on Saturday from Ascot sees a top class event with the Jimmy Barry Wines Hurst Park Handicap Chase over 2m1f and we have two selections that could go well.

We are starting at the top of the weights with Edwardstone for Alan King who bypassed the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham on Sunday due to the ground and instead turns up in this handicap.

The gelding was exceptional last season going over fences, having a slight hiccup on debut when being bought down at Warwick when travelling well, next time out he put things right over the same C&D when taking a decent two mile Novices' Chase.

Stepped up to Grade One company next time out he went on to improve once more to land the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown, seeing off his closes rivals War Lord and Third Time Lucki by 16 lengths.

With the second and third since going on to frank the form, Edwardstone went to Kempton and also boosted it by making it a hat-trick of wins when landing the Grade Two Wayward Lad Novices' Chase.

He made it four in a row next time out at Warwick in the Grade Two Kingmaker Novices' Chase when easily seeing off Third Time Lucki again.

Sent off favourite for the Arkle at the Cheltenham festival he was an emphatic winner of the race under a great ride by Tom Cannon.

Looking to finish the season off with a third Grade One and sixth straight win he found Gentleman De Mee too good in the Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

Back for another season making his seasonal debut in a handicap off top weight he will need to be at his best but he could just be a class above this field showing he is a graded horse in a handicap.

The other runner we like in the race from an each way perspective is the Irish raider for Emmet Mullins with So Scottish heading into the race at the bottom of the weights.

A horse that struggled over hurdles and has really turned a corner since going over fences, making his chase debut in October at Tipperary when getting off the mark of 2m3 1/2f.

He saw off the talented Railway Hurricane by seven lengths who has since franked the form for Gavin Crowell when a 3/4 length second to the well backed Unanswered Prayers at Cheltenham last weekend giving weight away.

So Scottish was last seen also giving the form a boost at Carlisle at the end of October when taking a Novices' Chase under a penalty and making his handicap debut over fences off 135 he could be incredibly well in.

Interesting Irish raider.

The final event of the afternoon on ITV is the Handicap Chase over 3m 1 1/2f and we are siding with the Paul Nicholls trained Truckers Lodge.

A very admirable staying chaser for the inform champion trainer, he has serious form in soft/heavy ground and is everything you want in a horse for a race like this.

Third off a mark of 150 in the 20 runner Welsh Grand National in December, he then went to Ascot in February and was a good third behind Fortescue and Fiddlerontheroof in the Listed Swinley Chase.

Stepped back up in trip to 4m2f in the Midlands Grand National, he ran a valiant race off 149 to finish sixth of 18 on soft ground.

Dropped 4lb for that run to a mark of 145, getting back to testing ground and having the added bonus of talented 10lb claimer Freddie Gingell jumping on board, he essentially races off 135.