Weekend Ante-Post Value Angles

The first Grade One of the season is the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal and Gigginstown House Stud have a superb record in this race having won every renewal since 2013.

At this stage before the race, the owners currently have nine of the 18 runners that could go to post for the black type event with the stand out runners looking like, Samcro, Delta Work and Balko Des Flos.

JP McManus could also field a nice team of runners with Fakir D'Oudaries and Darasso both currently entered at this declaration stage, with Joseph O'Brien looking to lay down a big chance in the event.

Others that look interesting if heading to post could be Presenting Percy for his new trainer Gordon Elliott this season and stablemate The Storyteller with both of them being past Cheltenham festival winners.

Our value angle in this race is going to be Presenting Percy, with his run in the Gold Cup being better than what it looked on the surface and now with the master Elliott could get back to his old RSA winning form.

Ascot welcome their first bit of jumps racing this season and the feature on the day is the Sodexo Gold Cup where plenty of smart chasers will take to post.

Vinndication leads the way in the market with this and the Charlie Hall Chase yet to be decided as his starting point but his trainer Kim Bailey is in electric form.

Other big names that take the eye include Imperial Aura from the same yard, Aso for Venetia Williams and Walk In The Mill for Robert Waterford.

The horse that we fancy at a double figure price at 12/1 is the Henry Daly trained Whatmore that looks to be a solid each way selection at this declaration stage having finished a good fourth of 20 runners in the Novices Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham festival on his last start.

The Charlie Hall Chase to many is seen as one of the first big chasing events for experienced jumpers and this seasons field once again does not disappoint.

At the top of the market Cyrname for Paul Nicholls has been assured to make his seasonal debut, with the superstar beating Altior at Ascot last season but taking a heavy fall on his last start that did not look good.

Nicholls has explained he is now back and ready to go again and he looks the one to beat if being as good as he was on his debut last term.

Other runners that could line up and take the eye are Sam Spinner for Jedd O'Keefe who is unbeaten over fences, Vinndication for Kim Bailey who was superb last term and Slate House for Colin Tizzard who holds some serious star ability.

However, a horse that takes the eye at a value angle in the event is Black Corton for Paul Nicholls who has been consistent for the yard over the last few years and at 10/1 currently, should not be overlooked from an each way perspective.

The nine year old was second in the 2018 renewal behind Definitely Red who could also line up and since then Black Corton has only been outside the top three on three occasions from his 11 runs.