Who To Follow On ITV Racing On Saturday - 08/04/23

Haydock 14:15

Itso Fury

J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr

T: Jonjo O'Neill

N/A

Age: 6

Weight: 11-7

OR: 126

Days: 49

The final event from the Merseyside track is the Challenger Stayers Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle over 3m 1/2f and Itso Fury for Jonjo O'Neill holds some extremely classy form.

A decent horse last season in bumpers without ever winning, not finishing outside the top three in his four races bumping into the likes of Dark Raven and Rare Edition.

Sent hurdling this season he made an impressive debut when stepped up to 2m5f at Warwick in September landing a four runner event by 14 lengths, he then backed that up in a similar event at Ludlow under a penalty.

Seeking a hat-trick he was dropped to 2m3f at Taunton next time on handicap debut off 124 and he finished a good second behind the progressive Irish Hill, only going down by four lengths giving 9lb away.

Last time out at Ascot off 126 he finished a good third on the step up to 2m 7 1/2f behind the smart Thomas Mor and Loup De Maulde.

The form of that race has worked out extremely well with the second, Loup De Maulde and fourth Ivaldi have both won since and Itso Fury off the same mark looks to have a big chance.

Form: 21123View

Date	Course	Distance	Type	Weight	Position
08/04/23	HAY	24.5	GS	11-7	5
18/02/23	ASC	23.5	GS	12-1	3
24/11/22	TAU	19	Gd	11-11	2
03/11/22	LUD	21.5	Gd	11-7	1
29/09/22	WAR	21	Gd	11-4	1

Trainer Charlie Johnston has a few chances across the four races at Musselburgh being shown on the afternoon starting in the opener with Lion Of War for Qatar Racing looking to spark his career into life.

In the next Johnston fields The Gatekeeper who was only seen a week ago when a decent fifth of 22 at Doncaster in the Spring Mile Handicap on heavy ground.

His final runner on ITV from the Scottish track is Themaxwecan who was a winner two starts ago at Ascot and already being a course and distance winner at the track he can go well in the Queen's Cup.

Oisin Murphy travels up to Scotland this weekend looking for some winners and across the four races on the ITV show he has some smart chances.

In the opener he teams up with Charlie Johnston with Lion Of War for his retained owners Qatar Racing and although this horse has shown little to date he is bred to be much better.

The three time champion jockey then rides the favourite Came From The Dark in the Sprint Cup Handicap with the seven year old now down to a lowly mark of 97.

Finally, Murphy teams up again with Johnston to ride C&D winner Themaxwecan who has been well backed from 33/1 into 14/1.

Murphy heads into the weekend in fine form currently running at a strike rate of 27% for the last two weeks, managing to land 13 winners from his last 49 rides.