ITV Racing Saturday Ascot And Wetherby Preview

Ascot start off the day on ITV and their first race of the afternoon is the Limited Handicap Chase over 2m3f and it sees the superstar Goshen make his chase debut.

With it being a lowly four runner affair, we think the class of Gary Moore's horse should prevail and it will need to giving away weight to the rest of the field.

A horse who could not be touched as a juvenile back in 2019 /20 season winning three straight events by a combined 68 lengths and when clear at the last in the Grade One Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival he unfortunately fell at the last in one of the most dramatic memories at the festival.

After that it took him some time to get back to form, only winning again 11 months later at Wincanton in the Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle, but before that blowing out on numerous occasions.

Tried in the Champion Hurdle and Punchestown Champion Hurdle, he blew out in both again losing his form and not regaining it again until February of this year.

A winner of a Listed Hurdle at Sandown, he then went into the Kingwell Hurdle and landed the spoils for a second consecutive time.

Seen twice on the flat since then in May and October at Goodwood in what have looked like pipe openers for his chase campaign he should be very fit and if taking to the larger obstacles could get back to his peak form.

There have been plenty of Juvenile's in recent years like Defi Du Seuil, Farclas, Pentland Hills, Burning Victory and Quilixios to name a few that have been poor after their juvenile campaigns and then have bounced back at some point in there career and Goshen fits that bill.

Wetherby's first event of the day on ITV is the bet365 Novices' Hurdle over 2m 3 1/2f and we have been waiting for Prairie Wold to be stepped up in trip.

Decent form in bumpers last term when winning two of his four events, rounding off last term when not disgraced back in ninth in the Grade Two bumper at Aintree.

Sent hurdling this time over two miles at Uttoxeter on seasonal/hurdles debut he finished a fair third behind the promising Ballyglass.

He looked off the back of that run to want further and being stepped up in trip for this event makes him very interesting.

A superb race from Ascot at the weekend is the Bateaux London Handicap Hurdle that sees some very talented runners potentially ahead of their handicap marks.

We like two in this event and the first is the Jonjo O'Neill trained Anyharminasking, who is the only horse in training to beat the superstar Constitution Hill.

Sent hurdling last year off the back of PTP win in April, he needed his first few starts to get to grip with racing finishing fourth on debut at Uttoxeter and then backed that up with two solid placed efforts at Worcester and Uttoxeter again.

Gaining valuable experiences from those runs he was sent handicapping in January and off a mark of 114 landed his first event with ease at Catterick.

Bumped up to 127 at Sedgefield when last seen he made light work of the field again to make it back to back wins.

The potential he posses makes him a very exciting talent for the O'Neill yard and still only on a mark of 137, he could be well in for this contest.

Another horse in the race that has caught the eye from an each way angle is the Nicky Henderson trained Broomfield Burg who is having his second run after a wind op and also dropping back to two miles could be exactly what he needs.

A horse with bundles of potential when sent over hurdles in May last year at Warwick when bolting up, he then went to Newbury and finished runner up to a horse that ran in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and again at Cheltenham on handicap debut looked sure to win the race but was outstayed by Lively Citizen, a course winner before.

Getting back to winning ways at Kempton on Boxing Day, he was sent into the Betfair Hurdle and then County Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and found things a little tough.

Dropped back to a mark of 132 for the Grade Three Handicap Hurdle at the Grand National meeting he was a stellar sixth, again maybe not staying aswell as hoped.

This prompted a wind operation ahead of the new season and on his first start this term he ran well to finish a good third behind Knappers Hill at Chepstow.

Kept on the same mark of 130, dropping back to his preferred mile and hopefully seeing the effects of his wind operation, he could be a big player at an each way price.

Next up is the first big race of the day at the Yorkshire track with the Listed Mares' Hurdle over two miles seeing just five runners go to post and Nina The Terrier for Alan King looks the value in the field.

Making her hurdles debut in May 2021 at Warwick she got off the mark at the first time of asking in a 16 runner Mares Maiden, looking very impressive.

Saved for last season's national hunt campaign, she returned at Chepstow in October and again was a very strong winner giving weight away.

Again giving weight away she landed a hat-trick at Newbury when seeing off the likes of Elle Est Belle and Ahorsewithnoname, who both went on to frank the form.

After that she slightly struggled, falling next time out when taking on the same two horses in the previous race and then when stepped up in trip could only manage second.

Third behind Love Envoi when next seen, she tried to take on the mare again at the Cheltenham festival but ran no race in the Grade Two Mares' Novice Hurdle won by the former.

Seen once more last term she was a fair second at Newbury in a Grade Two event and this season she returned in similar form when second again in a good handicap hurdle behind Sonigino for Paul Nicholls.

That horse has since franked the form massively and if improving for her first run of the term Nina The Terrier is already a winner at this level and distance and should be feared.

Value play.

Next up at Ascot is the Classy Byrne Group Handicap Chase event over 2m1f and Before Midnight has a big chance to get back to winning ways.

The Sam Thomas trained Before Midnight was a winner last April when in a Class 2 Handicap at Chepstow in taking style on his first try at two miles.

Seen again in October last term, he made it back to back wins at Cheltenham, beating last year's winner of that race Sky Pirate by six lengths.

Up to a mark of 144 he landed the hat-trick at Ascot in a very competitive event, which saw his handicap mark go up to 148.

Seen thrice more since, he ran credibly in his first Grade Two event, although finishing last of the four he was only 17 lengths behind the superstar Shishkin.

He was then a length second to the smart Funambule Sivola, who went on to frank the form, winning the Grade Two Game Spirit Chase and finishing second in the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

Before Midnight rounded off last term when a valiant sixth of 16 in the Grade Three Red Rum Handicap Chase and dropped 1lb for that getting back to a C&D he loves, he is a big player.

The first Grade Two of the afternoon from Wetherby is the bet365 Hurdle also known as the The West Yorkshire Hurdle and it sees some very familiar faces over three miles.

We are going with the youth in the field and taking a chance on the outsider Oscar Elite for Joe Tizzard, who at 25/1 could represent some big value.

A superb novice hurdler two seasons ago when winning on his first starts over timber in Maiden and Novice company by a combined 25 lengths.

He then took that form even further when a good second at the Cheltenham festival in the Grade One Albert Bartlett behind runaway winner Vanillier and he backed that up at the Grand National meeting when placing behind Ahoy Senor and Bravemansgame in the Grade One Sefton Novices' Hurdle.

Sent chasing last term it really took some time to get his jumping right, travelling well in races but constantly making mistakes that saw him throw races away.

He put it all together once last term when a close third in the Grade Three Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

Dropped back over hurdles and since receiving a wind operation, he could be primed for a big run in this.

The final event on ITV from Ascot is the London Gold Cup Handicap over three miles and Tea Clipper for Tom Lacey looks to hold a strong chance.

A very smart horse for the yard over both fences and hurdles during his career, finishing third at the 2020 Cheltenham festival in the Coral Cup and then backing that up at the Aintree Grand National meeting when third again in the Grade Three Handicap Hurdle.

Sent chasing last term, he was a winner on debut over 2m4f at Chepstow and then backed that up with a good second behind Nassalam in a Grade Two at Newbury.

Moved up to three miles for the first time last season he was last of the four in the hot Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase, but then sent handicapping was seen to great effect.

Fourth of 24 at the Cheltenham festival in the Ultima Handicap Chase, he then went to Aintree and was fourth again in the Grade Three Handicap Chase over 3m1f.

Back this term, kept at three miles, he made his seasonal debut at Chepstow in the Native River Handicap Chase when a neck second Peregrine Run, who chinned him late on.

Up 3lb for that run now back on his mark for the Ultima at 145, it still looks workable and he should go close.

The feature event of the afternoon from Wetherby is the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase over three miles and this seasons renewal looks an absolute cracker with Bravemansgame taking on Ahoy Senor for a fourth time.

We are siding with the Paul Nicholls trained gelding Bravemansgame, who we think has a better record going fresh, will love the flat track and if any chance of being the King George horse they think he can be, he surely has to run well in this.

The Grade One winning hurdler took to chasing in impressive fashion at Newton Abbot on seasonal debut last term, jumping a near perfect round whilst making all from the front.

He then went to Haydock and against another experienced field went on to win easily, being eased down towards the end.

Looking to land a hat-trick over the bigger obstacles in the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton over Christmas, he out jumped and saw off the challenge of Ahoy Senor to land the spoils.

Dropped into handicap company giving a lot of weight away he prevailed again to take a decent event ahead of the Cheltenham festival.

The ground came up testing for the Brown Advisory on the second day of the meeting and he was pulled out of the race, but did finish his season off Aintree when something was amiss finishing last of the four in the Grade One Mildmay Novices' Chase behind Ahoy Senor.

The pair have met three times with the scored at 2-1 to Lucinda Russell's gelding, but although Ahoy Senor might turn out to be the better horse throughout the year, we think this will be Bravemansgame's day.

Having a superb record when first time out winning on his first start in the last two seasons, performing well on flatter tracks, he looks to have a lot in his favour.