ITV Racing Saturday Lingfield, Ascot & Haydock Preview

Ascot kick off the racing on ITV this Saturday and the first race of the afternoon is the Class 3 Handicap over 1m4f and Sir Rumi on this ground could be the one to beat.

A horse that thrives on soft/heavy ground, the five year old showed his keenness for those conditions at the back end of last season when second at Doncaster on heavy ground in a good Class 2 Handicap behind Israr.

Returning this season at the same track but dropped to 1m2f he finished a good second again on heavy ground giving over a stone and a half to the winner.

Running no race at Kempton after that and giving him the benefit of the doubt, he returned to the turf at Epsom on soft ground over 1m4f and he got back to winning ways in good style giving weight away to the winner.

That win was off a mark of 90 and he has gone up 4lbs for that win but on this ground he should take that in his stride.

The first selection of the afternoon from Lingfield on the all weather comes in the Class 5 7f Handicap and we are siding with Winforglory.

The Richard Hughes trained four year old notched back to back wins on his first two runs last season at Yarmouth and Lingfield over 7f and a mile, but was stepped up to 1m2f for his final run of last season and did not stay the trip.

Back this season starting at Wolves when needing the run, but improving for that pipe opener at Chelmsford when last seen finishing second to a nice horse for James Tate that looks good form.

Getting back to a course he has won at before with William Buick in the saddle, he looks as though he can go well.

The second race of the afternoon at Ascot on Saturday sees the Class 2 Handicap over a mile and Timeless Melody for William Haggas who is back to a bit of form should go well.

Fourth on debut over a mile for Charlie Appleby having been with Godolphin, she was then seen again as a juvenile when second of 10 at Kempton when upped to 1m3f, finishing behind a decent horse for William Haggas.

Sold to Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum and given to Haggas, she got off the mark on seasonal debut for the yard when winning well on heavy ground at Leicester over 7f.

Stepping back up to a mile is no issue and proven on this ground on handicap debut she looks the one to beat.

One of the big races of the day at Lingfield is the Group Three Chartwell Fillies' Stakes over 7f and one of our favourites Sacred is back for her seasonal debut in a very winnable race.

Sacred looks to be a big player off the back of her form during her career and making three appearances in 2021 and winning two of them in good style including the Group Three Nell Gwyn Stakes and the Group Two Hungerford Stakes.

As a two year old she was a smart sprinter finishing second in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot and also the Group Two Lowther Stakes at this meeting.

Last season she was seen five times, finishing fifth on seasonal debut over 6f in the Group One Platinum Jubilee, running a big race from her position and then last time out at Glorious Goodwood was a close up fifth again in the Group Two Lennox Stakes.

She gave the worst run of her career in the Group Two City Of York Stakes at the Ebor meeting but next time out was back to her best in the Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup Stakes when bolting up by close to six lengths not coming off the bridle.

Finishing the season just being beaten by Pogo at Newmarket in the Group Two Challenge Stakes, she drops back to a Group Three here and should give her running.

The final event at Ascot on Saturday is their feature Victoria Cup Handicap over 7f and we have dutched two horses at decent prices against the field.

The first is the Clive Cox trained Kingdom Come who is unproven on the ground but costing 340,000gns as a foal and £500,000 as a two year old, he has shown his potential to date.

Having ran to an average standard as a juvenile, he was given a gelding operation and has since landed a hat-trick of wins with the operation doing the trick.

Sent to Kempton for his three year old debut he got off the mark in good style in a Novice Stakes over 7f and then next time out over the same C&D he made it back to back wins on handicap debut off a mark of 80.

Upped 15lb off the back of that to a mark of 95, he landed a hat-trick of wins again at Kempton over 7f, beating a next time out winner in Rainbow Fire.

Racing off a mark of 102, he has been very progressive since being gelded and drawn high gives him a big opportunity.

At a slightly bigger price is the George Boughey trained Totally Charming who was progressive last term, especially when getting his ideal soft/heavy conditions.

Landing back to back races at the start of last term at Lingfield and Epsom, with his win at Epsom coming at the Derby meeting off a mark of 91, he then went to Royal Ascot off 5lb higher and ran into ninth of 29 in the Royal Hunt Cup.

Sent into the Cambridgeshire Stakes at Newmarket and running no race at all, that can be put down to a blip as he came back for his final run of the season at Doncaster on heavy ground and landed a Class 3 Handicap over 7f on heavy ground by two lengths.

Racing off a mark of 104 for his seasonal return this season at the Curragh he finished a good seventh of 27 behind the William Haggas trained Lattam who ran a good race last time out and dropped 3lb for that run he races off a handy 101 with Billy Loughnane taking off a further 3lb.

Big player.

The only race of the afternoon on ITV from Haydock over the jumps is the Grade Three Swinton Handicap and Byker for Charles Byrnes has to be taken seriously off the back of his run at the Cheltenham festival.

Rated 70 on the flat for Richard Hannon, he switched codes to national hunt racing this term for Charles Byrnes and looks a typical type for this trainer that has been set up for a handicap.

Finishing fifth of 13 on hurdles debut at Limerick when learning a lot for the experience, he then went to Naas and got off the mark in a 21 runner Maiden Hurdle.

Seen next time out over the same course and distance he finished a close third in the race that has now yielded four of the last five winners of the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival.

Sent into that race when last seen off a mark of 128, he ran a screamer to finish second to the well handicapped Jazzy Matty who was getting 4lb.

Up 4lb to a mark of 132, that still looks workable and although a four year old he has to be taken seriously.

The final event of the afternoon on ITV sees the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes over 1m4f and Military Order for Godolphin looks a superstar in waiting.

Seen three times to date, the full brother to Derby winner Adayar who was second in this event, Military Order was fourth of 10 on debut at Newmarket learning plenty for the experience.

Stepped up to a mile for his second event as a juvenile he got off the mark in good style beating stable mate Ancient Rules by just under a length.

Stepped up again in trip for his seasonal debut this term over 1m2f at Newbury, he looked a class apart when bolting up by four lengths under a penalty.

He goes up again to 1m4f but from his pedigree this trip will suit him down to the ground and he can lay down a big marker for the Epsom feature.