ITV Racing Saturday Lingfield, Kempton And Newcastle Preview

The first selection of the afternoon from Kempton comes in the Class 3 Handicap Chase and Deyrann De Carjac for Alan King is a horse that can bounce back to his best.

The nine year old although not been seen winning since 2019 has seen his mark been creeping down the handicap whilst running fairly credibly and back in this company presents him an opportunity to get back to winning ways.

This season the gelding need his seasonal debut being pitched into the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November.

But since that run has been seen back at Prestbury Park on two occasions in similar Grade Three events and has finished fifth both times, firstly in the Racing Post Gold Cup in October and then on New Year's Day.

Dropping down to a mark of 129 in a Class 3 event having been running in Grade Three events makes him a big player if retaining all his ability.

He is now 8lb below his last winning mark.

The first race of the afternoon at Lingfield is the Listed Hever Stakes over five furlongs and Lord Riddiford at the top of the market could be tough to pass.

The experienced seven year old has been a very smart sprinter over the years winning a big handicap at last year's Glorious Goodwood ahead of some very talented sprinters.

His all weather record also speaks for himself, especially round here over five furlongs, winning this event last year in good fashion seeing off a Group One placed horse.

Having had a lovely prep run at Wolverhampton earlier on in the month( the race he used before winning the race last year) it should have put him bang on for this event and being drawn in stall four, he could getaway from the field off the bend.

Big player.

One of the feature events of the afternoon is the Grade Two Adonis Juvenile Hurdle over two miles and the Milton Harris trained Knight Salute is the horse to beat.

Making his hurdles debut this term having been a very average horse on the flat, the gelding went into a Juvenile Hurdle at Sedgefield and bolted up by nine lengths.

In a better race at Kempton next time out he won nicely again from Impulsive One, who he takes on again in this event.

Seeking a hat-trick he headed to Cheltenham in November and landed the Grade Two Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle in dominant fashion.

Not knowing where the ceiling is with this horse, Harris sent him to Doncaster last time out in the Grade Two Summit Juvenile Hurdle and taking on the smart Porticello, who has since franked the form in a big way, he went on to beat him by close to a length.

That form looks very difficult to beat at the weekend and unless Paul Nicholls' newcomer is extra special, Knight Salute looks the one to be on.

The big race of the day at Lingfield on Saturday is the Group Three Winter Derby and Lord North for John Gosden is the one to beat.

One of the most progressive horses on the the flat between 2019/2020 the gelding went from winning handicaps to landing Group One events.

Landing the Cambridgeshire in September 2019 and then finishing a tight second in the Balmoral Handicap after that, in 2020 he became a Group One winning horse.

Winning the Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Haydock on his first run in 2020, he then went into the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and took the race with ease.

Looking to round off the season in style he was below par in the Juddmonte International and British Champion Stakes, with the soft ground going against him in the latter.

He was seen one final time in 2020 when fourth of 10 in a strong renewal of the Breeders Cup Turf, which was much more like him.

Given a break he was last seen in March 2021 at Meydan over nine furlongs when landing the Group One Dubai Turf.

Going well fresh is something he is known for winning on all four of his seasonal debuts after a break.

Another thing to note with this race it sees him drop markedly back in grade and Gosden has landed all three of the last renewals of this race with three different horses.

Loads going for him.

The first Grade Two event over fences at Kempton on Saturday is the Pendil Novices' Chase and our selection Minella Drama is looking to make it back to back wins.

The Donald McCain trained seven year old was a very smart P2P horse finishing second on both his outings behind two smart types in Sir Gerhard and Erne River.

Bought for £60,000 by Green Day Racing, he was a smart hurdler last year, racing six times and never coming outside the top two in any of his races, winning on three occasions.

Having finished a narrow second in the Grade Two Supreme Trial at Haydock, he then won nicely in a Listed event at Market Rasen before finishing his hurdles career at Aintree's Grand National meeting when second to the smart My Drogo in the Grade One Mersey Novices' Hurdle.

Sent over fences this term the gelding got off the mark on his first try at Uttoxeter and then backed that up at Carlisle when a short head second to the smart War Lord for the Tizzard's.

Looking for Grade One glory next time out at Sandown he was well beaten in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase, with the race not going to plan.

Always looking like he needed a step up in trip he went to Haydock over 2m4f in a good Grade Two event and got back to winning ways in emphatic style.

Saved for this event since he looks a big player.

One of our best bets of the day comes in the Grade Two Dovecote Novices' Hurdle over two miles with Shallwehaveonemore looking a potential class above this field.

Only seen four times in his career, he made his bumper debut in March 2020 when bolting up at Kempton and after that was put away for this term.

Given his hurdles debut in October, he went to Ascot in a good Novices' Hurdle where he was narrowly beaten by a smart type for Paul Nicholls in Kandoo Kid, with the third that day Peking Rose since winning a nice event aswell.

Looking to frank the form in Grade One company in the Tolworth Hurdle he had to settle for fourth in heavy ground behind the monster Constitution Hill.

Shallwehaveonemore last time out was dropped back into novice company and got back to winning ways in extremely taking fashion, hosing up by 20 lengths.

He deserves his shot at this Grade Two and getting his preferred better ground we should see the best of him.

The only race of the afternoon from Newcastle on ITV comes in the Vertem Eider Handicap Chase over 4m1f and with a decent field size heading to post we have two each way stabs.

The first is the lightly weighted Danilo D'Airy for trainer Robert Bevis and this event looks to have been the plan for a while.

Sent chasing for the first time in May this gelding bolted up at Warwick over three miles off a mark of 73 by nine lengths and with still plenty in hand with the handicapper he went back to Warwick over slightly further and again won well off 87.

Looking to land the hat-trick at Ffos Las in December on heavy ground he saw off a field of 10 to win by 14 lengths off a mark of 145.

Last time out he was pulled up running no race at Lingfield, but putting that behind him off only 120 in this field makes him a player, with him looking a thorough stayer.

At a much bigger price is a horse we have a soft spot for with the Venetia Williams trained Achille dropping down the handicap and a proven stayer at this trip.

This animal is always in and around the frame in these sorts of events, including when a good second in this event last term.

Off the back of that he went to Haydock in the Grade Three Grand National Trial and was again a narrow second behind the smart Lord Du Mesnil.

Aimed at the Midlands Grand National, he was a staying on sixth of 21 runners, making up plenty of ground in the final stages of the race.

Not seen again until December for his first run this season he was a valiant fifth in the Becher Chase behind the impressive Snow Leopardess, who has since franked the form twice.

That run was used as a prep for the Welsh Grand National over Christmas and once again he ran a cracker to finish fourth in a gruelling renewal of the race.

Dropped 3lb for that run to a mark of 138 he was last seen in the Grade Three Classic Handicap Chase where unfortunately he gave one of his worst runs for a while when only seventh.

The third has since ran a big race in that event and with him going down a further 3lb to a mark of 135, he can't be ruled out if bouncing back to form.

The final big event of the afternoon at Kempton is the big fielded Grade Three Coral Trophy Handicap Chase over three miles and we have two each way selections.

The first is the Christian Williams trained Five Star Getaway who has been a big ante-post mover in the betting and looks to have a solid each way chance.

Managing to land a hat-trick at Sandown, Haydock and Wincanton over 2m4f around this time last year, he was bumped up to a mark of 135.

He was then seen one more time last term where he the runs seemed to catch up with him and he could only manage seventh in the Novices' Champion Handicap Chase at Ayr.

Seen back for his seasonal debut in October at Chepstow he needed the run and then off a mark of 130 got back to winning ways over course and distance at Kempton.

Only upped 4lb for that win he went to Sandown in a competitive Handicap Chase and was a fair third, staying on well over the three miles.

He seems to have improved since going up to three miles this term and off the same mark of 134 on ground he loves, he is a bet for us.

From the same yard but at the other end of the betting market is the rank outsider Kitty's Light who looks massively overpriced at 22/1.

The six year old gelding has Brian Hughes booked which is always a bonus, but at his current price looks a tasty each way bet if bouncing back to form.

A winner at Kelso back in March last year off a mark of 135, he then stepped up in trip for the Grade Three Gold Cup Handicap Chase off 139 and was a narrow second in a photo-finish running a career best.

Kitty's Light returned in October at Chepstow finishing a narrow second to a well handicapped rival in Chirico Vallis.

He was then bumped up to a mark of 149 where he finished a superb second in the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase, but struggled back in handicaps since, being pulled up at Newbury and then running no race at all on two occasions in soft ground.

He is now back down to a mark of 140 which is very workable considering how he ran in the Grade Three Gold Cup off only 1lb higher.

Good/ good to soft ground is the key to this horse and he gets that Saturday.