ITV Racing Saturday Newbury And Newcastle Preview

The first race on ITV from Newbury is the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase and with a decent field going to post we have two each way selections.

Up to mark of 139 he was third in the Listed Sky Bet Handicap Chase and then in the February put up another good effort to finish fifth of 17 at Kempton off 142 and then he finished the season off in the bet365 Gold Cup and was a solid fifth again.

Poor in May 2021 in France and then again on seasonal debut at Chepstow, he then ran in this race last year off 135 and was a good fourth behind winner Rocco.

Another poor run at Kempton at Christmas saw his mark drop to 129 and at Doncaster in January he was a better third in the Listed Sky Bet Handicap Chase.

Dropped another 2lb to 127 he got back to winning ways at Kempton in a good Grade Three Handicap Chase and he then rounded off last season when a strong fifth in the bet365 Gold Cup.

Making his seasonal debut at Chepstow when needing the run as usual he went down to a mark of 132 for the Badger Beers Handicap Chase and chased home Frodon and Lord Accord back in third.

Dropped another 2lb for that win he goes into this off 130 and he has to be in the frame once more.

At a smaller price of 5/1 is the Joe Tizzard trained Killer Kane who had a lovely prep run ahead of this race and should be primed off his current mark to go close.

The Joe Tizzard trained gelding was bought for £300,000 in 2020 at the Cheltenham sales and although taking some time to warm up, looks to be a classy chaser.

Learning from his first three chase runs that were average, three starts ago on his first try at three miles he got off the mark in taking style, revelling in the trip at Kempton.

Up to a mark of 126 he landed a Listed Handicap Chase over 2m4f, staying well at the finish to land the prize.

Upped to a mark of 131 he went in search of a big pot at Aintree's Grand National meeting and was a decent third behind Sam Brown and Shan Blue.

Dropped 1lb to a mark of 130, he was still giving weight away on seasonal debut and he just faded late on into sixth in a 3m Handicap Chase at Exeter.

Dropping slightly in trip and down 2lb to a mark of 128, he looks interesting.

The first race of the afternoon from Newcastle is the Novices' Limited Handicap Chase Over 2m 7 1/2f and we are siding with the Ben Pauling trained Malinello.

A horse that is very lightly raced for his age of seven, making his seasonal debut on heavy in a bumper at Chepstow in December 2019 and was second in a decent bumper.

Fourth behind Third Time Lucki and Bothwell Bridge next time out at Huntingdon, he was then sent hurdling in November 2020 at Kempton when second over 2m5f.

Getting off the mark in the December at Market Rasen in impressive fashion, he was last seen In January 2021 when second of 15 at Wincanton behind Flash Collonges.

He looked a type to go and kick on in better races but having not been seen for almost two years, something must have been a miss and hopefully he can pick up where he left off on chase debut.

Next up is the Coral Racing Club Handicap Hurdle over 2m 4 1/2f and in a race full of potentially well handicapped horses, Walking On Air for Nicky Henderson could be the best of them off 132.

The five year old son of Walk In The Park made his rules debut in March last year at Kempton in a two mile bumper and was a good second behind Shallwehaveonemore.

Sent over hurdles last season he has only been seen twice but what a performance it was taking out a Novice Hurdle by 13 lengths over two miles on debut.

Sent up in trip at Aintree's Grand National meeting when last seen he was unfortunately pulled up but putting that down to a blip and having enough time off to mature as a horse, he was bought to be much better than a mark of 132.

Interesting contender.

The feature race of the afternoon on ITV is the Grade One Fighting Fifth and having missed his intended start date last week, Constitution Hill looks set to run in this and add another big race to his growing portfolio.

The gelding is a serious animal for Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley, with the £120,000 purchase first taking the eye on debut at Sandown in December.

Heading to Sandown in a Novices' Hurdle, he cruised next to the favourite Might I for Harry Fry, who is a good horse in his own right, and having jumped the last impeccably he went on to take the event by 14 lengths.

Next time out he managed to land Grade One glory in the Tolworth Hurdle winning just as impressively as his previous, pulling away from a decent field to win by 12 lengths.

Sent straight to the Cheltenham festival off the back of that run he made it 3/3 under rules when taking the Grade One Supreme by 22 lengths from the superstar Jonbon.

He looks a freak of a horse and should be a class above the field.

A decent race at Newbury on Saturday is the Gerry Feilden Intermediate Handicap Hurdle won by some nice horses in the past and this year Pikar for Dan Skelton could be a nice type.

Finishing last season when fifth of seven in the Grade Two Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trial behind Jonbon only just over nine lengths behind the winner, he was always set to be a nice type.

Showing his true form on seasonal debut this season he made an emphatic debut at Chepstow when landing a strong Novices' Hurdle by five lengths.

Given a mark of 127 that looks extremely lenient and he has a big chance of going close in this.

The big race of the day at Newbury on Saturday is the Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase over 3m2f and we have picked out two runners at each way prices that should go close.

The first is the David Pipe trained Remastered who has had a wind operation and this time around it looks to have done the trick and got him back to his best.

Set to go extremely close off 4lb higher in this race last year when falling four out but well clear of the field, he then went to Haydock and finished a good second in the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase.

Fourth of 10 in the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase over the same C&D, he then went back over hurdle for his final run last year when blowing up at the Grand National meeting.

Having a wind operation, he returned over hurdles in a Pertemps Qualifier at Aintree and the operation looks to have done the trick with him battling well to see off Milan Bridge.

It was a perfect prep run for this event and off a mark of 142 he should go close.

At a slightly bigger price is the Neil Mulholland trained Lord Accord who has done very little wrong of late and if in the same form could go close.

Having a prep run off a mark of 133 at Worcester in September, it acted as a good pipe opener ahead of the 3m1f Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in October where he went on to bolt up off a mark of 131.

Upped 5lb for that victory he was last seen in the Badger Beers Handicap Chase at Wincanton when narrowly going down to the superstar Frodon and off the same mark could play a part.

This is more competitive but being in some smart form of late hopefully he can carry that on.

The final event from Newcastle on ITV is the Betfair Exchange Rehearsal Handicap Chase over 2m 7 1/2f and L'Homme Presse off top weight can show he is the graded horse in a handicap.

He was campaigned very lightly over hurdles two seasons ago now, obviously going over the larger obstacles was always at the forefront of connections thinking, and that was a brilliant decision made by them.

L’Homme Presse has won five of his six chasing starts by a combined 53.5 lengths, getting better with every run, apart form when last seen and it may have been a case of being burnt out.

Making a smart seasonal debut at Exeter over 2m3f, he then went to Ascot and landed a Graduation Chase over 2m5f in emphatic style.

On New Year's Day he put up another career best to take the Grade Two Dipper Novices' Chase by 10 lengths giving weight away to the mare The Glancing Queen.

Looking to land Grade One honours next time out he improved once more to take the Scilly Isles Chase by 21 lengths.

Heading into the Cheltenham festival going up in trip to three miles he made every yard from the front to land the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices' Chase in tough conditions.

Looking to make it a hat-trick of Grade Ones at Aintree's Grand National meeting in the Mildmay Novices' Chase, he unfortunately did not look the same horse and ultimately tired from his festival win.

Given a good break since then he returns in this off a top weight in a season that looks targeted at the Gold Cup in March.

The final event of the afternoon from Newbury is the Class 2 Handicap Chase over 2m 1/2f and Amarillo Sky for Joe Tizzard is the stand out selection.

The £280,000 purchase really came into his own last season and having been dropped back to a mark of 140 for this event he looks interesting.

Being an up and down hurdler showing signs of ability but then never running any races, he took to chasing much better last term.

Finishing a fair fourth on chase/seasonal debut at Chepstow in a handicap, he then went to Wincanton and got off the mark for the season in decent style, beating the smart Thyme White.

He then went to Ascot off a mark of 131 and finished a good second to the progressive Brave Seasca who went on to run in the Arkle last season.

Looking the likely winner next time out he took a novicey tumble, but got back on track in a big way at Newbury when winning a good handicap event by 10 lengths.

Raised 8lb for that he went into the Grand Annual Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham festival and in torrential conditions plugged on well for fifth.

Sent into Grade One company at Aintree he was outclassed and probably the run came way too soon after the festival.

Making his seasonal debut at Cheltenham's November meeting 3lb lower to a mark of 140 in much calmer waters, he was a superb winner from the front and having only gone up 4lb for that run and the trainer pinpointing this as a big target, he looks a good bet.