ITV Racing Wetherby, Ascot and Down Royal Preview

Ascot kicks off the day on ITV and in the Novices' Limited Handicap Chase we fancy the Anthony Honeyball trained Sully D'Oc AA

The JP McManus owned six year old was a smart hurdles horse winning three of his four event and when stepped up to chasing last term was not disgraced.

He kickstarts this season having a live chance in this race, having showed plenty of ability on his best handicap chase form and heading into this race tongue tied and off the back of a wind operation makes him interesting.

Wetherby host their best card of the year on Saturday and the first race on ITV is the Handicap Chase over 2 miles 3 furlong and Guy looks a huge talent.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies trained gelding was an average hurdler but seems to have been waiting to make his chase debut for sometime.

He made his debut at Huntingdon in a Novices' Handicap Chase and absolutely bolted up by 13 lengths and although up 12lb today, he should have enough to handle the rise.

The Listed Handicap Chase over two miles gives us the second race of the day from Ascot and the Dan Skelton trained Amoola Gold looks a promising gelding.

The seven year old is lightly raced for his age and has already shown in similar events that he knows how to win at this trip.

Three starts ago over the same distance he finished a close second in a nice event and then last time out on his seasonal reappearance he got off the mark for the campaign with a good win at Wetherby.

Although this contest looks tougher, he should come on for the run and with the yard in form he won't be far away.

The Listed Mares Hurdle over two miles is dominated by Verdana Blue at the top of the market and the Nicky Henderson trained mare should go on to win this.

The eight year old was previously owned by Crimbourne Bloodstock but recently changed hands for £370,000, and is now owned by Michael Tabor’s wife, Doreen.

The mare has had an elusive career, as back in 2019 she managed to land the Grade One Christmas Hurdle at Kempton inflicting a first defeat in 12 on stablemate Buveur D’Air.

She also landed the Scottish Champion hurdle that year on her penultimate start before trying her hand on the flat when fourth in the Sagaro Stakes behind Dee Ex Bee who was second in the 2019 Ascot Gold Cup.

Since then she has predominantly been tried on the flat and this season she has been seen twice finishing a good second in the Ascot Stakes at the royal meeting and then last time out another bright third in the York Ebor Handicap.

She made her seasonal debut at Kempton in a Listed event two weeks ago and although finishing second looked to still have as much class as before and she is the pick of the race.

The only race of the day on ITV from Down Royal is the Ladbrokes Champion Chase which sees the first Grade One off the national hunt season.

Presenting Percy has been a horse that holds bundles of talent, but over the last few seasons has not been able to replicate his win in the 2018 RSA Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.

Having been quiet under his ex trainer Pat Kelly for the last few seasons, his owner Philip Reynolds this season decided to switch yards with the Grade One winner and now under Gordon Elliott can flourish again.

Having proved his ability in staying contests, he still retains his ability and with his run last time out in the Gold Cup being better than what it looked on the surface, he can build under better tutelage this term.

The Grand National looks to be his big target this term but for now he will mix it with the best chasers in Ireland, starting in this race on Saturday where he has a live chance if back to his best.

The Grade Two bet365 Hurdle over three miles looks a decent contest and the horse that can outrun his odds is the Noel Kelly trained Decor Irlandais.

The seven year old gelding showed signs that he could turn out to be a smart horse next season winning a Novices' Hurdle at Catterick in December.

This season he made his seasonal debut in July in a handicap at Galway and finished a decent fourth and off the back of that got off the mark at Killarney.

The step up in trip last time out seemed to be the making of this horse and with the Irish raider coming over for this race it looks as though he could be the value in the race.

One of the feature races of the day at Ascot at the weekend is the Listed Sodexo Handicap Hurdle and Kid Commando for the in form Anthony Honeyball should go well.

The six year old is a really nice recruit for the yard having landed a point to point at the second time of asking and then when running in bumpers showed some serious ability.

He stepped up to hurdles last term winning well on debut at Plumpton and then finished a fair third in the Grade Two Dovecote Novices' Hurdle.

The handler is in superb form having had three winners from his last nine runners which sees him posing at 33% strike rate.

The feature race of the meeting at Wetherby is the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase and the Kim Bailey trained Vinndication has to be respected on seasonal debut.

The seven year old was only seen twice last season with his run at Ascot shaking up the handicap chasing division with how classy a performance it was.

He then went to Cheltenham where he was sent off favourite for the Ultima Handicap and although running a cracker, could only finish fourth of the 23 runners.

He is back for another term on Saturday and having snubbed the Sodexo Gold Cup where he won on seasonal debut last season, his yard must think he is flying at home to take on this Grade Two on his first outing.

He has always been a consistent runner for the yard and it would not be a surprise to see him go close.

The feature race of the day at the Berkshire track is the Sodexo Gold Cup, that in the past has been won by some very smart horses.

We believe we have found this seasons winner with the Henry Daly trained Whatmore, who has been knocking on the door for the last few years and he can give a bold showing off this mark.

The eight year old last season was solid in defeat finishing in and around the frame on his last three outings, with all of them being decent events.

The gelding has halved in price since midweek and he truly has a solid each way chance off the back of finishing a good fourth of 20 runners in the Novices Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham festival on his last start.