ITV Saturday Preview - 11/05/19

The opening race on ITV Racing on Saturday is at Lingfield, where Frankellina will look to follow in the footsteps of the likes Golden Horn and Cracksman who also wore Anthony Oppenheimer's colours in recent years and either won or went close in Classics.

This filly has some big race entries coming up, and will be a top contender to take the Listed RaceBets Money Back All Losers Oaks Trial Fillies' Stakes over a mile-and-a-half.

Daughter of Frankel (hence the name), she won a one-mile novice event on debut for yard last year at Yarmouth, and showed plenty of signs of greenness.

Would have learned a lot from that, and could be something special if handling the step-up in trip.

The opening race from Ascot on Saturday afternoon is the Les Ambassadeurs Casino Handicap over just shy of a mile-and-a-half, and Setting Sail will certainly look to do just that towards the winning post.

Sporting the infamous blue silks of Godolphin, Setting Sail made his return to the racetrack at Wolverhampton around three weeks ago after eighteen months on the sidelines, which he converted into a win.

Still eligible to race in a novice stakes, he absolutely obliterated the field winning by a six-length, showing all the signs that the promise he portrayed as a juvenile for Charlie Appleby is still very much there.

Back fit, he can crack on with life again in his first start in a handicap.

Another offspring of Frankel - Cap Francais can upset favourite Anthony Van Dyck and the rest in the Listed RaceBets Derby Trial Stakes over a mile-and-a-half back at Lingfield.

This three-year-old won two novices last year over a mile for trainer Ed Walker, before returning to finish a good second in the 1m2f Listed Blue Riband Trial at Epsom on his return.

Very stoked up before the race, he looked coltish and was sweating quite heavily in the preliminaries. Took a keen hold but was held up off the pace by Gerald Mosse as the front pair zoomed off.

He delivered his challenge late and was pressing the winner all the way to the line, and an extra couple of furlongs - which he gets today, could have seen him come home in front.

Also has the advantage of having the run this season, so will be a likely player.

Just the four runners head for the Listed Carey Group Buckhounds Stakes at Ascot - again over a mile-and-a-half, and Barsanti is the selection to follow up his victory in this race last year.

Likeable type who is a regular at the top level, the seven-year-old did not win on any of his next four outings, but was only a neck down on Communique in the Listed Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket back in September - form that has been boosted since this term.

Barsanti prevailed by neck himself over Mirage Dancer twelve months ago; who went onto win the Group Three Sapphire Glorious Stakes at Glorious Stakes, along with good two-length cushion to the third and today's repeat rival Salouen.

Goes well fresh as proved before, and should go very close indeed.

One trip to Haydock features the only jumps action of the day, where Le Patriote will bid for the hat-trick in the Pertemps Network Swinton Handicap Hurdle over two miles.

He was left in front at the final flight at Cheltenham last month when disputing the lead with the eventual unfortunate faller, and went onto assert under Sam Twiston-Davies for a nice price for those that were on.

That effort followed up his victory in a Class Two at Ayr - which was actually a Scottish Champion Hurdle trial back in November.

Clearly the class is there, and there could be plenty more to come - the same story with Christopher Wood, who finished third in the Grade One Juvenile Contest at Aintree behind Pentland Hills and was not beaten all that far.

The second - Fakir D'oudairies again finished runner-up in Ireland in another Grade One contest which franked the form, and Christopher Wood could step up to the scene.

Christopher Wood for the win, Le Patriote each-way.

Bella Ragazza looks a leading player in the St. James's Wealth Management British EBF Premier Fillies' Handicap over the straight mile in Berkshire - if she's on a going day.

She finished her first season on the track with a record of three victories from seven starts, striking at Goodwood twice and Newmarket most recently in October in a Class Two Handicap; beating a good filly of William Haggas' yard called Move Swiftly.

The four-year-old has been raised 8lb as a result of her triumph at HQ, but further progress should be likely this year for Hughie Morrison's charge.

Handles bumpy tracks, and likes a bit of cut in the ground. Ascot's wavy dynamics should play into her favour.

The feature race at Lingfield is the Group Three RaceBets Million Chartwell Fillies' Stakes over seven furlongs, and William Haggas' Pretty Baby looks to be the one to beat.

Outstanding record - winning four of her six starts, she narrowly defeated Dancing Star (who goes here) in a Group Three seven furlong contest at Glorious Goodwood last August.

That put right her short-head second to Raven's Lady at York in another Group Three in July, and this category and level does seem to suit her well, adding to which her unbeaten record still stands away from the Knavesmire.

Victory here, and she may even take things up a gear.

The Tote Victoria Cup takes centre stage at 4:00pm; the final race of the day which is a heritage handicap over seven furlongs and we have selected two course specialists in Ripp Orf and Raising Sand in this big field.

Ripp Orf was absolutely superb here last term, including when winning this race under this jock in front of former Royal Hunt Cup winner Zhui Feng twelve months ago.

In four starts at the royal course, the five-year-old won twice and placed second and third in big fields in the other two contests - a tremendous record at a course he will love to be back racing at.

His record elsewhere does not seem to match, so it is a bit of gamble but something at Ascot just seems to bring out the best of him.

Raising Sand is another with a very good record in handicaps at the Berkshire venue, particularly when the ground is softer than good which it is sure to be with all the recent rain.

The seven-year-old ran here five times consecutively in 2017, and took the Shergar Cup Mile over a furlong extra than what he is racing over today.

Probably the only drawback, he was a good sixth to Sharjah Bridge in the Balmoral Handicap on Champions Day, and should be ready to fire on first start of the campaign.

Horses for courses.