Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Saturday’s racing coming your way from Ascot, Haydock Park, Taunton and Newcastle.
ASCOT
Race 1 No8 TRITONIC
Trainer: Alan King – Jockey: Adrian Heskin
There’s every chance this will throw up a lively contender for the Triumph Hurdle and TRITONIC fits the bill in every respect, hailing from a stable with a good record in that juvenile hurdling centrepiece and boasting smart form on testing ground from his efforts on the Flat. Only out of the frame one in 2020, he went down by just half a length to Highland Chief in a Class 2 handicap at the Royal meeting here, and looks exciting.
Race 4 No13 FLINTHAM (Each Way)
Trainer: Mark Bradstock – Jockey: Sean Bowen
Bradstock and his wife Sara are dab hands at bringing horses back from lengthy lay-offs and the same could prove true with FLINTHAM, who at the evergreen age of 12 could still have a tune to play. The four-times hurdle winner is yet to score over fences, but had some good form before being forced onto the sidelines and should not be underestimated..
Race 5 No3 DASHEL DRASHER
Trainer: Jeremy Scott – Jockey: Matt Griffiths
Bold front-runner DASHEL DRASHER can give us a good run for our money in this ultra competitive handicap chase. He jumped with a telling economy of effort when beating Itchy Feet here before Christmas and is the winner of six of his last nine starts over jumps. He is also relatively lightly raced, and though certain to be taken on for the lead can again advertise his liking for the course.
Race 6 MATCHBOOK BETTING EXCHANGE CLARENCE HOUSE CHASE (Group 1)
No8 WAITING PATIENTLY
Trainer: Ruth Jefferson – Jockey: Brian Hughes
With last season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Politologue in the field this will have a bearing on the betting for the two mile championship decider at the Festival in March. Fresh from his triumph in the ‘Tingle Creek’ at Sandown the Paul Nicholls-trained grey is going to go off short, but two that could spoil the party are Defi Du Seuil and WAITING PATIENTLY. Defi Du Seuil took out this race in 2020 but was never going behind Politologue at Cheltenham in March, while when returning in the Schloer Chase at the same course he was even more lifeless, and had to be pulled up. Richard Johnson schooled him on Wednesday and that impressive bit of jumping suggests he could now bounce back. However, the one with more tantalising cards to play is Waiting Patiently who has the scope and finishing speed to successfully revert to two miles. He’s not enjoyed a clear run by any means in the last couple of years, but showed when doing all his best work at the finish behind Frodon in the King George VI Chase that he’s definitely a force to be reckoned with, and can confirm his status as the pride of the North.
HAYDOCK PARK
Race 1 No1 ALLART
Trainer: Nicky Henderson – Jockey: Nico de Boinville
One of the most exciting novices in the powerful Seven Barrows academy, ALLART can take the spoils in this Grade 2 chase on the way to better things. He took out a similar contest on chase debut at Ascot by way of a telling burst of finishing speed that can serve him well as he makes his way up through the ranks.
Race 5 NEW ONE UNIBET HURDLE (Grade 2)
No1 BALLYANDY
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
Dual Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D’Air is in the spotlight on his return from well over a year off. That enforced absence happened owing to an injury sustained in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, and he could need this to put the cutting edge on him. If turning up near fully primed he will win, but I’ll take a chance on BALLYANDY posting an upset. The former top bumper and novice hurdler carries the colours of the horse this race is run in honour of and should be forgiven an off day in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, as his stable was going through a quiet spell at the time. He landed the spoils in this by a whisker 12 months ago and will jump and travel in the very testing ground.
Race 7 No4 IMPERIAL ACOLYTE
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
The Twiston-Davies yard have a solid chance of taking out this handicap hurdle as well with IMPERIAL ACOLYTE. His jumping issues over fences were ironed out with a switch to hurdles, resulting in a second at Southwell and a clear cut triumph at Ffos Las. The seven-year-old is now displaying the talent shown in his early career, and can follow-up..
TAUNTON
Race 1 No12 TILE TAPPER
Trainer: Chris Honour – Jockey: Bryan Carver
Taunton’s biggest day of the season can start with a popular success for TILE TAPPER whose form puts him in the driving seat for this well contested maiden hurdle. Since moving to Honour as the winner of an Exeter bumper he’s run creditably in all three starts, the best of them when chasing home Metier at Ascot and Sandown. Back from a Grade 1 here, he needs to show those efforts were no fluke, and he can.
Race 2 No12 GALACTIC POWER (Nap)
Trainer: Robin Dickin – Jockey: Lorcan Murtagh
Unlucky to have missed out on a good opportunity earlier in the month, GALACTIC POWER can cut the mustard in the first division of the handicap hurdle. The veteran returned from nine months off to finish second to Mr Washington at Ludlow and won’t meet anything of the same calibre of that unpenalised previous winner.
Race 5 No4 WESTEND STORY
Trainer: Philip Hobbs – Jockey: Tom O’Brien
Hobbs would like nothing more to put one on the board with WESTEND STORY, whose ventures over the past two years-plus have fallen on stony ground. The former smart hurdler has endured problems with his jumping over fences, but after three failed completions can get his act together at a rewarding price now switched back to the smaller obstacles.
NEWCASTLE
Race 1 No1 GREAT ESTEEM (Nap)
Trainer: Archie Watson – Jockey: Hollie Doyle
Godolphin cast off GREAT ESTEEM landed some chunky bets in style at Kempton to show that he’s retained the bulk of his old ability. He’s done well since that run at the beginning of the month, and the form is working out.
Race 3 No1 VAN DIJK
Trainer: Antony Brittain – Jockey: Harry Russell
VAN DIJK sets the standard for the others to aim at after maintaining a good level of form in his three all-weather outings this year, comprising a win and two seconds on the Fibresand at Southwell. He can make his mark on what is a belated first experience of the Tapeta surface at Gosforth Park.
