Saturday’s ITV Racing Tips from Ascot & Haydock with a Long Walk Hurdle NAP

Saturday’s ITV Racing this weekend comes from Ascot and Haydock and the Long Walk Hurdle is the feature race of the day, where the stayer will look to stake their claim ahead of the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Elsewhere, there are each-way selections from both Haydock and Ascot with some competitive handicaps to solve. Henry has ran through all the Saturday races below and provided a betting tip for each of them.

 

Saturday’s ITV Racing Tips

Time	Selection	Odds
1.15 Sandown	SHISHKIN (no bet)	1/5
1.35 Leopardstown	MARIES ROCK	2/1
1.50 Sandown	POWER OVER ME (NB)	10/11
2.05 Mussleburgh	PATS FANCY	5/1
2.20 Sandown	RENARDEAU	6/1
2.30 Weatherby	ONE FOR THE TEAM (NAP)	5/1
2.55 Sandown	ATHEEB	4/1
3.15 Leopardstown	ATHEEB	4/1
3.30 Sandown	ATHEEB	4/1
3.45 Mussleburgh	ATHEEB	4/1

 

1:50 Ascot

The first race live on ITV comes up at 1:50 and it is a very competitive handicap Chase. Recent scorer Saint De Vassy heads the market for the in-form Tom Symonds yards at 9/2.

The one I like is MENGLI KHAN E/W. Mengli Khan has always been a highly-touted horse and he has placed twice in Grade 1 races at the Cheltenham Festival in recent years. He won on his final start for Gordon Elliot last season and now makes his debut for Nicky Henderson in a handicap. He has to give weight to his main rivals as you’d expect but he has often shown his best form early on in the season and he’ll do for me here.

 

2:05 Haydock

We head to Haydock next for a handicap hurdle contest over just shy of 2m3f. The ground is going to be very testing at Haydock so strong stayers at the trip are going to prove vital.

The one for me here is MCGOWANS PASS E/W. This horse couldn’t have it Dee enough and all his best form has come on a very soft/heavy surface. Sandy Thomson trains and he is in great form of late operating at a 25% strike rate. He races off a weight of 10’13 and gets weight from all the market principles.

 

2:25 Ascot

The feature comes at 2:25 and it’s the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle over 3m where we see the eagerly anticipated rematch clash of Paisley Park and Thyme Hill. There is also a few other interesting runners to add to the mix including the unbeaten in his last nine starts Main Fact and the mare Roksana.

I do love THYME HILL NAP though and I believe he will be able to confirm placings with Paisley Park. He won well enough that day at Newbury and I think he is entitled to come on for that run just as much as Paisley Park is. I don’t think we’ve got anywhere near to the bottom of Thyme Hill’s potential and I think he is the rising star where Paisley Park may have peaked.

 

2:40 Haydock

The 2:40 at Haydock is next and it is the Tommy Whittle Chase ran over 3m1f+. It will prove to be an absolute slog and I’m sure there will only be a handful of finishers.

The one I’ve landed on here is ROLL AGAIN. I was taken by his win last time out at Ludlow where he went from the front jumping well and nothing could get past him. I’m hoping for more of the same here where if he gets into another lively jumping rhythm he will have many of these in trouble along way out. He handles soft ground and is proven over 3m+.

 

3:00 Ascot

The 3:00 race from Ascot is up next and we have another handicap Chase for punters to get stuck into. This one comes over 3m.

I think THE CONDITIONAL NB will win this. His comeback run in the Hennessy was really good where he finished third and was entitled to come on for that. He handles soft ground as he proved when winning the Ultima at Cheltenham back in March. I think he’s better than a handicapper and will prove tough to beat in this company.

 

3:35 Ascot

Our final race on an action-packed day comes up at 3:35. It is a wide-open handicap hurdle where the exciting Buzz bids to defy top weight to some intriguing rivals.

I am happy to chance two each way here. The first is KID COMMANDO E/W. He is a horse I’ve always rated highly and he won a decent handicap hurdle here at Ascot on similar ground on his first start of the season. He then went to Haydock up in trip, off top weight on really deep ground and I just don’t think he enjoyed it. He now returns to a track he likes and drops back down to 2m which appears the right move. He’s a lovely e/w price.

I’ll also chance the enigma that is NOT SO SLEEPY E/W. He will either win or come last but if he breaks on terms and gets to the front I can see him going very close. He’s unbeaten here at Ascot and likes the ground on the soft side. He’s a huge price and punters will no their fate early.

 

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