ITV Racing Tips: Saturday Selections For Jumps and Flat

Chester has had its week in the limelight as the May meeting is now over and Saturday's ITV Racing card has something for everyone, with the Swinton at Haydock thrown in with action at Ascot and Lingfield on the level. Billy Grimshaw has a couple of each-way plays on the day...

13:35 Haydock

This'll be fast and furious as the Swinton is every season and while I am partial to backing a frontrunner, the fact there are at least five in here who have made all before and there could be a ridiculously fierce race to get in front, I will be siding with a hold up horse. Givemefive is the one I suspect who will eventually win the battle for the lead, as he literally won't stop until he's in front regardless of rivals and as such every other jockey will eventually succumb or blow their chance, but as I said I can't see the pacesetters holding on here and the one I'll side with to mow them all down late is GOBLET OF FIRE for Nicky Henderson and James Bowen.

Hendo is the master of these speedy two milers, be that over fences or hurdles, and quick ground looks to be the key to this Saxon Warrior gelding as all his best form has come when good is in the description. I live some 15 minutes from Haydock and the weather has been positively glorious all week, with that looking set to continue on Saturday so there's no debate over whether he'll get the desired surface to race on and with Goblet Of Fire showing his quickening pace to win at Hereford last time out, I quite fancy him to be able to pinch this one.

Our Champ is a tremendously likeable horse and one I don't discount, especially not for a place given his consistency, but he also likes to race prominently and I can just see him using his energy up at the inopportune moments as he did at Cheltenham a few starts back. There are chances aplenty of course in a race that is 6/1 the field, but the more I looked at Goblet Of Fire the more I liked him so he rates my best jumps bet of the day.

14:40 Ascot - Victoria Cup

It's taken all my willpower not to blindly follow a real cliff horse of mine again in here in Witch Hunter, so it'll be sod's law if this is the day he goes in, but Richard Hannon's runner has top weight to contend with here and a draw right on the wing so I can give him a miss. He's also developed a bad habit of missing the kick a bit, so begrudgingly he's off my staking plan, and I'm also ditching a horse who did me a favour in last week's ITV Racing column in Myal, who I think will attempt to make all but be run down as Ascot is a stiff old test.

Fear not though, I am backing a cliff horse in the 2025 Victoria Cup as although he is winless since, ENGLISH OAK'S Royal Ascot handicap win impressed me so much last season I can't leave him out back over C&D and with man of the moment after his Guineas double William Buick booked to ride. He is winless in five since that day which is a worry but for three of those runs he was running in Class 1 races and perhaps just isn't that good, while his flop at Ascot on Champions Day can be excused due to the soft conditions. I wasn't expecting much on his reappearance at Haydock a fortnight ago and he duly finished nine lengths off the winner, but I'll put that down as a prep run for fitness and if I'm correct he must be in the mix here at double figures.

He was drawn high at the Royal meeting and is low here today but Ascot can be muddling in terms of draw bias and there is at least pace around him to aim at here which is a positive, so while it's a bit of a leap of faith that being back over C&D on similar going is what it'll take to spark him back to form, if he is anything like as good as he was last June he should be right in the mix and at double figure odds he is another I will be backing confidently each-way. Hopefully the each-way double of my two picks at least yields some profit as I'll be playing it myself.