ITV Racing Tips: Three Saturday Selections From Ascot, Down Royal & Wetherby

A busy day for ITV Racing viewers, with the afternoon bringing jumps from Ascot and Wetherby as well as the Champion Chase from Down Royal and late at night the action from Del Mar and the Breeders' Cup will also be broadcast. Billy Grimshaw has cast his eye over the afternoon's races and has three worth backing...

13:50 Wetherby

The oldest adage in racing is 'back the outsider of three; and I am doing just that with DYSART ENOS here but, dear reader, I swear to you it is not merely lazy tipping and hoping for a boilover. It sounds mad to be taking on the Champion Hurdler in a race like this, back against her own sex, however, with all due respect to her, Golden Aca is only a Champion Hurdler because of a last hurdle error by State Man - I know there are some who say she was finishing with a flourish and would've caught him anyway, but I am not of that opinion - and she also is not a horse who begins her seasons well.

There were plenty who backed her at Cheltenham hoping for a place after trainer Jeremy Scott insisted he had been in a funk in the early season and all her runs needed a line putting through them, but I do wonder if having started sluggishly last campaign she may do the same again here and reach her peak come March again. Most definitely, she will be aiming for the Festival and a defence of her crown so winning here is not of paramount importance.

A pot like this will, however, be the equivalent of the Champion Hurdle for her two rivals and Kateira if back in form could be a nice money spinner for title chasing Dan Skelton this season if back to her best. That's a big if, however, and she has always struck me as a tricky horse to get right. In 2023 she was very impressive but her attitude seemed to worsen last season and she's not a horse I'd want to trust first time out.

Dysart Enos was thought of as a right handicap snip last year before the Greatwood but that never materialised and the rest of the season was flat as a pancake too, however I think this may have been the target for sometime and with race fitness now on her side plus the potential of a change in tactics with such a small field, I like her chances at 6/1 of causing the upset. She was winless last campaign and hardly looked back to her best on the flat at Kempton a month ago, however that was almost certainly a pipe opener with the mare anchored to the rear.

I want Johnny Burke pulling no punches here, blasting off and asking the two other riders to catch him if they can. Hopefully with their fitness and temperament in doubt, they won't be able to.

14:40 Down Royal

With a perfect record at this track and a phenomenal record fresh, I am strong on ENVOI ALLEN to retain this title of the Down Royal Champion Chase in 2025. This horse was of course thought of as the second coming after his Cheltenham bumper success and while he may not quite have reached the heights some expected of him, three Cheltenham Festival wins and a CV litered with Grade 1 wins and placed efforts means he will go down as a legend of the game.

At no track will he be more fondly remembered than here at Down Royal and Henry De Bromhead's charge looks the one to side with to make it six wins from seven starts at this place  His only defeat here came in the 2023 renewal, when attempting to defend the title he won in 2022 and would eventually win back in 2024 when Gerri Colombe just outstayed him before a brilliant season. That was an outstanding performance in defeat and so it is safe to say this horse does not run bad races around Down Royal.

Perhaps father time may have caught up with him but providing he is at 80% I think he has the measure of the horse vying for favouritism with him Spillane's Tower, who flattered to deceive last year after splitting Galopin Des Champs and Fact To File in the John Durkan. I feel he is not in the league of Gerri Colombe or a peak Envoi Allen and may also have bigger targets down the line, whereas we know the Chevely Park veteran will be all out to win this race again.

I'd make Found A Fifty the big danger from Gordon Elliott, a man who farms races up here. The 6/1 is not a bad price about him, however Elliott's team have really needed the run thus far this season and with Found A Fifty stretching to three miles for the first time in this race it looks a stiff task. If he stays without issue I expect him to be in the mix, but that's not guaranteed. Affordale Fury has race fitness on his side but surely needs further and softer ground, while Stellar Story is handed a baptism of fire in open company and is another who'd want the ground a good bit wetter.

15:45 Ascot

I really struggled to pick a winner in the Charlie Hall and saw no value in the odds so have left that one alone, but in the Sodexo Live! Gold Cup at Ascot there is a horse who makes plenty of appeal to me; LE COQ HARDI for Henry De Bromhead. He is just a six year old and while his run in the Kerry National would not inspire too much confidence on the face of it,  watching it back he jumped delightfully and will come on for that appearance in a big field.

I am convinced he was supposed to simply be using that as a cobweb blower and with that now ticked off, this must've been the target his master trainer had in mind. The yard are in flying form and have already had success raiding Britain for big prizes and with good ground most certainly in his favour and a smashing 3lb claimer booked, I think he will win.

TWO FOR GOLD for Kim Bailey rates a big danger to my eye. He is 12 now and carrying 12st, which is top weight in here, but there was loads to like about his last run at the season at this track, where he does his best work, and with a good record fresh and surely this day circled in the calendar for months, he rates a knocking each-way play. 

The Changing Man is the right favourite on the body of his work last season and does look like a horse who is very soon going to win one of these, however I am not in love with the form of Joe Tizzard to start the season and with this lad being a big, gassy animal it wouldn't be a surprise for him to need this first outing of the season. It's a deep race, but I really like the Irish raider.