ITV Racing Tips: Billy Grimshaw’s Best Bets For Saturday’s Action

ITV Racing tips are back on the agenda for Saturday 9 May, with the cameras heading to Lingfield, Ascot and Haydock for a varied afternoon on the Flat and over jumps. Billy Grimshaw has a pick at each track, with his strongest fancy in Haydock's Swinton Hurdle...

13:15 Haydock - Swinton Handicap Hurdle

Haydock's sole representative race on the ITV Racing card is the Swinton Hurdle and with the ground expected to be rattling fast for jumpers, finding something with some summer form could be the way to play the race. TELLHERTHENAME heads the market after being heavily backed only to withdraw in the Scottish Champion Hurdle up at Ayr last month and try as I might, I just could not get away from him for the all conquering Skelton team. His fast finishing effort in the County at Cheltenham on stable debut, when given no chance due to the pace bias for frontrunners at this year's Festival, reads well and the hood here indicates he is all systems go to win. 

The reigning champion jumps trainer has begun this fledgling season in similar style to how he finished the 2025/26 campaign, with bucketloads of winners and off a mark of just 133 it is very tough to oppose this horse on his best form both in the past and indeed in the County last time out. Gibbs Island for Tom Lacey is probably the correct second favourite and may give us the most worry, however although he finished a position ahead of Tellherthename in the aforementioned County it was a schmozzle to the line behind the winner and the traffic Tellherthename hit was certainly more impactful. The favourite also gets a swing in the weights here compared to at Cheltenham.

This race is another big field handicap so Harry Skelton will have to keep his mount out of trouble, as they didn't manage at Prestbury Park, but Ayr winner and subsequently disqualified Laafi will ensure the race is run at an honest clip from the front, which will suit the strong travelling Tellherthename. As boring as it is to back a Skelton favourite in races like this, it is profitable and he is the NAP of the day.

13:28 Lingfield - Oaks Trial

Not since Anapurna in 2019 has a filly won this and gone on to claim The Oaks at Epsom, and truth be told I think that record will stretch to eight years this season, but this should still be an informative renewal and there are plenty in with a squeak. Bloom and Cameo look much of a muchness to me from Ballydoyle, barring a wide margin win here it's hard to imagine either will become the stable's number one Oaks filly. The prices are a bit further apart (3/1 plays 9/2 at the time of writing) than I'd make it although I suppose for Cameo that is the Ryan Moore tax. 

Both have done most of their running on ground with give in it, which they certainly won't encounter at Lingfield on Saturday, and so I am happy to take them on. Romantic Symphony was impressive when winning a Kempton novice last time out, doing all her best work late, but I was also very impressed with PRIZELAND'S latest performance when bolting in by eight lengths at this track. Perhaps that race was not quite as strong as the favourite's, but at 11/2 while the Godolphin market leader is 6/4 there is only one wide margin winner last time out I'd consider backing.

A small worry could be that Prizeland has predominantly raced on the all-weather but she is bred to love quick ground and certainly looks the type who can skim off a fast surface. I'm hoping David Probert is patient on his filly and trusts that she has the requisite speed to blow past this field, as if she is played late I can see her troubling the favourite, who I presume William Buick will try to make plenty of use off from the front.

14:20 Ascot - Victoria Cup

Hickory returns to defend his Victoria Cup crown in 2026 but is 11lbs higher in the weights, which rules him out for me and indeed for the odds compilers judging by his price. You always need more than a large dollop of luck to win straight handicaps at Ascot and whenever you think you have cracked which side of the draw will be advantaged this time, the Gods slap you in the face with a 1-2-3 from the other side. That being said, looking at the shape of this race I do think those drawn high will have a better pace to aim at with both Ten Pounds and Yorkshire in the high 20s. Whether that'll help me find the winner, I won't know until after the race finishes, but that is where I was selecting my shortlist from.

Mudbir is probably the right favourite from stall 19 given his stalking victory at Goodwood last season and with Oisin Murphy booked, but 6/1 in a race like this doesn't tickle my fancy and instead I'll go for the horse drawn two places along from him in 21, the aptly named COMPLETELY RANDOM for the Charlton team. Kaiya Fraser is making quite the impression so far this season and is booked to take the ride which I am taking as a big positive, although she will have to employ almost polar opposite tactics to those she used to such great effect to win Chester's opening race on Adonius if she is to get Completely Random in the mix here.

He is a real hold up horse which I am hoping is the perfect recipe for success given his draw and even though a mark of 100 is stiff enough, given the shape of the race and his 20/1 price I'll take my chances. Of the rest I will be cursing if Witch Hunter wins again here as I will not be backing him, while Defence Minister looked very smart last time out but his draw in one and price of 8/1 was enough to put me off.