ITV Racing Tips: Four Picks On Busy Saturday Of Action
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14:22 Wetherby - West Yorkshire Hurdle
After beating Paul Nicholls for the first time in the trainers' championship leaderboard last season, Dan Skelton's elation was quickly squished by the rampant Irish champion Willie Mullins deciding he also fancied the British trainers' title to add to his collection. Skelton will have always thought if he can beat Nicholls, he'd have bagged the crown but that's not how things panned out and as such, he must go again in 2024/25. The team could not have started better, absolutely flying out of the traps with impressive winners galore and another horse I think will claim glory in a big Saturday race for the Skeltons is KATEIRA.
She was last seen scooping a competitive handicap at Aintree to cap off a decent campaign last year, and although we have to get past the fact she blew out at this very meeting last year I'm willing to ignore that considering the bullishness of her team and the flying form they're in. Dan Skelton was purring about her chances when asked by RacingTV about his Saturday team and he stated he's always thought she'll improve for three miles.
There are plenty of exposed types in here and none have anything like the upside of the mare, so providing she is as fit and well as most of her stablemates seem to be I can see Harry Skelton cruising to glory on board before whacking out the airplane celebration. Dashel Drasher is the one I'd fear most if he gets the lead and looks on a going day, but I can't see any of these troubling Kateira providing she brings that Aintree form or better, and that includes Paul Nolan's Irish raider Sandor Clegane who I imagine is just having a freshen up back over hurdles here with headgear on. He'll struggle to give weight to the mare, as will the rest of the field.
14:40 Down Royal - Ladbrokes Champion Chase
The Irish season has its biggest race of the season so far on Saturday afternoon at Down Royal, and with the 2022 winner and 2023 winner clashing once more, Billy has penned a full preview of the five runner contest...
14:58 Wetherby - Charlie Hall Chase
As well as a full race preview of Down Royal's big race a few moments earlier, Billy has also given us the full lowdown on the Charlie Hall at Wetherby along with a recommended bet!
15:45 Ascot - Sodexo Live! Gold Cup
This looks a very competitive handicap indeed and the obvious starting point is Cheltenham winner Chianti Classico, who clearly warrants massive respect on the back of that impressive Ultima win and then a good fourth behind an exceptional JP winner, a very good JP horse in second that day and indeed Heart Wood who has franked the form by winning this campaign, He has the burden of top weight in here but connections seemingly think he is a graded horse and it would be no surprise were he to go close. At 5/2 though, I can leave him be.
As I've mentioned earlier in this piece, team Skelton can do no wrong it seems and while Harry is up at Wetherby, Dan's two runners in here Flegmatik and Mylesfromwicklow warrant a second look. I'd be siding with the latter in a match bet as he looks more progressive and a 1lb rise in the weights for a good second last time out looks lenient, but neither make it into the staking plan this time.
The horse I will be siding with is OUR POWER off looks a seriously lenient mark on his best form. Sam Thomas produced an utterly masterful performance with Iwilldoit, the 2021 Welsh National hero who had over a year off before returning to scoop the Classic Chase at Warwick last season and so clearly he knows how to prime his horses off a mammoth absence. It has been 11 months since we saw Our Power last, falling at Newbury in the Coral Gold Cup, but prior to that he'd looked a very promising sort and while nine now and o spring chicken, I reckon he can get in the mix here off just 143. He'll do for me as a confident each-way bet to wrap up the British action on Saturday before all our televisions switch stateside!