Saturday 18th January 2025
2.15 Ascot: bet365 Handicap Chase: I’ve got four selections this Saturday and the first of them comes from Ascot on the second day of the Berkshire Million Festival this comes within the 2.15 which is a Class 2 handicap chase over two miles and five furlongs. I’m with Flegmatik here for the team of Dan Skelton and Tristan Durrell who takes off three pounds. He’s not been at his best as of late, but as a result of that has slipped to a mark which is effectively five pounds lower than his last winning one when you take the rider’s claim into consideration. That last success came exactly twelve months ago at Kempton where he got the better of subsequent Cheltenham winner Chianti Classico, and if he bounces back to that form he can have a serious say here. Flegmatik – 6/1 (Each-Way)
2.30 Haydock: Sky Bet Peter Marsh Handicap Chase: It’s over to Haydock for my second selection of the day and the 2.30 which is the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase, a Premier Handicap over three miles and a furlong and a half. I struggle to see past the eleven-year-old in Royale Pagaille here who currently heads the betting for Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch. He was last seen when winning back-to-back Grade 1 Betfair Chase’s here and he also has a fine record in this particular contest having won it in 2021 and 2022. He has form figures of 111211 at this track and this really is a track for course specialists. He’s the best horse in the race by a considerable way and I think that he’ll once again take a lot of stopping. Royale Pagaille – 9/4 (Win)
2.50 Ascot: BetMGM Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle: My third selection of the afternoon comes back at Ascot and within the 2.50 which is a Class 2 handicap hurdle that’s contested over a distance of two miles and three and a half furlongs. I’ve come down on the Harry Fry trained Altobelli in this who’s the mount of Bryan Carver. He’s very lightly raced for a seven-year-old but has plenty of ability and solid form at this track, having placed in two competitive handicaps here last season. He returned to the track with a fine second of eight at Doncaster last month, just a length behind the winner, and if he builds on that run here he’s got every chance off just a two-pound higher mark. Altobelli – 5/1 (Each-Way)
3.05 Haydock: Sky Bet Cheltenham Non-Runner No Bet Handicap Hurdle: The concluding selection for myself on the day will come within the 3.05 at Haydock and this is a Class 3 handicap hurdle that’s contested over three miles and half of a furlong. I like Punta Del Este here who’s another for Dan Skelton and this time the mount of Harry Skelton. He ran well here in a competitive handicap back in November when finishing fifth of sixteen and he stayed on in the closing stages that day. That run gave the impression that this step up in trip could bring out further improvement and he’s got course form to his name having won here by twenty-one lengths last December, that run coming on heavy ground. I think that there could be more to come from him and he represents a stable that has a fine record in competitive handicaps. Punta Del Este – 4/1 (Each-Way)
