Jumps racing makes a welcome return to Ascot this weekend, with a seven-race card on Saturday that includes a couple of Class 1 Premier Handicaps.
Tote are guaranteeing a bumper £150,000 in the Placepot for it, so our editor has given his selections in an attempt to land the big prize pot.
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Leg 1: 12.55pm
Leg 1 Selections: (7) Immortal
Favourites have won four of the last five renewals of this, so Nicky Henderson’s IMMORTAL could be a wise option to go with in the opener. He’s finished second on both starts over hurdles, notably chasing home the now 133-rated Authorised Speed on soft ground on his hurdles debut. He’s had wind surgery since his last run and Freddie Gordon has one win from one ride for trainer Nicky Henderson, so he looks the safest way to play the opener.
Leg 2: 1.30pm
Leg 2 Selections: (7) Passing Well
Jamie Snowden’s PASSING WELL should relish the soft ground on offer here and he looks to have a big chance of making a winning chase debut. Over hurdles last year, his record on soft ground was two wins in class 4 company, plus an admirable 4th in the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle, so we know the ground will be ideal for him. I expect him to be even better over fences, and it’s also notable that Jonathan Burke has been booked for the ride, who has an impressive 20% strike rate when riding for Jamie Snowden, who is in red-hot form himself currently (three of his last five runners have won).
Leg 3: 2.05pm
Leg 3 Selections: (8) Frere D’Armes (4) Red Rookie
FRERE D’ARMES relished this time of year last season, winning both of his races in November, and he looks a good option in here to make it a winning return to action. His first race over fences last year saw him beat Haddex Des Obeaux, who boosted the form by winning his next two races and is now rated 150 over fences. He then stayed on strongly to win next time out, beating the likes of Aucunrisque and Datsalrightgino, who went on to win Graded honours later that season. He goes well fresh and I’m expecting a big run from him.
The other one I want to side with is RED ROOKIE, for the in-form Emma Lavelle yard. his best efforts have come on softer ground so he should relish conditions on Saturday, and he readily dispatched of Saint Segal when the pair met at Warwick in similar conditions back in March. He disappointed on his last run of the season on unsuitably good ground, but he’s been dropped 1lb in the ratings and he has a good record when fresh, so should go close.
10 To Follow – Tom Aldridge’s Horses To Follow For The 23/24 Jumps Season
The 2023/24 Jumps Season is underway and we’ve got all our team to give their ’10 to follow’ for the NH season. Next up it’s the turn of GG’s chief editor Tom Aldridge to give his selections, which include one he thinks could take on Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup, plus one he…
Wed 25 Oct 2023Leg 4: 2.40pm
Leg 4 Selections: (5) Jango Baie (11) Ten Lengths Tom
It’s interesting that Nico de Boinville has opted to come to Ascot to ride JANGO BAIE rather than head to Wetherby to ride Luccia, so he has to be taken seriously on hurdles debut. The form of his point-to-point runner-up effort has worked out nicely too, with the third home Williethebuilder bolting up on Hurdles Debut and not beaten far in a Grade 2 hurdle last time out. Nicky Henderson has sent five runners to this race in the last eight years – three have won, one was runner-up and the other fell at the first hurdle, so he clearly only sends one’s he fancies. The biggest name he’s sent here was Altior, who we all know went on to win an incredible TEN Grade 1’s. He might not reach Altior’s level, but Nicky Henderson could have another potential future star on his hands here.
I also like TEN LENGTHS TOM, not just because of the name! I was at Sandown for his bumper debut, when he was well beaten by Inthewaterside, but he’s highly thought of in the Paul Nicholls camp and he won on hurdles debut last week. Tom Lacey’s runner made no mistake next time out though, running out a comfortable winner of a bumper at Warwick on soft ground, so he has ideal conditions for his hurdles debut. I would expect him to be thereabouts at the finish and I’m predicting a bright future over hurdles for him.
Leg 5: 3.15pm
Leg 5 Selections: (7) Our Champ (4) Altobelli
Nine of the last ten winners were aged 5 or 6, which would leave just four qualifiers this year – OUR CHAMP, ALTOBELLI, Teddy Blue and Carbon King, and it’s the former two who I want to side with. Our Champ didn’t have the best debut season over hurdles last year, but he’s proved a revelation since joining the Chris Gordon yard, and his performance last time out was hugely impressive. Both wins this season have come on good ground, so it remains to be seen whether he’ll handle the soft ground, but he’s in such good form it would be foolish to leave him out.
Altobelli had an excellent season over hurdles last year, despite only racing three times. He won on debut, but it was his perfromance at Carlisle in February which was most impressive, winning as he liked with a superb front-runnning display. He was last seen finishing 9th in the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at the Aintree Festival, and I would be shocked if he wasn’t in the mix here, providing trainer Harry Fry has him primed on seasonal reappearance.
Leg 6: 3.45PM
Leg 6 Selections: (3) Monbeg Genius (1) Eldorado Allen
I have to admit, there is one I’m very confident with in here, but I am also throwing in one other as a safety bet. The one I’m most confident with is MONBEG GENIUS, whose third-placed effort in the Ultima could hardly have worked out any better. The winner, Corach Rambler, went on to win the Grand National, and the runner-up, Fastorslow, beat Galopin Des Champs to win the Punchestown Gold Cup! There’s nothing like that sort of calibre in here, and having improved for each run over fences last season, I’m expecting him to win this and have a big season ahead.
I think the only danger to him is ELDORADO ALLEN, who is down to his lowest mark since November 2021. When you factor in Freddie Gingell’s 7lb claim, he’s effectively running off a mark of 147, which would be his lowest mark since winning a Grade 2 at the Cheltenham November meeting way back in 2020. He hasn’t won for over 18 months, but the key to him is freshness – his record on the back of a 100+ day break reads 12112 (3/5), with the last of those an admirable runner-up performance behind Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall Chase last year. I’d expect him to run well here, and with that excellent record when fresh, it would be a bit of a shock if he didn’t finish in the top three.
Suggested Placepot
Leg 1 Selections: (7) Immortal
Leg 2 Selections: (7) Passing Well
Leg 3 Selections: (8) Frere D’Armes (4) Red Rookie
Leg 4 Selections: (5) Jango Baie (11) Ten Lengths Tom
Leg 5 Selections: (7) Our Champ (4) Altobelli
Leg 6 Selections: (3) Monbeg Genius (1) Eldorado Allen
16 Lines x 50p = £8
Check out our Weekend Watch podcast, to see who Andrew Mount, Dave Young and Kate Tracey are siding with in all the big action on ITV from Ascot and Wetherby on Saturday:
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