Saturday ITV Racing Tips: Best bets for Ascot and Wetherby

Wetherby has passed a 7am Saturday morning inspection and racing will go ahead for one of track’s most high-profile fixture of the season.

So we have a full card of nine ITV races this afternoon, and we'll start off with a quick run through our tips, with the reasons why we've picked them further down the page. 

If you fancy a punt or two, check out the Planet Sport race centre which will show you all the live odds, racecards and results.

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(Please be aware selections could become non-runners after article's first publication)

 

Saturday's selections:

13:15 (Wetherby) Mount Tempest

13:30 (Ascot) Are U Wise To That

13:50 (Wetherby) Kateira

14:05 (Ascot) Saint Segal

14:25 (Wetherby) Dashel Drasher

15:00 (Wetherby) Ahoy Senor

15:15 (Ascot) Altobelli

15:30 (Wetherby) Alvaniy

15:45 (Ascot) Zhiguli

 

13:15 (Wetherby) Mount Tempest

Mount Tempest returned after a six month break with a second at Newton Abbot in a novice handicap chase. Switches to open company gives him a good chance.

Cruz Control was a useful second on seasonal reappearance. A similar performance would put him firmly in the mix.

Ladronne resumes having finished third attempting a Market Rasen handicap chase prior to a spell, while Gallic Geordie holds each way claims.

 

13:30 (Ascot) Are U Wise To That

Are U Wise To That returned after an absence of eight months producing a success at Warwick in a handicap chase. Returns to novice company with a leading chance.

Hermino AA deserves to sit at the top of the handicap based on form of last season. Impressive winner of a Warwick novice hurdle in March and will be a contender.

Passing Well makes seasonal reappearance. Closed off previous preparation with a fourth at Ayr in a higher graded novice hurdle. Worth considering for a place, along with Scarface.

 

13:50 (Wetherby) Kateira

The most competitive race on the card is unquestionably the Bet365 Mares’ Hurdle.

While it is only a Listed event, there will be worse Grade Twos run this season with Cheltenham winner You Wear It Well, Luccia, Kateira and the mud-lover Stainsby Girl all clashing.

With the potential for You Wear It Well and Stainsby Girl to take each other on for the lead, marginal preference goes to Kateira, with Dan Skelton’s good record at this meeting taken into account.

She is arguably the least exposed, too, and her form against the boys at Aintree when second to Irish Point, with You Wear It Well in behind, is arguably the strongest on offer.

 

14:05 (Ascot) Saint Segal

The five-year-old Saint Segal can begin his season with a win in the valuable Byrne Group Handicap Chase.

Second in a hot race at Doncaster last season, there is every reason to believe he is still filling his frame and there are no question marks about the ground. He reappears following a wind operation.

 

14:25 (Wetherby) Dashel Drasher

Dashel Drasher may have more heart for the battle than Thyme Hill in the Bet365 Hurdle.

Immortal can get punters off to a flyer at Ascot in the Grundon Waste Management Conditional Jockeys’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

A chaser in the making, he caught the eye when second to Authorised Speed on his hurdling debut and chased home another useful Gary Moore type in Givega on his only other outing.

 

15:00 (Wetherby) Ahoy Senor

 

Ahoy Senor is taken to get the better of Bravemansgame in what could turn out to be a stamina-sapping Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.

With conditions set to be much more testing than 12 months ago when Bravemansgame sauntered to victory, he can be taken on with the more resolute galloper in Ahoy Senor.

Lucinda Russell’s charge was still going well in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham when falling on the second circuit and while it was too far out to suggest what may have happened, what can be said is that he was moving well within himself.

Of course, jumping did prove to be his Achilles heel last season, he never looked happy at any stage when well beaten as the 11/10 favourite in this corresponding race, but when he does get it all together he has shown more than once how big his engine is.

He beat the likes of Sounds Russian, Noble Yeats and Protektorat in the Cotswold Chase and then after his Cheltenham fall looked sure to beat Shishkin at Aintree only to be reeled in after the last.

 

15:15 (Ascot) Altobelli

Harry Fry’s Altobelli found things happening a bit too quickly in Grade One company at Aintree but back in calmer waters and on softer ground can back to winning ways in the Seat Unique Handicap Hurdle.

Others to consider include Our Champ, who is bidding for a hat-trick and Rare Middleton, who is well-handicapped on current mark.

 

15:30 (Wetherby) Alvaniy

Alvaniy switches to handicap company after disappointing in a novice hurdle.

Impressive four and a half length winner of a Galway maiden hurdle in early September, so is worth considering.

Rafferty's Return makes his seasonal reappearance after finishing off previous campaign with a fourth at Perth. Cannot be dismissed fresh.

Tiger Jet was racing against tougher competition prior to a summer break and should be of interest dropping in standard.

 

15:45 (Ascot) Zhiguli

Zhiguli comes from the Gary Moore stable (one of his two runners), and the Moore yard has a good record in this race with three winners in the last seven runnings. 

The stable is also having a quiet time, but Zhiguli is very much ground dependent and all his wins have come on soft or heavy going, although he is two pounds above his last winning mark and has yet to win at this level. 

He does have scope to improve, especially as he will relish his preferred going, plus he stays beyond three miles, which is going to be required on this ground ahead of Ascot’s testing uphill finish.

Flegmatik has had a wind operation to help with his breathing, a procedure he has undergone twice before, and both times duly came out and ran well on his return. 

The chief concern about Flegmatik is that he is yet to win at Class 2 and that he remains nine pounds above his last winning mark. Dan Skelton does not have his string firing yet, which suggests that Flegmatik has place claims at best on this occasion.

There are several other promising types in this race and challengers are likely to be the Irish raider Yeah Man and Much Mas. 

However, an each-way bet on Zhiguli to continue the stable’s excellent recent record in the race is the way forward.