The horse racing broadcaster offers up his best bets for Saturday's racing, including tips for the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase and the Lanzarote Hurdle.
Once again, racing on Saturday will need a little help from the weather, with the two meetings that provide the bulk of the 10 race ITV4 coverage – Warwick and Kempton – both facing 14:00 inspections on Friday afternoon to assess the impact of Storm Goretti.
At Kempton, the two feature races are both named after top-class horses. Dual King George winner Silviniaco Conti gives his name to the main chase of the day, so it would give particular pleasure to his trainer Paul Nicholls if this could be the launch point for KALIF DU BERLAIS / (14:40 Kempton) to get his season back on track after his defeat in the Haldon Gold Cup. Widely touted as a Champion Chase candidate, he had his colours lowered in no uncertain terms by Thistle Ask, but such has been the progress of that horse this season that he undoubtedly faced a tougher task than it seemed at the time. Once again, he has been well found in the market, but in terms of potential it would be a major blow if he were to suffer another reverse here. It may also open the prospect of a tilt at the Ryanair rather than taking on Il Etait Temps in the Queen Mother.
The feature hurdle on the Kempton card is the Lanzarote, named after the Champion Hurdler who won all eight of his starts at the Sunbury track. It is a particularly competitive renewal and will be a case of working out which horse is still ahead of their mark after the handicapper has taken hefty swipes at a few following impressive victories. That list includes LANESBOROUGH / (15:17 Kempton), who has been raised a stone for his demolition of a field at Doncaster. He was very well backed that day and cruised home, and whilst this represents a step up in grade, he appealed at the beginning of the season as a horse to follow. French Ship is another who has had a great season and won with a bit in hand at Newbury last time, but his mark of 146 sees him give a fair bit of weight away, and the big field will be a challenge for the promising Callum Pritchard to negotiate. A Pai De Nom is another who arrives here in good form for Dan Skelton, who has won this race for the last two seasons and has been targeting the valuable prizes this campaign in his quest to be Champion Trainer. Harry Skelton comes here rather than Warwick, but the horse may just lack the class of a couple.
Earlier on the card, the flatter track and drop back to 3m should suit THE DOYEN CHIEF / (14:05 Kempton), who curled up in the closing stages at Cheltenham last time. A strong travelling horse, he won over course and distance here last March, and if delivered late by Tom Bellamy, this looks a good opportunity in a race that actually looks shallow for the grade.
Over at Warwick, the feature race is the Classic Chase – a handicap over 3m 5f – where it seems to have been set up nicely for MYRETOWN / (14:55 Warwick) to make up for his capsize at Newbury. He had got into a good rhythm that day, so it was a surprise to see him crash out. He had spread eagled the field at the Festival in the Ultima, and his run style looks ideal for Warwick, where there are seven fences in the last mile and quite a sharp turn into the straight, making it hard to make ground. The presence of L’Homme Presse keeps several out of the weights, but Venetia Williams’ classy chaser cannot afford to hit the flat spot he did at Cheltenham with the configuration of this track. The more the emphasis is on speed, the better for Myretown, as he will face competition for the lead from the admirable stayer Mr Vango, but that rival does nothing quickly, and Myretown looks to have too many gears.
Elsewhere at Warwick, another Doyen could be on the mark via DOYEN QUEST / (13:52 Warwick), who possibly set too merry a gallop at Sandown under an aggressive ride when unable to repel the classy Salver up the hill. The way he flew the fences in the back straight that day bodes well for the back straight here, and he can give Tristan Durrell yet another Saturday winner.
He can follow up on TRANQUIL SEA / (15:32 Warwick) in the Pertemps Qualifier. Tranquil Sea has already qualified for the final via his second at Market Rasen but, rated just 123, would not be certain to get in. This represents the ideal opportunity to ensure participation in the final by winning, and he was unsuited by the way the race developed at Cheltenham last time – getting outpaced and looking to finish with running left. Lud’or and Green Book should ensure a reasonable gallop, he can be ridden a little closer, and he appeals as one of the bets of the day.
That had also been the case with SEA WARRIOR / (14:25 Warwick) at Wincanton last week before the weather intervened, and he has another opportunity to show that he is well handicapped in a big field for the 2m handicap hurdle. This does look a tougher assignment, so the stakes have been reduced, but he came down through no fault of his own last time at the Somerset track and had looked in need of the run when third at Exeter, returning from a 384-day absence. Let’s hope this time the weather plays ball!
Visit Betway’s horse racing betting page.
