Saturday racing tips
ASCOT: 12.40 Just Lucky Sivola, 1.15 Galop De Chasse, 1.50 Iroko, 2.25 STRONG LEADER (NAP), 3.00 Victtorino, 3.35 Dysart Enos.
HAYDOCK: 11.45 Barrowdale, 12.20 Speed Davis, 12.55 Holloway Queen, 1.30 Intimate, 2.05 Famous Bridge, 2.40 Rewired, 3.15 Magical King.
HEREFORD: 11.58 No Questions Asked, 12.28 Goodwin Face, 1.03 Just Loose Change, 1.38 Regatta De Blanc, 2.13 Below The Radar, 2.48 Salt Rock, 3.23 Glancing Jack.
NEWCASTLE: 3.10 Socialist Agenda, 3.47 Mambha, 4.20 Orangesandlemons, 4.55 Startling, 5.30 Lerwick, 6.00 True Promise, 6.30 Alreet Cha, 7.00 Concert Boy.
THURLES: 12.10 Malinas Glory, 12.45 Battle Of Ridgeway, 1.20 Tumuch, 1.55 Dream On Baby, 2.30 Run For Harry, 3.05 Brave Fortune, 3.40 Blue Velvet.
WOLVERHAMPTON: 4.05 Balqaa, 4.40 Magna Gee Gee, 5.15 Safe Idea, 5.45 Take A Pull, 6.15 Alfheim, 6.45 Muscika, 7.15 Darlo Pride, 7.45 My Brother Mike, 8.15 Voltaic.
DOUBLE: Strong Leader and Iroko
Strong Leader can cement his status as Britain’s leading staying hurdler with victory in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
While Olly Murphy’s stable star has not yet managed to run up to his very best form at Cheltenham, he showed everyone what he can do when rounding off last season with a Grade One success in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.
The seven-year-old was cramped odds to pick up where he left off when faced with just three rivals in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury and while an untidy leap two from home will have had odds-on backers sweating, he ultimately asserted to score with something to spare.
Gordon Elliott’s prolific Irish raider The Wallpark is interesting, but faces a huge step up in class, while last year’s Long Walk hero Crambo has a bit to prove on his return after disappointing a couple of times at the end of last season.
The Howden Graduation Chase is a tricky affair, with the vote going to the high-class Iroko.
The Cheltenham Festival-winning hurdler endured a stop-start first season over fences, but showed when winning on his chasing debut at Warwick and when finishing second in a Grade One at Aintree in the spring that he is a quality operator.
He did not do too much wrong when narrowly beaten by Trelawne in a similar race to this on his return at Haydock four weeks ago and is fancied to go one better.
Another trainer firing on all cylinders at the moment is Venetia Williams and it is not too difficult to make a strong case for her Victtorino in the £100,000 Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase.
The six-year-old is only 1lb higher in the weights than when winning this lucrative prize 12 months ago, one of two course and distance victories he has on his CV.
He lost his way slightly in the new year, but a third-place finish on his Coral Gold Cup comeback offered hope that a return to winning ways is not far away.
Victtorino was far from foot-perfect in the jumping department at Newbury, but powered home from an uncompromising position and it would be no surprise to see him raise his game again on his return to a happy hunting ground.
Dysart Enos can bounce back from a first career defeat to land the big betting race of the day, the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle.
Despite having been off the track since January, Fergal O’Brien’s star mare was well fancied for last month’s Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham and travelled strongly before her effort petered out late on.
There was certainly no disgrace in her performance in being beaten three and a half lengths by the winner Burdett Road and three lengths by the runner-up Be Aware, who is again in opposition.
The latter is clearly a big threat again, but Dysart Enos gets a slight pull at the weights for the rematch and given her Greatwood outing was a first in a competitive handicap, she should improve.
Famous Bridge must have every chance of registering back-to-back wins in the Betfred Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase at Haydock.
The eight-year-old has actually won twice at the Merseyside venue and returns in good nick after finishing second to Elvis Mail on his seasonal debut at Kelso.
Trainer Nicky Richards only returned home from a spell in hospital earlier this week after suffering a fall in the gallops, but his team has been in great form in his absence and Famous Bridge looks sure to be involved in the finish.
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