Our form expert has three selections in the handicaps for Saturday's ITV Racing at Ascot.
The Verdict: Saturday February 15
1pt win Jilaijone in 1.15 Ascot at 14/1 (General)
1pt e.w Jour d’Evasion in 2.25 Ascot at 14/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win Terresita in 3.00 Ascot at 8/1 (bet365, 7/1 General)
Terre vision in the Swinley
Lucy Wadham has won some good prizes with her best mares in recent months and she could well hit the headlines again at Ascot on Saturday with TERRESITA in the Betfair Swinley Handicap Chase.
The Newmarket handler landed the mares’ handicap chase at Cheltenham’s December meeting with Game On For Glory and earlier this month her Telepathique made all for a Listed mares’ chase success at Huntingdon in good style.
Terresita got in on the act herself with a big win at this track last month, staying on strongly from off the pace to win the bet365 Handicap Chase emphatically from Hitman, a horse who was second in the Grade 2 Denman Chase last weekend, and the 6lb hike might not stop her following up.
A full-sister to O’Connell, who stays a trip very well as he showed at Sandown early this month, this step back up in trip to three miles looks likely to unlock further improvement in the eight-year-old who is in the form of her life.
She benefitted from a strongly-run race here last time, but I don’t think they’ll be hanging around here and I like her proven zip for 2m4f on ground that looks lively enough for the time of year against a field of dyed-in-the-wool stayers.
The key, as ever, is her price, with anything 7/1 or bigger looking very fair for an in-form horse who has the potential to be even better now she tackles a trip again.
Annsam was also on the shortlist after he was tenderly handled on his chasing return at this track last time out, but he has been very well backed and is one of the reasons why we're getting inflated odds about Terresita.
The Verdict: Back TERRESITA in the 3.00 Ascot
Let’s dance to Jour d’Evasion
Earlier on, the Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle is a cracking race and cases can be made for plenty, but the 14/1 about Henry Daly's JOUR D'EVASION makes most appeal.
Daly has an excellent record in handicaps at this meeting, his record since 2019 reading 2-3-1-1-2-2, the winners going off 7/1 and 14/1 while the placed horses were 16/1, 4/1, 18/1 and 16/1.
Jour d’Evasion takes a step up in class here and gets in towards the bottom of the weights, but he looks well worth a roll of the dice against better opposition while he’s improving and so unexposed at the trip.
The son of Cokoriko stepped up to an intermediate trip for just the second time in his career at Hereford last time and he put in by far the best performance of his career, jumping beautifully on the front end as he comfortably galloped away from Santos Blue.
That horse franked the form in style at Newbury last weekend, albeit when stepping up to three miles, and there’s every chance Jour d’Evasion gets the run of things out in front again here under David Bass (8 from 38 at 21% for the trainer).
With most bookies going four places (Sky Bet offer five if you’re prepared to take a small hit on the price), he looks good each-way business on ground he’ll like.
The Verdict: Back JOUR D’EVASION in the 2.25 Ascot
Pipe up in the Ascot opener
Finally, David Pipe’s JILAIJONE looks worth siding with in the opening Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle over three miles at Ascot.
The six-year-old has mainly been campaigned over two miles or 2m3f but he bounded clear from his rivals over 2m4f at Uttoxeter last time after being ridden cold off a fierce pace.
He won by 21 lengths as he liked and it strongly suggested he wants a test of stamina to be seen at his best, so I like this hike in trip to three miles.
The handicapper raised him 8lb which asks a new question of him, but he’s totally unexposed at this staying trip and it could be the making of him.
New Found Fame, beaten over 30 lengths by Jilaijone, boosted the Uttoxeter form when coming out and winning at Bangor last week, while Pipe, who has had plenty of success at this meeting over the years, won this race two years ago with Thomas Mor.
I think Jilaijone will be just fine on the better ground and Freddie Mitchell takes off 5lb, so there’s plenty in his favour at double-figure prices.
The Verdict: Back JILAIJONE in the 1.15 Ascot
Preview posted at 1530 GMT on 14/02/25
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