Timeform TV Focus: ITV racing tips for Ascot and Wetherby on Saturday

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Wetherby

1.15 1 pt – 5 William Cody

Choosethenews and Kings Threshold are both quite interesting horses going forward but less so faced with this sort of test, both likely to prove better over further, and William Cody looks a value alternative at a bigger price. A consistent sort, the form of his second in this race on his reappearance last year worked out tremendously well, four of the field winning handicaps on their next start and no fewer than six going on to win more than once later in the season. William Cody was second a further four times last season, as well as winning a small-field race at Leicester in March and, while he’s effective on heavy ground, these less testing conditions are no problem as a strong-travelling type – indeed, he should be better equipped to deal with this test than most.

1.50 No Bet Advised

This is a weaker renewal of this listed hurdle than the one in which Luccia finished second last season and it really does look an excellent opportunity for her to make a winning reappearance. She showed even better form afterwards in 2023/24, including a fine third in the Champion Hurdle, which gives her a fair bit in hand over these rivals, and speed-favouring conditions should provide the ideal platform for her to perform somewhere close to her best.

2.22 1 pt – 7 Kateira

This is trappy to say the least with five of the seven returning from absences. In the circumstances, it could pay to keep things simple and side with Kateira, who not only tops the Timeform ratings but also represents a trainer in Dan Skelton who was won two of the last four renewals of this race. Kateira remains lightly raced, having had just eight starts in her two seasons over timber, and her win in a handicap at Aintree last April is high-end form that suggests she’s well up to this level. It’s not at all out of the question that she can improve a bit more this time around, and while her stamina for three miles isn’t absolutely assured – she rather had the finish run out of her when turned over at odds on on her sole try at Kempton just under a year ago - this should make for a relative test of speed at the trip.

2.58 1 pt – 4 Conflated

Conflated is rising 11 and hasn’t won since 2022, but he’s largely kept very tough company and it’s certainly arguable that he produced two efforts last season – namely what would’ve been a third behind Galopin des Champs and Fastorslow but for a final-fence unseatin the Irish Gold Cup and a second to Jonbon in the Melling – better than anything odds-on favourite Bravemansgame managed in the same period. Conflated didn’t get very far at all at Punchestown on his recent comeback, but he slipped on landing that day rather than making a jumping error, and if he gets back somewhere near the best form he showed in 2023/24 then he’s more than capable of winning a Charlie Hall short on potential improvers following the withdrawal of Grey Dawning.

3.32 1 pt – 1 Spirits Bay (NON-RUNNER)

Spirits Bay is one of just two in this field lacking a recent run, but it’s unlikely he’ll be lacking much for fitness, and he embarks on his second season over hurdles with potential intact. He didn’t do much wrong in the first one, winning a novice at Exeter in February before following up in a handicap at the same track (when decisively beating a next-time winner into second) the following month, and was quite a lot better than the result when down the field in a novice handicap at Newbury on his final outing. It’s true that this has the scope to be a muddling race, with little obvious pace on, and that could count against Spirits Bay considering his tendency to go freely, but at the price it’s worth taking the chance he can overcome that.

Ascot

1.30 1 pt – 5 Leader In The Park

This is almost always an interesting race of its type, though it can suffer from small fields when the ground isn’t on the soft side, as is the case this year. For us, the two most likely winners are Leader In The Park and Bhaloo and, whilst choosing between the pair isn’t easy, the former is perhaps the likelier of the two to make a significantly better chaser than hurdler. He’s certainly very much a chaser on looks and came home a wide-margin winner of his sole start in Irish points before changing hands for a cool £250,000. Two of Ben Pauling’s four chasing debutants in October were successful and it’s probably significant that Leader In The Park is starting off over fences in a race such as this when he could just as easily be aimed at a lower-grade affair at a lesser course.

2.05 1 pt – 1 Master Chewy

Maybe there’s not much in the price but Master Chewy does have a lot going for him in this, not least that he hails from a stable that’s flying and will almost certainly be fully tuned up for his return. A rather frustrating maiden hurdler, Master Chewy took to chasing extremely well last season, winning twice and ending his campaign with a career-best close second to Found A Fifty in the Grade 1 Maghull at Aintree. As a result, he starts his second season over fences from a lofty BHA mark of 154, but it’s not as if he’s returning in a handicap full of potentially well-treated sorts and, all things considered, Master Chewy just looks a really solid option.

3.15 1 pt – 7 Rightsotom

In contrast to the 2.05, plenty of these could be ahead of their marks. It’d be easy to make solid cases for such as Fiercely Proud, Secret Squirrel and Break My Soul, all 5-y-os from strong yards that are unexposed as handicappers, but it’s another from the same age group that appeals as potentially best treated of the lot. Admittedly, Rightsotom hasn’t been seen for eighteen months, but that absence is built into his price, his juvenile form so strong that he surely could have been allotted a higher opening handicap mark than 126. Formerly trained by Thomas Mullins, Rightsotom was set notably stiff tasks on just the second and third outings of his career and shaped with bags of promise in the circumstances when sixth behind Lossiemouth in the Triumph and fourth to Zenta in the Anniversary at Aintree. He then landed the odds with plenty to spare in a maiden at Cork and returns here for the in-form Joe Tizzard yard after a year and a half off. Maybe the lack of competitive action will find out in such a strongly-contested affair, but at the prices we feel it’s worth taking the chance it won’t.

3.45 1 pt – 5 Our Power (NON-RUNNER)

Our Power was successful in this race a couple of years ago on his first start for seven months and there’s enough in his price to back him to repeat the feat after an even longer absence. He was seen out just twice last season, having a pipe-opener over hurdles in advance of the Coral Cup but failing to get much past halfway at Newbury, still in mid-field when coming down. The chances are he’ll be as close to peak fitness as the yard can have him ahead of this return, Sam Thomas responsible for 3 winners and plenty more placed ones from less than a dozen runners over the last three weeks, and the highly competent claimer Dylan Johnston takes off a valuable 3 lb.

Down Royal

2.40 No Bet Advised

Even at the age of 10 Envoi Allen ought to go well in this race again, turning over an Elliot-trained odds-on favourite when winning this race two years ago and beaten only a neck by Gerri Colombe in it last year. The trouble is, not only is he another year older but he’d already had a run last autumn which he hasn’t this time around, and Gerri Colombe’s star has ascended further since then, finishing a fine second in the Gold Cup before going one better in the Bowl at Aintree. He might not even have to get particularly near his Gold Cup form to win this, and we’re in no rush to take him on, even at a general 8/13.

You can access the TV Focus selections and rationale at 5pm the evening before racing for £7.50 on the Timeform website

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