Horse Racing Tips: Matt Chapman’s Saturday ITV Racing bets at Haydock, Ascot & Kempton

Posted by Admin September 7, 2024 Horse Racing

ITV Horse Racing Tips Today:

13:15 Haydock – Cicero’s Gift
13:35 Ascot – Blue Prince (each-way)
13:50 Haydock – Road To Wembley
14:10 Ascot – Poniros (each-way)
14:25 Haydock – Divine Comedy (each-way)
14:35 Kempton – Lion’s Pride (each-way)
15:00 Haydock – American Affair (each-way)
15:15 Kempton – Vultar (each-way)
15:35 Haydock- Inisherin and Art Power (each-way)

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at the time of publishing but subject to change.

ITV Racing is back Saturday with sport from Haydock, Ascot and Kempton, starting with a Group 3 mile event for three-year-olds and above. This is wide open. There should be some pace to run at with Sparks Fly in the line-up. If we just put down his terrible run at Goodwood due to the fast ground, then it’s easy to give CICERO’S GIFT another chance here for Rossa Ryan and Charlie Hills. The latter’s stable has been a little slow of late. But my selection returned after a lay-off with a fine success at Sandown when the ground was juicy, suggesting he retains all the ability that saw him finish an eye-catching seventh in the 2023 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Lightly raced and might still have more to give.

13:35 Ascot – Blue Prince (each-way)

ITV coverage from Ascot starts here with a 7f handicap. BLUE PRINCE is as high in the handicap as he might be able to go, but he’s in belting form and should give us an each-way run for Dave Evans and David Probert. My hope scored well at Goodwood off 89 and was a fine third at the same track off 93 when last seen. That was behind Qirat, who is a decent sort, and off the same mark here, he should have placed claims at least. Stays this trip well.

Here’s a handicap over 1m6f and another tricky event. ROAD TO WEMBLEY is improving and stays strongly for Richard Hughes. A fine winner in the Racing League when last seen, my selection should go on juicy ground, having spent much of his career on the artificial. He had a good turf run at Newbury, which suggests the green stuff is no issue, and a slight drop in trip will be no issue. Finley Marsh takes the ride.

14:10 Ascot – Poniros (each-way)

Here’s a handicap over 1m4f. I had great hopes for PONIROS at the start of the season and I’ll give him one more go here for Rob Hornby and Ralph Beckett. The Amo Racing inmate started well at Windsor when runner-up and chased home King’s Gambit in the London Gold Cup, which is hot form. After that, the wheels fell off at Royal Ascot and Newmarket last time. The handicapper has only dropped him 1lb, which is harsh for two defeats, suggesting those in power also believe there is still ability there. I’ll have a few quid on each-way.

14:25 Haydock – Divine Comedy (each-way)

Now, a competitive handicap in the Old Borough Cup over 1m6f. DIVINE COMEDY has shot up the handicap in his last two runs, but he’s a strong stayer at this distance and has a lovely win at this track on soft ground, which suggests he has a solid each-way chance. The Ascot Stakes runner-up was last seen at York when fifth in a staying handicap behind Extensio. The ground might have been faster than ideal. He might have raced closer to the pace than ideal. Eachway claims under Kaiya Fraser, who takes off 5lb.

14:35 Kempton – Lion’s Pride (each-way)

Now we go to Kempton and up in class here for the Group 3 September Stakes over 1m4f. Hamish is a class act, but I’m not confident about him on this surface. The each-way hope is LION’S PRIDE, who has good Kempton form at this trip and wasn’t disgraced at Goodwood last time even though last of five in a race I don’t think would have suited him—Kieran Shoemark rides for John & Thady Gosden.

A handicap over 5f. AMERICAN AFFAIR has been very consistent lately and should be bang there again for Amie Waugh, who takes off 5lb, and Jim Goldie. My selection goes with cut in the ground, which has recently scored in big fields at Thirsk and Musselburgh. Two recent runs on faster ground suggest he remains in good form. One to to take a chance on each-way.

15:15 Kempton – Vultar (each-way)

A handicap over 1m. Helm Rock would have been interesting here from a good draw. But he’s out wide. VULTAR could be overpriced for Kieran Shoemark and Clive Cox. My selection loves this surface and wasn’t disgraced at Southwell in a competitive Racing League event last time. He ran well here, off 91 in April, and is now 1lb lower. So, on that basis, I’ll chance a few quid each-way from a good draw.

Now for the big race of the day in the Group 1 Sprint Cup over 6f. We are still learning about INISHERIN, and knowing what conditions suit him best is hard. However, he bolted up on soft here in Sandy Lane, and it’s easy to think that those conditions suit him best as a horse who stays strong on this trip. It was much faster when he landed the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, although the form of that race might not be the strongest of all time. He rallied late in the July Cup when just behind Art Power. At his best, I think the 2000 Guineas 6th is a class above this lot. Art Power is not a bad each-way bet if you want to chance something at long odds. Inisherin goes for Kevin Ryan and Tom Eaves.