Enda McElhinney offers up three selectons for Saturday’s action, all of which come from the Berkshire Winter Million at Ascot.
Six meetings are scheduled to take place on Saturday across the UK and Ireland. There is an early-morning all-weather card from Lingfield, the four afternoon jumps meetings come from Ascot, Haydock, Navan and Taunton and the evening all-weather action comes from Wolverhampton.
We have three Saturday selections, including a course-specialist representing Venetia Williams over fences at Ascot.
Selections
Martator @ 7/2 (Ascot 14:15)
Moveit Like Minnie e/w @ 14/1 (Ascot 14:50)
Jonbon @ 8/13 (Ascot 15:32)
Make it Martator at Ascot
MARTATOR is considered one of the best bets of the day when contesting the Class 2 ten-runner 2m5f Handicap Chase from Ascot at 14:15, representing Venetia Williams, with the 3lb-claiming jockey Ned Fox back in the saddle.
The eight-year-old was far from disgraced when third of seven in a better race at Kempton over Christmas, and there are strong reasons for optimism on this occasion, stepping back up in trip and returning to Ascot.
There is a dry forecast and the ground has already improved to officially good to soft, good in places.
The selection is 4-5 on good ground, 3-5 in this grade, 3-3 on this course and 1-1 over this distance. He won comfortably by 11-lengths over 2m1f at this venue on his penultimate start in November, and Fox’s claim negates some of the 11lb rise that he had to contend with when lining up in the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Handicap Chase at Kempton subsequently.
Massive Minnie underrated for the Twiston-Davies’
MOVEIT LIKE MINNIE has likeable each-way claims when contesting the 14-runner Class 2 extended 2m3f Handicap Hurdle from Ascot at 14:50, representing Nigel Twiston-Davies with Sam Twiston-Davies continuing in the saddle.
Twiston-Davies trained the winner of this race through Ballmoy in 2019, and the market prefers Josh The Boss from his two runners now, but we are more than happy to take the bigger odds on son Sam’s mount.
The selection is 7-22 on a combination of good and good to soft ground, goes well at this time of year, has won over the intermediate distance and has more to offer than when a good fourth of 18 over a shorter trip at this venue last month.
The eight-year-old features off a mark only marginally above a winning one and his midfield running style is considered ideal on this occasion with plenty of pace angles to set the race up for him.
Jonbon five-timer
Finally, JONBON is the one to beat when contesting the four-runner Grade 1 2m1f Clarence House Chase from Ascot, representing Nicky Henderson with Nico de Boinville bidding to enhance his 7-7 record on the gelding.
The nine-year-old arrives on a five-timer with an official rating of 170. His main formbook and market rival, Energumene, is rated 169.
The Willie Mullins inmate ran second to Shishkin in a thrilling running of this contest in 2022, and a reproduction of that level of form should ensure another classic contest between the star representatives from the two leading jumping yards in Ireland and Britain.
The younger Jonbon is preferred based on his excellent run of recent form, whereas Energumene does have to step up on the bare form of his reappearance success after a 593-day absence at Cork last month when he won the Grade 2 Hilly Way Chase.
Visit Betway’s horse racing betting page.
