Find out who caught Matt Brocklebank's eye in the Grand Sefton and which 50/1 chance could be lurking on a dangerous mark in a quality Haydock handicap later this month.
One more Ask for red-hot chaser?
Harry Skelton put it down to his brother Dan’s “brave” campaigning, others may suggest he caught Kalif Du Berlais and JPR One feeling a bit rusty on their first day back at big-school.
But the official handicappers can only rate what they see on the track, and Thistle Ask has been dealt another meaty enough rise for his seven-length victory over Saint Segal from 5lb out of the weights in last week’s Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter.
Winner of a handicap chase off 108 on his final run for James Ewart, the eight-year-old is now right up to 144 following a front-running hat-trick since joining the Skeltons in summer and you’d imagine in that yard’s grand plan for finally landing a deserved first trainers’ championship come next April it could be a case of job done with this horse.
He’s hit a rich vein of form, clearly, but his profile suggests he doesn’t want to be facing extremes of going and he’s surely deserved some time on the bench before being called upon later into the year.
A race like the Red Rum at Aintree could really play to his strengths but that feels a long way off and would anything really be that surprised to see him line up in next Saturday’s Castello Banfi Hurst Park Handicap at Ascot?
His name appeared among the list of acceptors published this week and Skelton also has L’eau Du Sud, Calico, Etalon and Shakeyatailfeather among the potential field for the two-mile, one-furlong contest.
I’m sure the recent rain would be music to Harry Fry’s ears as he’s entered up the exciting Gidleigh Park who was nudged up to 155 after chasing home Impaire Et Passe in the Manifesto at Aintree towards the end of last season. He still retains top-class potential and while this sort of trip could be a minimum for him this year, he showed two miles on soft ground to be no issue when beating Caldwell Potter at Windsor’s Winter Million meeting.
Recent Ascot winner Teddy Blue (raised 4lb to 135) and second Gabriel’s Getaway (effectively up another 2lb having been 7lb wrong last time) are also in the mix for the Hurst Park, along with Fry's dual former winner Boothill, who tops the weights off 157, and Paul Nicholls’ recent Elite Hurdle winner Rubaud, whose chase mark of 149 remains in line with his rating over the smaller obstacles.
Lion comes quietly onto the radar
On the same Saturday as Ascot, Haydock will take centre stage with their Betfair Chase card and the Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle is traditionally a fine race for throwing up all sorts of future winners, including the odd star like Sam Spinner and Paisley Park – that pair winning consecutive renewals when defying 139 and 147 in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
The rain has obviously arrived in time and Haydock have been rewarded with a healthy-looking 46 initial entries, the weights currently headed by Nicky Henderson’s Impose Toi, who went up 5lb for his Pertemps Qualifier success at Aintree last weekend and would need to better those subsequent Grade 1 winners in order to defy his 153 figure.
He’s around 10/1 in the antepost market which is dominated by 4/1 shot Ma Shantou from the Paisley Park yard of Emma Lavelle.
Second to Celtic Dino in a Wincanton maiden before winning a couple of novice events en route to finishing seventh behind Jasmin De Vaux in the Albert Bartlett at the Festival in March, Ma Shantou justified decent support when winning comfortably up under Harry Cobden in a Pertemps Qualifier at the Showcase meeting last month (good ground, replay below).
He’s up 9lb to 138 but is proven on a testing surface too and looks highly progressive with that Graded form in the book from his novice season.
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits
Willie Mullins is 0-2 in Britain so far this season but his name appears in a major Saturday handicap for the first time here courtesy of Chart Topper, pulled-up in the Ma Shantou race on October 25 when last seen, while his nephew Emmett – who has previous in this event having won it when beating Willie’s Fine Margin with Slate Lane in 2023 and saddled last year’s fifth Backmersackme – could have two starters.
Backmersackme could return but is on a 5lb higher mark 12 months on despite not adding to his tally in either code since, although he did shape well when second to Three Card Brag over fences at Cheltenham last month.
Further down the weights, stablemate Chance Another One has been given a 1lb lower mark after a disappointing effort in ninth when sporting a first-time hood in Cheltenham’s Pertemps Qualifier. He’s generally 25/1 having been a well-backed 6/1 last time and might be worth another chance.
At double that price (50/1 standout with bet365), Kingbel Du Lion is absolutely fascinating for Venetia Williams and the Riccis. He’s reportedly set to go novice chasing at some point but connections are clearly floating the idea of starting out over hurdles and surely can’t be put off by an opening BHA mark of 123.
He hacked up in a three-runner maiden hurdle at Bangor on his first run for the yard in late-January (replay below) and slots neatly into the ‘could be anything’ bracket at this stage.
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsWho is on Becher shortlist...
No weights yet but the confirmations for the Becher Chase also filtered through in midweek and last weekend’s Grand Sefton winner Colonel Harry perhaps unsurprisingly featured among them.
Jamie Snowden’s pretty sensational start to the season had almost gone a little unnoticed until then but he’s had three more winners since and those stats for the last fortnight now read 11 winners from 24 runners at 46%. Few trainers will be able to match that at any point in a National Hunt campaign.
Our Power fell early on and hampered another fancied runner in White Rhino, while Jet Plane didn’t seem to fire on the day but I reckon it’s good form, Colonel Harry showing all his class to beat Gaboriot by two lengths with just a head back to the less exposed Excello in third.
With that in mind, a 4lb rise might just be manageable for Colonel Harry, although he’s tried three miles before in last year’s Coral Gold Cup and might be better served by sticking to the intermediate trip in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
Johnnywho was the eyecatcher back in fifth in the Grand Sefton, just shaping like the run might have been needed which is hardly unusual for one from the O’Neill stable.
He’s been eased 1lb to 145 but the 146 is already set in stone for him at Newbury if connections were eyeing up the Coral Gold Cup and surely with experience of the fences under the belt, a return to Aintree for the Becher has surely been plan-A all along.
Johnnywho would also handle a proper test on softer ground and, once the O’Neills get rocking and rolling, I’m certain there’s another big day or two to be had with last season’s Kim Muir runner-up and Irish National fifth.
Published at 1630 GMT on 12/11/25
Handicap Hints series
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.