Our form expert Ben Linfoot has three bets for Ascot in the ITV4 races on Saturday afternoon.
The Verdict: Saturday, December 23
1pt win Eden Du Houx in 1.50 Ascot at 10/1 (General)
1pt win Git Maker in 3.00 Ascot at 7/1 (bet365)
1pt e.w Moveit Like Minnie in 3.35 Ascot at 28/1 (bet365 1/5 1,2,3,4, 25/1 General)
Like Minnie a lot at the prices
December 23 is usually a blank day in the racing calendar but we have a festive treat this year with it landing on a Saturday as Ascot plays host to its Christmas Racing Weekend, headlined by the Grade 1 Howden Long Walk Hurdle and supported by some cracking handicaps.
The ground has taken the recent rain well and is described as Good to Soft, so I don’t think we should be looking for the relentless mud lovers, as is usually the case at this time of year, for all that there were some tired horses at the track on Friday.
Only 11 have turned up for the Betfair Exchange Trophy, a relatively small field considering the large fields this valuable handicap hurdle has attracted in the past, but Nicky Henderson is doing his best to win the race for the fifth time by throwing three big chances at the race.
It’s very hard to get away from the claims of his Iberico Lord, who was mightily impressive in a Greatwood Hurdle that is working out very well, but he might not be as good going clockwise and at 3/1 there is no juice in his price.
Impose Toi and Luccia give Henderson a very strong team and it’s hard to pick holes in others towards the head of the market, too, like Altobelli, who must go well here having shaped nicely over the course and distance when second to Knickerbockerglory last time out.
This all explains whey there are some in-form horses available at big prices, but I can’t resist getting Nigel Twiston-Davies’ MOVEIT LIKE MINNIE onside with an each-way bet, getting four places (with most bookies on the left-hand side of Oddschecker) at around 25/1.
The six-year-old has progressed through the ranks from a lowly mark of 101 since the start of last season, but he’s really thriving this campaign since being dropped back in trip to two miles.
He looks to have sharpened up considerably since he first began hurdling and convincing wins at Ludlow and Huntingdon, two right-handed tracks, have seen him rocket to a rating of 124 from 111 in quick time.
His form is working out, though, and he deserves the hike in the weights and a crack at this better grade. At Ludlow he beat a progressive horse in Javert Allen and subsequent winner Charles St, while his dominant Huntingdon win was boosted by the fourth, Onemorefortheroad, who came out and won over fences at Doncaster.
The point is they weren’t bad little races that have seen him get to this juncture and his prominent style of racing, as well as his proven stamina for further, lends itself well to this track.
The icing on the cake is the ground, as all of his form has been on better conditions, and the well capable Finn Lambert takes another 5lb off his relatively low weight.
The Verdict: Back MOVEIT LIKE MINNIE each-way in the 3.35 Ascot
Maker to land Silver for Snowden
I was tempted by the claims of Blueking D’Oroux in the Long Walk but in all honesty I found it a very difficult race to unravel and would rather back a couple in the handicaps on the undercard.
GIT MAKER is the first of those in the Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase at 3.00 as I was very impressed with the way this horse went about his business at Lingfield last time.
He looked very straightforward that day, jumping really well and running out a comfortable winner while the third home, Eureka Creek, came out of the race and ran a very solid third at Cheltenham.
It was a clear career-best and he looks to have improved again heading into his second season as a chaser, following a very good start to life over fences in the last campaign when he was never out of the first two.
He has a 5lb rise in better company to handle here, but I like his chances relative to the Gavin Cromwell pair and Anthony Honeyball’s Blackjack Magic, with 7/1 looking a fair price.
The Verdict: Back GIT MAKER in the 3.00 Ascot
Pipe to unleash festive cracker
Finally, back EDEN DU HOUX in the Howden Handicap Chase at 10/1.
David Pipe often targets this meeting to help with the Christmas bonus, his record at Ascot in December reading an impressive 12 wins from 60 at 20%, returning a £1 level-stake profit at SP of +£32.52.
Eden Du Houx is most interesting in this race as he comes here fresh on the back of wind surgery, a situation when he’s at his most dangerous.
Indeed, he has won immediately after two of his previous three wind ops, while his record off the back of 75 days or more off is 1-1-2-1-10-1-8, so now has to be the time to catch him.
A half-length second at Sandown in March off a mark of 132 after 69 days off, that’s good recent evidence he has a good chance from a handicapping perspective and in a race full of question marks he appeals as a win only bet.
The Verdict: Back EDEN DU HOUX in the 1.50 Ascot
Preview posted at 1505 GMT on 22/12/23
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