We round up the best bets from our Timeform analysts for Ascot, Fontwell, Longchamp, Redcar and Gowran on Saturday.
SHAGRAAN – 13:50 Ascot (Greg Spink)
Shagraan went the wrong way following an encouraging return reunited with his old handler in the Palace House Stakes at HQ back in the spring but reappearing after a summer break in first-time cheekpieces, he looked back to his very best when narrowly denied in a Newbury Group 3 a fortnight ago. Provided the headgear is just as effective a second time, Clive Cox’s 5-y-o gets the nod to repeat last year’s heroics in this and maintain his unbeaten partnership with Kieran Shoemark.
DOWN TO BUSINESS - 14:37 Fontwell (James Davies)
Slim pickings with Fontwell the only UK Jumps card, but there's a case to be made for Dan Skelton's Down To Business in the novice hurdle, with Irish-raider Eben Zaabeel, whose recent win looks nothing out of the ordinary, likely to be sent off at short odds with Sean Bowen taking the ride. Down To Business showed promise in a trio of juvenile events last season, notably when fourth to Winston Junior (subsequently runner-up in a strong renewal of the Fred Winter) at Ascot in January, the timefigure supporting the performance, an angle I often think it pays to have on side in races over hurdles, especially in those from 2m to 2m4f. He returned on the back of a breathing operation to win an ordinary maiden in good style at Worcester in August and can probably have his run in a valuable handicap there last week overlooked, having probably found the trip too far on soft ground, while also being forced wide when attempting to make headway. Interestingly, the tongue tie goes back on and he looks well worth another chance back over a shorter trip.
HIDDEN FORCE - 15:00 Ascot (Kieran Clark)
There's no denying that if the class-dropping Division is fully tuned up on his return from an 8-week break then he's going to take plenty of stopping back at a track where he's shaped well in defeat twice this season, though there's also a possibility that this is being used as a stepping stone to Champions Day. If that is the case then the total unknown quantity is Hidden Force. The form of his 2 all-weather wins could hardly have worked out much better, particularly the second one when beating the now-smart Venetian Prince off level weights. A line can be put through his Craven effort when a beaten short-priced favourite and, despite there potential negatives of being absent since and having undergone a breathing operation in the interim, the positives outweigh those and he's a serious player if finding only a small amount of improvement dropped to a stiff 6f.
FAIRY GLEN – Longchamp 15:25 (Graeme North)
I was expecting odds of 6/1 or so about Fairy Glen in the Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp so she’s well worth backing at almost twice that price. Sure, she’s got the unlucky Prix Vermeille third Sunly, the Park Hill winner Waardah and the 2025 winner of this race Consent to overcome, but while Sunly is unproven at the trip Fairy Glen beat Doncaster Cup winner Caballo de Mer fair and square at Meydan in the two-mile Dubai Gold Cup earlier this year and might have won the Prix Victomtesse Vigier here earlier in the season too with a better-executed ride. Second place in the John Musker at Yarmouth last month after a long break should have teed her up nicely now back up in trip and fast ground won’t be any problem.
ELARAK - 15:55 Redcar (David Johnson)
Slight question marks over Sondad in a smaller field over 7f given his best form has come in big-field 6f handicaps and Audience and Witness Stand could set this up for something to pounce. Elarak fits the bill with his form in big handicaps being about on par with what Sondad has achieved, but crucially it's come at 7f, including when placed in the Buckingham Palace and Bunbury Cup. Under these conditions, he looks a good bet to gain a first win of the year.
ITS BILBO - 17:25 Gowran (Billy Nash)
Henry de Bromhead has his string in tremendous order at present (already closing in on 50 winners for the NH season in Ireland) and he looks to have found a suitable opportunity for It's Bilbo in what isn't a particularly deep handicap chase. Its Bilbo bumped into some good ones in his two starts over fences at the beginning of last season and has improved over hurdles since, rounding off the campaign with a good third at Cork in a very competitive handicap off a mark of 135. He gets to compete off a handy looking 129 here, is unexposed over fences/at this trip and has a good record when fresh.
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