Free horse racing tips: Best Bets for Ascot on Saturday

Horse Racing

Wed October 28, 2026 · 2d ago

Andrew Asquith has two bets at Ascot on Saturday in his latest ante-post column.

Weekend View: Saturday October 31

1pt e.w Shakeyatailfeather in the Sodexo Live! Handicap Chase at 12/1 (bet365, Unibet 1/4 1,2,3)

1pt win Leave of Absence in the Sodexo Live! Regal Encore Handicap Chase at 8/1 (Unibet, 7/1 William Hill, Betfred)

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The National Hunt season has started proper now, but there is still some good Flat racing at Newmarket this weekend, the rearranged fixtures from Newbury last Saturday having a nice look to them, so I’m disappointed that they haven’t been priced up as yet.

So, we’ll delve straight into Ascot, where Ventia William is set to have her first runner since June. She isn’t always the fastest starter to a season, but she has had winners at this meeting in the past, including with Martator, who was last seen winning the Grand Annual at 66/1.

He has to be respected in the Sodexo Live! Handicap Chase, but at the prices, the Dan Skelton-trained SHAKEYATAILFEATHER looks the best bet.

The key to her is seemingly being fresh, as she only beat several rivals on her last four starts last season, but her record when having a break of more than 41 days is impeccable.

Indeed, that’s where all her wins have come, and due to her poor end of last season, she’s now just 1lb higher than for her last win.

That came at Kelso around this time last year, where she arguably proved better than ever, settling matters in the style of one who could go on rising through the handicap.

https://media.betfair.com/redirect.aspx?pid=17888340&lpid=157&bid=1652

Even though that didn’t transpire, she could hardly be in better hands, and this has clearly been a clear starting point for her. All of her wins have come on ground Timeform has described as good, so the forecast ground will be no issue, and her record when fresh, along with the stable she represents, says to me she shouldn’t be a double-figure price from this mark.

Similar sentiments apply to my final selection, LEAVE OF ABSENCE, who is set to run in the Sodexo Live! Regal Encore Handicap Chase.

Regal Encore, who was trained by Anthony Honeyball, was a regular at Ascot, notably winning this race in 2020, and given the race is named after him this year, the trainer will likely have cherry-picked one to contest it.

He’s another who often produces his best while fresh, making a winning debut in a bumper in style when with Chris Gordon, finishing runner-up to Iberico Lord on reappearance and stable debut for Honeyball in 2024, and winning after seven months off at Cheltenham last season.

All of his wins over obstacles have also come on ground that Timeform described as good, so conditions will be in his favour, and he also returns from a reduced mark having had a bad end to the last campaign.

The two times he’s run over this course and distance he’s finished runner-up, in the Reynoldstown at the beginning of 2025, and in the Silver Cup from a 3lb higher mark last season, when beaten only a head by a progressive staying chaser.

That form reads well, especially from his current mark, and representing a yard who is very much among the winners with the few runners they’ve had, Leave of Absence seems sure to launch a bold bid.