Simon Holt best bets for Wetherby and Ascot on Saturday

Recommended bets:

2pts win Roksana in 2.45 Wetherby at 3/1

1pt win Aye Right in 3.20 Wetherby at 20/1

1pt win Whatmore in 3.40 Ascot at 6/1

1pt win Imperial Knight in 3.55 Wetherby at 16/1

WETHERBY stages its premier jumps meeting of the year on Saturday when ROKSANA can prove the pick of the weights in the bet365 Hurdle.

Dan Skelton's tough and classy mare is rated 9lb inferior officially to the reappearing Stayers Hurdle winner Lisnagar Oscar but receives 13lb here and should be ideally suited by this course and distance having twice run excellent seconds over three miles at Aintree (also left handed) in the past behind Santini and If The Cap Fits.

Roksana, who benefitted from the last flight fall of Benie Des Dieux when winning the Mares Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2019, was far from disgraced when fourth behind the latter and Honeysuckle in last season's high class renewal.

On that occasion, the eight-year-old was never quite going the pace to land a blow and this looks a good move to return her to three miles.

A few of the runners here are either likely to come on for the run or are prepping for future chase targets while Lisnagar Oscar, a 50-1 winner of the staying championship, is worth taking on under his 6lb penalty first time out.

The featured bet365 Charlie Hall Chase looks fascinating with Cyrname bidding to show that he can go left handed and stay three miles.

On form, the 176-rated chaser should take plenty of beating but he has a bit to prove here and the progressive Vinndication could be a serious rival along with last year’s winner Ballyoptic.

One who might outrun his odds is AYE RIGHT who finished fifth in a red-hot RSA Chase at Cheltenham and made a very satisfactory reappearance behind last Sunday’s Old Roan Chase winner Nuts Well at Kelso over a trip much short of his best.

A five-time winner over hurdles, he is open to further improvement over the larger obstacles and I sense a surprise result.

Later on at Wetherby, IMPERIAL KNIGHT is an interesting runner in the closing bet365 Handicap Hurdle over an extended two miles and three furlongs.

Ben Pauling's eight-year-old seems somewhat fragile having run just seven times under Rules but he looks potentially well handicapped on some of his novice form and appeared sure to win over three miles at Haydock in January only to be out-stayed by Silva Eclipse.

The way Imperial Knight travelled through that race suggested strongly that he has plenty of ability and, when a horse stands little racing, most trainers will try to have them fit and ready to go first time out.

At Ascot, WHATMORE can take advantage of a light weight in the Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap Chase.

Richard Johnson's mount shaped as if he could be better than his current mark on several occasions last season: he was badly hampered before finishing third in a Grade Two novice chase at Warwick, was then given plenty to do when fourth in a valuable handicap chase over this three mile trip at Kempton and, on his final start, ran a blinder to finish fourth behind Imperial Aura at the Cheltenham Festival.

Whatmore clearly has further potential as a chaser yet remains rated a couple of pounds below his hurdles mark and, with trainer Henry Daly in solid form, a bold bid can be expected.

• Preview posted 1540 GMT on 30/10/2020