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Annsam added
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Terresita must be backed at any bigger than 10/111.00
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Trelawne and Engergumene can down rivals in big race day action
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Prairie Wolf added at 7:20 am
Timeform Superboost
The brilliant and ultra-consistent Jonbon is the warm favourite to win today's Clarence House Chase at Ascot (15:32), and the Betfair Sportsbook have super-boosted his price from 8/131.61 to 1/12.00 to record another victory.
Nicky Henderson's star has won an incredible 16 of his 19 career starts including nine Grade 1s and also winning his last four races on the spin.
To take advantage of this super-boosted price just click on the odd in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.
*Please Note: This superboost is provided by the Betfair Sportsbook and not by any of our tipsters or writers.
Back Jonbon to Win the 15:32 at Ascot
Listen to Racing...Only Bettor for Saturday tips
This can go to Annsam - 11/26.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who has been set up for a return to fences with two prep spins over hurdles the last twice, and on both occasions, he caught the eye running well for long periods.
Today represents a return to fences and his third start of the season. Catching him for the third time following a break has been an angle in the past and has seen form figures of 11111. Therefore, it's likely no coincidence that he returns to the more significant obstacles at a time of year that has seen him succeed.
The selection also has a record on genuine soft ground over obstacles reading 01111 outside of graded handicaps, and his right-handed record reads six wins from 13 starts.
He is handicapped to have a say, having been raced once over fences since scoring off today's rating when carrying 12st2 in the Boyne Cup at Ludlow in April 2023.
He looks well worth taking a chance within this 0-140, where he will likely attack from the front and play "catch me if you can". He may not be the force of old, but he has everything lined up to prove that he retains plenty of ability, and he can boast an all-the-way course win at this Ascot venue.
I have always liked Annsam, and today, the conditions are right to see him profitable for followers. So, even at age 10, he is worth chancing in an open race to put these to the sword from the front.
Back the selection at 4/1 or bigger.
13:05 Ascot - Back Annsam
The one that looks overpriced in this market is Terresita--20/121.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook--who would have slammed up over Martator and Kotmask at Sandown on her final outing last year and is ten pounds better off with the former.
She arrives in good form with an excellent Listed victory at Carlisle before perhaps finding the run coming too quickly behind Gemirande over course and distance last time. She had clear excuses when her rider gave her too much to do from the rear of the field in a race controlled by the sedate pace of the winner, but she made promising progress to make a challenge before her run petered out.
That effort suggested there was still mileage in her mark, having been on terms at the last having been last five out. She is on an upward curve, so it looks worth chancing at a ridiculous price to confirm the form.
Today's race will suit her better than 57 days ago. I hope they go a good gallop and Gavin Sheehan doesn't give her too much to do. She should be hitting the frame against these rivals.
Martator is 3-3 at this venue, but he finished tamely at Kempton last time, and that was a concern. Still, he is the most significant danger to the selection. 10/111.00 or bigger is acceptable.
14:15 Ascot - Back Terresita
I am happy to forgive Trelawne - 4/15.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - for letting us down at Ascot as, on reflection, it looked like a strange race to go for, and the ground was too quick while one suspects he is much better going left-handed.
Following his victory over Iroko here on his seasonal return, Kim Bailey mentioned they had a plan for him, and now he has turned up here, it's wise to think this was it. He is a horse I have always thought would appreciate stamina-sapping trips (advised for the Ultima at a high price last year), and the fact that he went off 5/16.00 for an Ultima Handicap when the stable had Chianti Classico in the race speaks volumes.
Everything has gone well for Trelwane today, and the 14-lb he receives from Haydock specialist Royale Pagaille will be crucial.
Royale Pagaille is highly respected under optimal conditions, but he arrived here 56 days after a gruelling race with Grey Dawning, and his stranglehold on this race has to end sooner or later. He is outstanding and will be hard to beat, but we have not seen the best of Trelawne yet.
Back the selection at 2/13.00 or bigger.
14:30 Haydock - Back Trelawne
On the Betfair Sportsbook, Bo Zenith - 3/14.00 ran a remarkable race at Cheltenham on his seasonal/stable debut following an absence of 610 days. He is unexposed and entitled to improve for that run on multiple fronts and makes plenty of appeal today to step forward for his new powerful yard.
He was 14.5 lengths off the leader, jumping the third last, looking a little rusty, taking a blow mid-race, and even further behind jumping the second last. However, he came home 13 lengths faster than the winner from the penultimate flight and caught the eye running on powerfully.
Money had come for him late before the race at Cheltenham, and his owner-mate under Nico De Boinville (the stable number one) took a wild drift, so it's wise not to overlook him despite the yard having Doddiethegreat in this race.
The selection was very useful for Gary Moore, and his problems look behind him on the latest evidence; he is one of the few open to significant improvement in this sphere. He looks ahead of the handicapper despite a three-pound rise for his latest run with an unexposed profile and a narrow juvenile Grade 1 second to the smart Zenta (143), who had previously finished third to the smart Willie Mullins pair Lossiemouth and Gala Marceau in the Triumph.
The Aintree form looks good, and he had done little wrong before that, so he makes stacks of appeal on his second handicap outing under James Bowen. This track plays to the strengths of front-runners, and in the hope that connections revert to former prominent tactics that saw him to good effect in the 2022/23 season, the six-year-old must have more to offer.
It's wise to remember that he easily beat Blood Destiny in France on his debut, and he has improved with every run since then, bar his British debut at Sandown, when beaten at 4/111.36.
There's lots to like, and he gets the vote over Josh the Boss, Doddiethegreat, and Altobelli, who are fancied in that order. Take no less than 3/14.00.
14:50 Ascot - Back Bo Zenith
It is a smashing race, but Energumene - 2/13.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook and plenty of 3.1511/5 on the Betfair Exchange- shaped very encouragingly when scoring in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork in December. He hit the line hard when fighting off the subsequent King George winner, Banbridge, which is possibly the best form on offer at this season stage.
While Jonbon is a smashing horse and well respected in this race, other than El Fabiolo--who wasn't on a going day at Sandown in April--it's tough to make sense of what he has beaten in recent outings.
Jonbon's Sandown victory fell apart behind him, and Boothill and Edwardstone got closer than ever to him at Cheltenham in November. This is the most challenging assignment Jonbon has had since his Novice days, and today might be the day he is found wanting.
Willie Mullins runners tend to come on a good bit for their seasonal return, and Energumene has the advantage of having been here and done it when lighting up the course with a brilliant clash against the outstanding Shiskin in his prime. That is the only time the Mullins runner has been beaten right-handed.
While that version of Energumene may not have been around at the age of 11, there's little proof that is the case yet. On his return to Cork, he beat higher-rated horses, whereas Jonbon has had to beat mid-150s horses for some time in Britain due to the lack of quality in the 2m division.
At the start of the season, I wrote this: "That should mean a productive season for Jonbon and Nicky Henderson, providing the Irish steer clear. However, be warned, the Irish will be coming. Jonbon may look to have improved come March with a predicted unbeaten record, but what would he have achieved other than race titles alone, given Britain couldn't fill a 2m Grade 1 chase with anything rated above 160?"
The market has this favouring Jonbon significantly, but the value is the second favourite if you can grab any 2/13.00 or bigger!
15:32 Ascot - Back Energumene
Prairie Wolf - 7.87/1 on the Betfair Exchange - comes good at the turn of the year, and he hinted strongly last time when rallying for this column at Carlisle before unseating that his time is near.
From January 2023, following his first start of the year, he racked up excellent efforts that saw him rise in the handicap from a rating of 98 to 118 and in 2024, he went from 123 to 137, including a nine-length defeat to Ginnys Destiny at Cheltenham on his first outing of the year on Cheltenham trials day.
This year he has had a slow start again but his latest performance with the cheek-pieces re-fitted was a step back in the correct direction recording his best effort of the year and he now returns to Haydock where he was an excellent course winner in March on deep ground earlier this term.
He is handicapped to go well and his profile suggests he is still improving so there's a good chance he has more to offer and he drops in grade into a 0-130.
He gets the vote to continue his improvement at 6/17.00 or bigger, but use the Betfair Exchange, where there is plenty of 7/18.00, as big as 17/29.50 and a general 11/26.50.
15:40 Haydock - Back Prairie Wolf
PODCAST SELECTIONS
10:15 Lingfield - No Bet
13:40 Ascot - Kargese
13:55 Hadyock - Royal Infantry
14:15 Ascot - Terresita
14:30 Haydock - Trelawne
14:50 Ascot - Bo Zenith
15:05 Haydock - Lossiemouth
15:32 Ascot - Energumene