Best Weekend Racing Bets: A trio of early value wagers for Saturday's ITV Racing including 7/1 Charlie Hall Chase runner

Saturday, Ascot, 14:00, Sodexo Live! Handicap Chase Tip: Back Teddy Blue EW @ 10/111.00

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Teddy Blue (Ger)

• J: Paul O'Brien
• T: Harry Derham
• F: 7/17531P3-

A touch of the seconds has been the Achilles' heel for the column in the last few weeks with double figure prices Sea Lantern, The Hardest Geezer and Katate Dori all finishing as runner-up, so it would be rather nice to convert one of those.

We've got a surprisingly dry forecast post-storms and good ground at Ascot for their first jumps' fixture of the season, which will no doubt draw a decent crowd - and some decent ground horses to boot.

The favourite for the 14:00 Sodexo Live Handicap Chase is headed by Vanderpoel for Ben Pauling. A very talented performer who won in great style at Sandown last season, but the Pauling yard are not exactly firing and at the time of writing had collected just one winner in a fortnight.

Now of course, Pauling will have the better quality of horse to come out now, but it's worth considering if they are a bit slow to come to hand.

With 12 runs, Teddy Blue is experienced over fences, but considering he was once third in a Betfair Hurdle when trained by Gary Moore, I hope they stick to 2m and 2m1f this term and decent ground is the added bonus and there could be a little more improvement in him now with Harry Derham.

He's one of five course and distance winners at the entries stage and appeals at a price of 10/111.00.

Firstly, he's a good ground horse so conditions will suit, and he also won on the card 12 months ago winning over the fences.

There was a lot to please the eye with the way he travelled, and while he was a bit messy at a few of the fences in quick succession, his two jumps in the straight were excellent.

He's quite a fresh horse and the youthful Derham has had a few challenges in keeping a lid on him as he described him as "a bit mad".

Perhaps it could be the time to catch him for a good race, but more telling perhaps is Derham bringing him back down in distance as he tried 2m4f and even 2m6 last term.

Saturday, Ascot, 14:33, Sodexo Live! Regal Encore Handicap Chase Tip: Back Tapley EW @ 16/117.00

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Tapley

• J:
• T: Jamie Moore & Josh Moore
• F: 42313-411

The Gary and Josh Moore stable may have been ruing the transfer of the aforementioned Teddy Blue, but the yard can hopefully strike with Tapley.

Nowadays Gary is no longer on the licence and Josh is joined by Jamie, he of the very thick hair of which I can only dream of, and Saturday could be a big afternoon for the nascent partnership.

Tapley has won a couple of home matches in Sussex - scooting around Plumpton and Fontwell in the past two months, winning by 3L and latterly by over 1L. Both on good and good to firm.

His latest score at Plumpton was a better performance over 2m3f as he stayed on ever so dourly and his jockey Caoilin Quinn outfoxed Harry Skelton on the rail and in Larry Grayson style with a shut the door move.

Tapley, not quite a dashing grey, could be more a dour one, and he looks well worth the step up to 3m for Saturday - I also envisage switching from going left-handed to right could help him as he won a race for previous trainer Suzy Smith over 2m7f at Stratford.

Ground looks important to him and if description is to be believed he can give us a run for our money.

Saturday, Wetherby, 14:55, Charlie Hall Chase Tip: Back Konfusion @ 7/18.00

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Konfusion

• J: Gavin Sheehan
• T: Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith
• F: 2/1U113F3-

A smaller but more select field in the white rose county for Wetherby's Charlie Hall, although I fear it could be a disappointing turnout with Dan Skelton holding a potentially strong hand with three of the ten entries.

Skelton is now very much the Saturday man and his panoply of weekend runners might be dispiriting for the others, but he is building a very impressive team.

That said, Skelton runners can be quite unpredictable in the betting at times and I am going to take a chance on Konfusion for Sue Smith and Joel Parkinson.

He won a Handicap Chase on the card 12 months ago, on good ground off just 115. The form was worth little with a 102 rated second on first glance and a pair of old stagers in the silver and bronze spots, but the third was 120 and he thrashed him.

Following that stroll, he was pitched into a far deeper race on Betfair Chase Day at Haydock and was sent off 9/4 favourite but departed with an unseat at the 11th. He jumped the fence perfectly fine down the far side but nodded down and decanted the jockey over the top.

Afterwards he made amends in great style winning the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle by 15 wickets and a Wetherby Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase for good measure by seven.

I fancied him in last year's Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival, but again he exited stage left with a fall that looked more of a loss of concentration than bad technique.

He couldn't lead in that big field, and on both occasions with the unseat and fall he hasn't led. A smaller field with him building a rhythm could be better. He did get around Aintree for the Grand National Meeting last spring and did well in third giving lumps of weight to a Dan Skelton improver.

Improvement of 30lbs came from him last year so it's impossible to knock him, even with his exits, and his unbeaten record at Wetherby with a perfect three from three in various ground conditions makes him a big player.

And I've always been in love with those good old-fashioned Sue Smith chasers.

Alan Dudman's notable antepost winners in 2026

January: The Doyen Chief Kempton WON 7/2
Vincenzo, Ascot, WON 3/1
Scorsese, Cheltenham PLACED 12/1
February: Kalium, Ascot, PLACED 12/1
Montregard, Ascot, WON [6/]
Grand Geste, Haydock, EW WON 12/1
Lookaway, Kempton, EW WON 16/1
March: Pina Sonata, Kempton, WON 8/1
April: Favour And Fortune, Aintree, PLACED 14/1
Konfusion, Aintree, PLACED 12/1
Whip Cracker, Newbury, PLACED 10/1
Sarab Star, Haydock, PLACED 10/1
President Scottie, Perth, PLACED 12/1
May/June: Washington Heights, WON 5/1
Thundering On, Epsom, WON 11/2
July: Team Player PLACED 16/1
August: Calendar Girl EW WON 14/1
September: Fondo Blanco EW PLACED 16/1
Pellitory EW WON 40/1
October: Sea Lantern EW PLACED 10/1
The Hardest Geezer EW PLACED 16/1
Katate Dori EW PLACED 12/1

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