ITV Races

Alan Dudman's Antepost Tips: Back Pagaille for a Royale third Peter Marsh on Saturday

Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch
Royal Pagaille's connections are in search of another Haydock payout on Saturday in the Peter Marsh

A big weekend of jumps' action is in store for Saturday with the ITV cameras rolling from Ascot and Haydock and Alan Dudman previews the big races with three antepost tips...

  • Saturday's action from Haydock and Ascot priced up on the Sportsbook

  • Haydock master Royal Pagaille entered for Peter Marsh Chase

  • Nab Wood a player with the 16/117.00 outsider Court In The Act


Haydock - 13:55: No bet

Haydock's three televised races on ITV are a much-needed shot in the arm after a fairly grim week of action and the three on the box are the Grade 2 Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices' Hurdle, the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Handicap Chase and the Sky Bet Cheltenham Non-Runner No Bet Handicap Hurdle.

Groundwise the track was frozen on Tuesday but the forecast gives hope as Wednesday is a positively balmy forecast at nine degrees and no rain is scheduled for the week.

Jonbon has been the real star that adorns the honours list in recent seasons and last year's winner Jeriko Du Reponet (when staged at Doncaster) has barely beaten his own shadow since.

That's Nice is in as the second favourite for Saturday at 4/15.00 and she ran a shocker at Cheltenham last month when 8/111.73 favourite - and that run would be flimsy basis to base a bet on up in class for a graded contest. Indeed, many asked for a name change from That's Nice to That's Rank.

Royal Infantry hosed up at Haydock last time and deserves to be the 10/111.91 favourite, but in truth, the field wouldn't have any Irish trainer quaking in their boots and it's likely to cut up from the ten entries. It's a no bet race as if That's Nice doesn't run - we could be looking at a 1/21.50 fav.


Haydock - 14:30 Peter Marsh Chase: Back Royale Pagaille @ 5/23.50

Sam Brown might actually get to run on Friday or Saturday as he's in the Peter Marsh for Haydock but a shorter price for the re-routed, re-routed, re-scheduled Veterans' Chase Final for Market Rasen on Friday.

He's been waiting for a while.

Chambard is also double-entered with the same two races in mind. Gelino Bello has an entry on Sunday elsewhere, and Trelawne and Richmond Lake both have entries for the following week at Doncaster with the Great Yorkshire Chase on the 25th January.

Bill Baxter is entered at Windsor for Friday and My Silver Lining is entered at Windsor for Sunday, so working out an antepost bet is far from easy and working out who runs is just as taxing. And they say tax doesn't have to be taxing.

Royale Pagaille, a two-time Betfair Chase winner at the track is at 5/23.50 and heads the Sportsbook market by dint of Haydock being his playground and is a proper track specialist with five Haydock wins.

He's also a dual Peter Marsh Chase winner and won by 16 wickets back in 2021 when heavy, and off 156. Since then he's bagged Grade 1s here and is 10lb higher. He's one of the prized Venetia Williams attacking aces and those lurid pink silks of the Riccis have taken an interesting route in nominating this race as a potential stepping stone for the Gold Cup.

On his best form, and his best is at Haydock, he really ought to have these for breakfast shouldn't he?

Mr Vango is a credible rival, perhaps not with class, but what he lacks in lustre he makes up for in stamina and fight as he's a 3m6f winner in heavy ground with a Devon National win by a mere 60L.

He also won the London National last time at Sandown by a good margin, but he has come up short in top novice company both over hurdles and fences.

Bill Baxter hasn't won since the Topham and his mark is in freefall and with the race holding all sorts of entries, I wonder if the trainers are playing the waiting game to see if Royale Pagaille runs.


Haydock - 15:05: Back Nab Wood @ 8/19.00

I was left most disappointed with Nab Wood's return for the season at Kelso as he'd looked a nice prospect for the north last term, and he's a floater for the 15:05 on Saturday at 8/19.00.

Aside from the disappointment at Kelso, he had the look of good handicapper as a novice with two wins at Kelso over 2m7f - by 12L and 4L and he thrashed Lucinda Russell's Choose A Copper in of those.

His trainer Nicky Richards thought he was handicapped nicely off 114 for one of those victories and there are obvious excuses for his seasonal return - with just that, he might have needed the run. He was also hit by a panel from a battered hurdle midway through the race which is clearly a hindrance rather than a help.

It's good to see him entered in a good race and from 122 he's still a horse to have on your side and he is surely a lot better than his Kelso run last month.

Jipcot, the 9/25.50 favourite also holds entries for Ascot on Saturday and Windsor on Sunday. Phantomofthepoints, the second favourite, has entries on Thursday and Winsor (Sunday) and Magical King is doubly-entered at Haydock with one in the 2m5f race on the card. Likewise Nab Wood with an entry in the 2m5f race, but I do see him as more of a three-miler.

Deep Cave at 8/19.00 is another with a Windsor Sunday entry.


Ascot - 14:50: Back Court In The Act EW four places @ 16/117.00

Four of the Saturday Ascot races are on ITV and while the Energumene versus Jonbon clash will get the pulses racing in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase - and it's 8/111.73 Jonbon v Energumene at 13/82.63, it's certainly one to enjoy without any financial interest, although a good/bad performance will have an impact on the betting I am sure for Willie Mullins with Gaelic Warrior's chance against Energumene for the DRF.

The Ascot 14:50 2m4f Handicap Hurdle looks by far the best punting race of the weekend with a massive 34 at entries stage with a wide open antepost market on the Sportsbook at "7/1 the field". There are four places too.

Kamsinas was one of my antepost fancies for the Lanzarote last week and is a similar price for Ascot at 14/115.00 while I have been waiting for Minella Missile to go handicapping from a mark of 138 and he's at 20/121.00 on the Sportsbook, he has a ton of entries so I can sidestep him for now. I just need to see him run!

Harry Fry's three entries are notable with Might I, Altobelli and Beat The Bat, but I am not excited about the price of the latter as one of the 7/18.00 favourites. Fry's horses are never missed in the market and I would want more for my donuts to dollars than the sevens.

Givemefive was on my radar but he's another entered everywhere else and could be seen at Windsor on Friday for Harry Derham who also has Court In The Act with three entries to mirror his stablemate, and while not ideal, is worth a look at the 16/117.00 with the each-way angle on the Sportsbook.

The basis here and a starting point is the ground. His overall profile is one that likes a sound surface and the majority of his light career so far has seen him race on good. Ascot's forecast is without rain for the rest of the week and as of Tuesday at the time of writing, it was good to soft.

Court In The Act's trainer has stated he will look after him for the future as a chaser and he returned this season with an impressive eight length win at Market Rasen - thumping a field with ease and nice starting point.

His trainer said post-race from Lincolnshire: "Last time he ran in a competitive race and he got beat but he's young and still quite immature so we wanted to get him back on track. There's going to be plenty of days when he's racing against tough opposition and all we're trying to do is get him in a good place so he's going to be a really nice horse to go chasing with next season."

It really did have the look a run to prime him for something a bit more fancy (no offence to 0-120 Market Rasen fans) and up to 128 he can mix it in Saturday's company.

His run style is very much one to get out and dominate, something he wasn't able to do in last season's Sandown Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final and he made an error when far from fluent two out.

At 16/117.00, with the ground potentially in his favour, he is worth an each-way play with the four places.


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