"Something for the Weekend, Sir?" 23rd/24th Jan 2021

This Saturday's "free to air" racing comes courtesy of ITV4 with 4 races from Ascot, 3 from Haydock and a welcome visit to Taunton for the Weatherbys Portman Cup Steeple Chase.

Highlight of the Ascot card in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase. This, of course, used to be the Victor Chandler Handicap Chase and I couldn't resist adding the video of the 1989 renewal where Dessie gave Panto Prince 22lbs and a beating. Proper horse and great to see the old BBC coverage

This year's renewal, an early closing race, was looking like a pretty straightforward task for Politologue but Waiting Patiently has been supplemented and he certainly adds spice to the race. The two actually met almost exactly 4 years ago in a novice chase at Haydock with Waiting Patiently taking the honours and after his cracking King George run, and the forecast rain, I think Ruth Jefferson's charge can prevail once again at the scene of his finest victory over Cue Card. I can't be having Defi and the rest, this is a 2 horse race and Brian Hughes will have to be at his very best to produce Waiting Patiently (probably approaching the 2nd last).

The ITV coverage starts with the Grade 2 Warfield Mares Hurdle. This has been won the last 2 years by Jessie Harrington's superb mare Magic Of Light and she showed her well-being by hacking up over fences at Newbury in December. A few days later Roksana finished a fine 3rd in the Long Walk Hurdle and again this looks like a 2 horse race but I would just side with Roksana as her hurdles form looks superior. I just hope Ascot didn't take too much out of her.

We then have the Grade 3 Holloway's Handicap Hurdle over 2m3f and the one that has caught my eye here is Danny Kirwan. I am amazed that they are persisting with this massive horse over hurdles, he has chaser written all over him and is already 8. Either his schooling over fences has been shocking or they think they can land a big pot with him off this mark on handicap debut. It looks like the bookies have twigged though as he is 8/1 second fav behind Benson.

The 3 mile handicap chase completes the televised quartet of Ascot races but I have no real opinion on this so attention turns to a cracking card at Haydock - and one of the most exciting novice chasers in training. I'm talking of course about Venetia Williams' Royale Pagaille who contests the Grade 2 Peter Marsh Handicap Chase off top weight and a rating of 156. Fanciful stuff you may think, but watch again his Kempton victory off 140 where he gave 7lbs and an absolute drubbing to Cap Du Nord with Double Shuffle (since won off 140) 19 lengths back in 3rd. Cap Du Nord had previously won the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Memorial Chase at Newbury, beating subsequent Rowland Meyrick Chase winner Canelo. The form stacks up and looks very good for a novice and hopefully he can take this as a springboard to great things - Gold Cup? Grand National? Who knows but clearly another very exciting horse for Rich Ricci. 3/1 fav at the time of writing.

The same card sees (hopefully) the return of dual Champion Hurdler Buveru D'Air after that terrible splinter injury and he is just favourite at the moment ahead of the race-fit and mud-loving pair Song For Someone and Ballyandy. It has to be Song For Someone for me, he has been a revelation this season and everything looks to be in his favour here.

Unfortunately we won't see Allart on ITV but Nicky Henderson's exciting novice chaser is entered in the card-commencing Grade 2 novices chase and should take all the beating. Hopefully Paint The Dream can put in another bold display to make it a real test. ITV coverage at Haydock starts with the Grade 2 Rossington Main hurdle where Llandinabo Lad will be looking to go one better than his fine second in the Kennel Gate. But he has to give weight to some very unexposed rivals including Donald McCain's Minella Drama, Dan Skelton's Faivoir and the horribly-named Nada to Prada. Its been a long time since Peddlars Cross so it would be nice to see Donald McCain have another top class hurdler and I hope Minella Drama can take this. He has around 5 lengths to make up on Llandinabo Lad on the October meeting but the weights are in his favour here.

Taunton's feature slogfest over 3m4f sees Yala Enki odds-on after his cracking 3rd in the Welsh National just 2 weeks ago and if this were a handicap he would be carrying top weight with most of his rivals outside the handicap. With only 10 entered at this stage there is the chance of less than 8 runners which would limit each-way interest but AL Roc for Dr Newland could reward e/w backers.

Sunday sees a decent card at Thurles highlighted by the Grade 2 Horse & Jockey Hotel over 2m 4f. Allaho will be clearly of interest if he runs but Mullins has plenty entered at this stage and this is potentially a nice opportunity for Bachasson to continue his fine start to the season.

 

Bloody weather

 

Looking a bit more hopeful now with Haydock saying they are raceable today and the forecast looking ok - not expected to get too cold Friday night. Fingers crossed.

 

The “home” challenge could use some bolstering given the talent we have seen from Mullins and Elliot in the juvenile sphere.

 

So Buveur D’Air will run at Haydock. Might his trainer have scratched him if the race weren’t sponsored by Unibet?

 

I think he'll run - Henderson has repeatedly said throughout his career that he is a big bull of a horse who takes plenty of getting fit. I think he'll have to go here and Sandown to have any chance of getting him close to 100%. Even then I suspect he'll have a gallop at Newbury the week before the festival. Buveur D'Air that is, not Lieutenant Henderson