ITV Racing Saturday Newbury, Doncaster and Cheltenham Preview

The first selection of the day comes in the Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle and although high in the weights, Samarrive for the 12 time champion trainer Paul Nicholls looks the one to beat.

The four year old gelding has been seen twice to date and is currently unbeaten, winning on hurdles in debut in France back in December and then off the back of that was bought by Johnny de la Hey and given to Nicholls.

Samarrive made his British debut in April at Kempton over two miles and showed bundles of ability to bolt up by 13 lengths.

Now thrown into handicap company off a mark of 132 he looks as though he could be tough to beat if being able to concede weight all round.Handy claimer on board.

A nice event from Newbury on ITV is the seven furlong Horris Hill Stakes and Noble Truth for the inform Charlie Appleby could be tough to beat.

A son of Kingman, he’s won two of his five outings to date, finishing a good third on debut over seven furlongs in June at Newmarket hinting at plenty of promise behind the group winning Lusail. 

Running well in a deep contest set him up nicely to get off the mark at the second time of asking at Newmarket, seeing off the smart Ehraz.

He was disappointing when upped to the Group Three Acomb Stakes at York, when only beating one home, but the race form has turned out well.

Noble Truth bounced back to form at Doncaster when landing the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes from rival Hoo Ya Mal.

He then stepped up to Group One company last time out in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Stakes on Arc weekend and he was only beaten by Angel Bleu.

That run came on heavy ground which makes you think he will handle these conditions.

Next up is the 3m1f Handicap Chase and a horse who loves it round here is the Kerry Lee trained Storm Control who looks to be on a lovely mark for his seasonal debut.

The eight year old last term was seen seven times with the best of his runs coming between October and December, especially at Cheltenham.

Having needed his first run back at Warwick, he then went to Wetherby and finished a good third behind the likes of Cool Mix over 2m4f.

Stepped up in trip to today's course and distance for the first time in his career, he revelled in the extra few furlongs to win a nice handicap chase.

He then made it 2/2 when landing another staying event at Cheltenham in December off the same mark as he runs off today.

After that he was pulled up at Warwick, but bounced back to form at the Cheltenham festival when a good fifth of 21 runners in the Kim Muir Handicap Chase.

He was less good at Aintree when last seen, but it goes to show how much he enjoys racing round Prestbury Park and off this mark looks dangerous if fully wound up.

The final event on the show from Newbury is the Group Three St Simon Stakes over 1m4f and Ilaraab for William Haggas should handle the tricky conditions the best out of the bunch.

The son of Wooton Bassett before this season looked very much like a group horse in waiting, having won six races in a row, but when stepping up this term has found a few too good.

Four starts ago when put into the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot he only beat two home, but the form of the race has worked out massively.

Primed for the Ebor, he once again was below par not handling the step up in trip, but did run much better next time out when a close third in the Group Three Legacy Stakes.

Last time out on soft ground he gave one of his best runs of the season when chasing home Hukum in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes and being a winner at the track he is firmly in the mix.

One of the best races on the card at Cheltenham is the Masterson Holdings Hurdle and we can't look past Alan King's superstar hurdler.

A smart animal on the flat, Tritonic hit an impressive rating of 99 on the level and last term was then sent hurdling by Alan King in January.

He made a pleasing jumping debut, despite the soft ground maybe slightly blunting his turn of foot, he still managed to win impressively at Ascot.

That saw him get backed in the betting for the Triumph Hurdle and next time out he laid down his festival claims by demolishing the field in the Grade Two Adonis Hurdle at Kempton.

Backed into favourite for the Triumph over course and distance at Cheltenham he never ran his race unfortunately finishing a tame fifth of the eight runners.

He has since been back on the flat and ran to an average level, but those runs should have set him up perfectly for this event and he is the one to beat.

The feature race of the afternoon at Doncaster is the Group One Vertem Futurity Stakes over a mile and the horse we have sided with is the Mark Johnston trained Royal Patronage.

The two year old son of leading sire Wootton Bassett has been seen five times this season, needing his first experience at York on soft ground, with conditions not in his favour.

However, since then he has shown leading form in this division finishing a superb second to the dual Group One winner Native Trail at Sandown.

Royal Patronage has franked the form on three occasions since then, getting off the mark on his third attempt at Epsom in a Novice Stakes and then backing that up at York in the Group Three Acomb Stakes at York.

Last time out he stepped up once more to give a career best performance at Newmarket over a mile to land the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes.

What made this win so impressive was the way he stayed on to beat Coroebus on the line, with the Godolphin colt since going on and franking the form in a big way.

Landing the hat-trick last time he heads into the event in good form and looks one of the form picks.

Next up is the Cheltenham festival hero Sky Pirate, who makes his seasonal debut back over the course and distance that saw him land the Grand Annual Handicap Chase at this year's festival.

During the eight-year-olds career he was slightly frustrating, being tried at the wrong distances, but at Cheltenham in December when sent over two miles for the first time in his career, he looked unstoppable.

The gelding won a Handicap Chase by close to four lengths, never coming off the bridle and then off the back of that went to Warwick and backed it up in taking style.

With the form of both the races working out, Jonjo O'Neill tried him in Grade Two company and he ran a stormer finishing second behind Grade One winner Allmankind.

It sort of ruined his handicap mark going up to 152 for the Grand Annual at the festival in March but under a superb ride he went onto narrowly land the event by a short head to Entoucas.

Back at Cheltenham, over his preferred trip and ground he should be tough to beat even though he is conceding a fair bit of weight to the field.

He looks a class above.

Another nice event on the card at Doncaster is the Listed Doncaster Stakes over six furlongs and the horse we like the look of is the Ralph Beckett trained Deodar.

The two year old son of Bated Breath has been seen once to date when making a very impressive debut at Newbury on good to soft ground to get off the mark.

The form of that race has worked out well with the second to fifth since going on to run to a high standard and either win or finish in the placings on there next starts.

Stepping up into Listed company will need to see improvement from him but he looks a progressive type.

One of the trickiest contests across the day on ITV is the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle over three miles and the value seems to lie with the Robert Stephens trained Push The Tempo.

The eight year old gelding seems feasibly treated off a mark of 129 and heads into the event in great form from his two runs this year.

Making his first start this season in May at Market Rasen over 2m4f he was a good second behind a nice type for the Skelton's, but used that run to get off the mark for the season last time out when stepped up to 2m7f at Worcester.

He will need to improve again in this company but seems to love going further and with getting his good ground conditions he is a big each way player.

The final event of the afternoon is the big fielded five furlong handicap and Sunday Sovereign for Tim Easterby enters the event in fine form.

A smart type as a juvenile winning some nice events on soft ground in Ireland which then saw him go off as the favourite for the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Since then he massively lost his way, but this term has bounced back to better form, running well at Glorious Goodwood when a close fourth of 12 in a similar event and he then backed that up at Musselburgh with another close finish.

This saw him then get off the mark for the first time since 2019 at Chester when landing a 5 1/2 furlong handicap off a mark of 95.

He flopped in the Ayr Gold Cup two starts ago over 6f, but back at five furlongs last time out saw him finish a good second at Catterick in a smart event and off the same mark of 98 today he should go close.

Handles deep ground.