ITV Racing Saturday Preview - 12/02/20

The first race of the day on ITV is the Group Two Champagne Stakes over seven furlongs which over the last two years has been won by the likes of Threat and Too Darn Hot.

Richard Hannon has another star in his ranks for this race and Chindit is a two year old heading in the right direction being unbeaten on both is starts so far during his career.

The juvenile made his debut over course and distance at Doncaster back in July winning nicely and then he backed that up at Ascot, with second, third and fourth since going on to frank the form.

Chester host two races on ITV Racing this weekend and the first race from the track is 1m4f Listed contest and Alignak for Sir Michael Stoute will be tough to beat in this company.

The four year old has been very consistent this season, winning on seasonal debut at Newcastle in a Class 3 Handicap and then stepping to a Listed event at Haydock when a good second to Trueshan.

He stepped up in trip last time out when third behind St Leger fancy Hukum in the Group Three Geoffrey Freer Stakes and dropping back to this distance should see him finish his race off well.

The Portland Handicap sees a familiar field of sprinters take on one another once more and the Charles Hills horse now seems to be down to a mark he can strike from.

The seven year old has been midfield in most of these types of races but last time out when dropped to a mark of 93 finished a solid third at Glorious Goodwood.

That form has since been franked with the second landing a big fielded handicap at York and with our horse dropping a further 2lb, he looks a nice bet at 7/1.

Mark Johnston has a cracking record with his runners at Chester and he fields Maydanny in the Class 2 Handicap over 1m2f.

This Hamdan Al Maktoum owned four year old has been hit and miss this term but has been running in much better races than this.

He landed an 18 runner handicap two starts ago at Glorious Goodwood and has since been put up 11lb for that which halted his progress at York last time out.

That run also came on soft ground which he does not like and getting back to a weaker field and better conditions should see him bounce back.

Another classy Group Two on the card at Doncaster is the Park Stakes over seven furlongs and this field is full of star quality and the three year old that takes the eye getting weight off most the field is Wichita.

The Aidan O'Brien trained colt has come on leaps and bounds from his juvenile career, finishing second to Kameko on his seasonal debut in the 2000 Guineas.

From there he was a narrow third in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and has since been thrown into the Sussex Stakes and Prix Maurice De Gheest where he has been outclassed.

Dropping back in grade and down to seven furlongs having faded in his mile runs could make for good reading.

The first Group One on the card at Leopardstown is for the Fillies over a mile, with the Matron Stakes been won by some superstars in the past.

The three year old is set to take on Fancy Blue who has been a shining light for Donnacha O'Brien but we fancy his father to get the better of him in this race with the race being over a mile and that suiting Peaceful much better.

The daughter of Galileo was a smart juvenile winning at Thurles on her second start and then finishing a narrow second at Newmarket behind Born With Pride in a Listed event.

She has come on leaps and bounds now a year older and on her first start landed the Irish 1000 Guineas, seeing off Fancy Blue in the Process.

She was stepped up to 1 mile 2 furlongs for the French Oaks was outstayed by her nemesis but going back to a mile and having a short break should give her everything she needs to win the contest.

The feature race of the day in Britain is of course the Classic Group One contest the St Leger and this year we have sided with the William Muir trained Pyledriver.

The three year old has been a real success story for the fairly small yard having made his seasonal debut in June when finishing second at Kempton, but since then improving with every run and showing he is a real black type contender.

He headed to Royal Ascot for his second start of the season and he was a shock winner of the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes seeing off the likes of Mogul for Aidan O'Brien.

He was given a Derby entry and went to Epsom but having being bumped in the big field early on he ran no race and as a far as Muir was concerned that can go down as a blip.

He proved how special he can be last time out when taking the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at York's Ebor meeting, being eased down in the final stages and with the winner of the St Leger using that race for his prep run last season, it reads very well.

The Irish Champions Stakes as ever is the feature on day one of the weekend and this year English raider Ghaiyyath will take some serious beating.

The son of Dubawi was known last season for jet setting all over the globe to win races which saw him land a Group One in Germany by 14 lengths a Group Two in France and also a Group Three in Meydan.

He headed to the Prix de l'arc de Triomphe on his final start last season and didn't run any sort of race but seems to be a completely different animal this term.

This term he started in the Group One Coronation Cup at Newmarket at the start of June and saw off Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck along with three time Ascot Gold Cup winner Stradivarius, subsequently breaking the track record.

In the first weekend of July he stepped up for another Group One event at Sandown in the Coral Eclipse and although all the talk was about Enable's return, this horse was the one with the headlines after a stunning front running performance.

He stepped up again for the Juddmonte International at York as the favourite to beat and just like the Eclipse he set off in front and could not be caught.

He enters the event with the best form on show and currently the highest rated flat horse on the planet.