ITV Racing Wetherby, Down Royal and Ascot Preview

The first selection of the day from the Yorkshire track comes in the Class 3 Handicap Chase and the top weighted Tanarpino for Jennie Candlish could run a big race.

The 10 year old has been very up and down during this summer but last time out when dropped to a mark of 121 went on to land a very nice event at Bangor.

He has gone up 5lb for that event but in the past has ran well off this mark and having much better proven form than most in Class 2/3 company he is worth taking an each way chance on.

The first race of the day at Ascot on ITV is the Novices' Handicap Chase and the horse that we are taking a chance on is the Gary Moore trained Nassalam.

The four year old son of Dream Well was an exciting french recruit for the yard last term making his UK debut at Fontwell when winning by 59 lengths.

He then went back over the same course and distance for another Juvenile Hurdle and was just as impressive winning by 49 lengths.

Obviously holding bundles of ability he was pitched straight into Grade One company and ran a valiant race to finish second to the smart Adagio at Chepstow.

Dropped back in class hoping to get back to winning ways he bumped into the Grade One winning Monmiral who beat him by close to eight lengths.

Nassalam was last seen finishing 10th of 22 at the Cheltenham festival in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle running a solid race.

It is interesting to see him going over fences this term and if kicking on from his early hurdles form he could be a smart prospect.

Next up is the Dan Skelton trained Molly Ollys Wishes who makes her seasonal debut in the Listed Mares Hurdle on Saturday and she could be a big player for the yard in graded company this term.

The consistent mare has been ran frequently over the last few years appearing eight times since January 2020 and she has gone on to win four events, whilst also placing in another.

She hit her peak through last season between November and February, when landing a hat-trick of races at Hereford, Kempton and Warwick, when taking out nice handicap events and going up in the weights to then landing a Listed event.

She was last seen finishing a fair third in the Grade Two National Spirit Hurdle behind top talents in McFabulous and Brewin'upastorm.

Now dropping back into Listed company and not having to take on the likes of those horses she could be tough to beat at the weekend.

Another nice event is the Listed Handicap Hurdle over two miles and we like the look of the Harry Fry trained Boothill who makes his first appearance for close to a year but from what we have seen to date he could be very special.

A forgotten horse, he made a big impression on his hurdles debut last season and having not been seen since then could be anything this term.

The son of Presenting made a lovely start to his career in a point to point when a three length second behind a nice Irish horse.

Just 20 days later, again he was a nice second in another P2P and from there he was bought and given to Fry to train in the UK.

Making his rules debut in February 2020, he got off the mark at the first time of asking in a decent bumper where he saw off the smart Bothwell Bridge by close to five lengths.

Waited on until December to make his hurdles debut he went to Taunton over two miles and was an emphatic winner of Novices' Hurdle.

Having not been seen since then he seems to be a horse with bundles of potential that we are only scratching the surface with.

One the best events on the card is the Grade Two bet365 Hurdle and we can't look anywhere else than the superstar stayer Paisley Park.

Paisley Park showed he is back to his best last season after a superb second behind the young pretender Thyme Hill in the Grade Two Long Distance Cup at Newbury on his seasonal debut and then backed that up by reversing the form in the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle.

He was then sent back to the Cheltenham festival looking to reclaim his Stayers' Hurdle title but had to settle for third, coming from a long way off the pace.

The gelding finished the season on a sour note when being pulled up in the Aintree Grade One Stayers' Hurdle, with him having plenty of excuses.

When it comes down to the facts of this race, Paisley Park is the best stayer in the race that has proved he can give weight away to a field.

If performing to the same level as his best runs last term he wins the event.

The Listed Handicap Chase over two miles looks a cracking affair and although harbouring some extra weight this term, Sully D'Oc AA for Anthony Honeyball is an improving animal.

Starting his season off at this meeting last term in the Novices' Handicap Chase he was a very smart winner of a mark of 125.

Having had a superb season, finishing a good third at Newbury in a tough handicap and then running another credible eighth at the Cheltenham festival, he then dropped down to two miles at Aintree and was a narrow second to rival Editeur Du Gite.

Up to a mark of 137 he went over to Ireland for a expensive handicap at the Punchestown festival and landed the 19 runner affair in taking style.

Racing today off a mark of 147 he will have to be better than ever, but he still looks to be progressing and we have yet to find his ceiling.

Might be a risky bet off his weight but we believe in this horse, especially at this track.

The only race of the day from Down Royal on ITV is the Grade One Ladbrokes Champion Chase and the Gold Cup winner makes his seasonal debut and could be tough to beat if fully fit.

The eight year old has raced 14 times during his career and has only finished outside the top three in his on two occasions.

Three seasons ago on his final two starts over hurdles he really came to life landing the Grade One Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham festival at a huge price of 50/1 and then backed that up at the Punchestown festival when landing another classy Grade One.

He went novice chasing and after running well on debut behind star mare Laurina, he landed a Beginners Chase at Navan before narrowly being beaten in the RSA Novices' Chase at the festival, With Champ pipping him on the line.

Coming out of novice company last term he started his season off at Wexford at the back end of October in the Grade Three Memorial Chase where he jumped the field into submission, going on to win the event by 25 lengths.

Having again put up another superb performance at Navan when beating Brahma Bull by close to eight lengths, his handler sent him to Leopardstown at Christmas in the Grade One Savills Chase.

Going off as favourite, many were looking for the gelding to put up a big run, but were left wanting more after falling for the first time in his career with a circuit to go.

He was then seen returning to some sort of form by finishing his race, but overall he was outclassed in the Irish Gold Cup behind Kemboy finishing a well beaten fourth.

This saw his price drift for the Cheltenham Gold Cup but under a masterful ride by Jack Kennedy he bounced back to form in a big way to land the Grade One feature.

Showing he goes well fresh and holding leading form, he could be tough to beat on Saturday.

The feature race of the day in the UK from Wetherby is the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase and Shan Blue for Dan and Harry Skelton should go close.

Having been a fair hurdler, last season he took his form to the next level by making his chase debut at Wetherby in October over 2m4f going on to win by 14 lengths.

Off the back of that he went back to Wetherby over the Charlie Hall Chase course and distance for the first time in his career and went on again to win by 16 lengths.

He showed clear stamina that day and his biggest asset is how well he jumps a fence, which made the Skelton's happy enough to send him to Kempton for the Grade On Kauto Star Novices' Chase.

He took on some nice horses including The Big Breakaway and blew them away in the final stages, jumping his rivals into submission.

Next time out he was pitched back into Grade One company at Sandown in the Scilly Isles Chase and although jumping well was outstayed by Sporting John.

Shan Blue went to the Cheltenham festival in the Marsh Novices' Chase and although jumping well to start with and going from the front he was easily passed and outclassed at the shorter trip, with maybe his early season endeavours catching up with him.

He was last seen at the Aintree Grand National meeting when finishing a long way back in second behind Chantry House.

The gelding looks a horse that does his best work at the start of the season and having form over this course and distance could be key to his chances.

The feature event on the card at Ascot is the London Gold Cup over three miles and the horse that takes our eye at the weights is Tom Lacey's Johnbb.

The seven year old has a progressive profile and for is age is still. very unexposed, especially over staying trips.

Making his seasonal debut last season in November at Wetherby he was an easy winner of a 2m3f Handicap Chase by four lengths.

Back over the same course and distance in a tougher event he unfortunately fell and was given close to four months off the track.

Returning at Aintree in April he stepped up to 3m1f and put in an excellent performance to finish a narrow second to the highly talented Happygolucky for Kim Bailey.

Running off only 3lb higher for this event makes him a player, especially receiving weight from most of his rivals.

The final selection of the afternoon from Wetherby comes in the 2m4f Handicap Hurdle and Mackenburg for the inform Donald McCain should not be far away.

The six year old gets a helping hand from the talented 5lb claimer Theo Gillard which overall sees him effectively 7lb lower than his last winning mark.

Last season the gelding started his campaign off at Cartmel when winning a 10 runner event and then finished a close second over two miles at this track.

He put up another nice third at Aintree behind some classier horses, but used that to win a jumpers bumper in the new year at Newcastle.

Mackenburg was then stepped up in class for the Grade Two Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton and struggled, but off the back of that jumped back down into Class 3 and 4 handicap events, to finish second and sign off with a win in his final event.

He looks the obvious choice at the weights and have proven form going well fresh he can't be overlooked.

Trainer is operating at 32% strike rate for the last two weeks.