Ascot Clarence House Chase Day – Copybet
The Clarence House Chase is the showpiece of Ascot’s seven-race card on Saturday afternoon, with the Grade 1 event over 2m1f, which is due off at 15:30, having attracted a small but select field of four runners.
As you’d expect of a Premier Raceday fixture, there is some strong supporting action to look forward to from the Berkshire track, including a Grade 2 mares’ hurdle and a 0-140 handicap chase.
Winston Junior – Ascot
Talented on the Flat over middle distances for Jessa Harrington, WINSTON JUNIOR was a big eyecatcher when second in the Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham last month and will be tough to beat if reproducing that level of form.
Now trained by Faye Bramley, the son of Churchill was sent off at odds of 10/1 and looked up against it judged on his second behind Galactique at Fontwell on his hurdling debut in October (the winner was well beaten subsequently), but there appeared no fluke about this improvement. Indeed there were reasons to mark up his performance, not least given how keen he was under Harry Cobden for much of the race.
For him to come up the hill in the style he did, putting clear daylight between himself and the odds-on One Horse Town, this was a notable effort and one that suggested he could be a serious contender in the Fred Winter Juvenile back at Cheltenham in March.
The Jukebox Kid – Ascot
Ben Pauling and Ben Jones continue to churn out the winners with regularity and I’m hopeful of a big performance from THE JUKEBOX KID, who shaped better than the bare form suggests when a beaten favourite at Cheltenham last month.
The seven-year-old, who only ran twice over hurdles, could hardly have been more impressive than when making a winning start over fences at Carlisle in November, the gelding jumping like an old pro and pulling readily clear of subsequent Class 2 chase winner Grand Gest off a mark of 122.
He was hit with a 9lb rise for that, but he was strong in the market at Cheltenham last time and went well for a long way before fading to finish fourth behind Zertakt, having raced too close to a strong early pace.
Still, he was only beaten a shade over eight lengths and this former Irish point winner clearly warrants another chance to confirm his earlier promise.
Minella Marathon – Ascot
Dan Skelton’s MINELLA MARATHON ran well below expectations when trailing home a distance behind now leading Supreme Novices’ Hurdle fancy Old Park Star at Cheltenham last month, but he’d looked a nice prospect when scoring at Lingfield previously and shouldn’t be written off, particularly with a first-time tongue-tie being added.
The five-year-old, who runs in the colours of Ronnie Bartlett made famous by the likes of Simonsig, was bought for £200,000 following a win on his sole Irish point start last spring and repaid some of that faith with a cosy win over 2m4f on his hurdling debut at Lingfield in November.
Dropped in trip and upped in class at Cheltenham, he weakened quickly in the straight, suggesting he may have suffered some kind of physical issue.
This distance of 2m6f will suit and he represents solid each-way value against the market leaders.