Ascot & Haydock selections Saturday 22nd November
Top class jumps racing everywhere you look and the Betfair Chase represents the first Grade 1 contest in Britain this season. There are some excellent handicaps though at Haydock that I will be concentrating on, whilst the best bet of the day could well come at Ascot.
Haydock 1.15: Kabral du Mathan
It looks to make sense to go with the obvious in this hurdle with KABRAL DU MATHAN expected to strike first time out for the Skeltons.
This horse has won first time out in all three seasons of his career, including when cruising home on handicap debut at Kempton over the useful King William Rufus when trained by Paul Nicholls last season. He then went on to finish second in three of the toughest handicaps of the season.
On his last start in particular he gave the impression that 2m was becoming a bare minimum now, though he ran a cracker to almost catch Cracking Rhapsody in the Scottish Champion Hurdle. Having switched yards and had a wind op during the summer, Dan Skelton has opted to step up straight away in distance, albeit on a relatively sharp track. This horse still possesses plenty of speed, so I expect him to make a flying start in his new surroundings.
Haydock 2.25: Ma Shantou & Navajo Indy
Two horses who impressed on their seasonal debut at the Showcase meeting at Cheltenham last month are taken to shine in this valuable handicap.
MA SHANTOU remains a step ahead of the handicapper and seemed to have plenty more in the locker when coming home 3l clear of Electric Mason on his handicap debut. This horse is not short of speed, so the switch to a sharper track is not expected to provide a barrier to further progression.
He has been put up 9lbs as a result, but remains feasibly treated. He is very versatile as regards tactics and going and looks to possess the sort of ability that could put him in the mix for graded contests sooner rather than later.
NAVAJO INDY ran a cracker to be second to French Ship over 2m4f at Cheltenham, having raced mainly at 2m in the past. Despite racing keenly throughout on his seasonal debut, he showed no signs of stopping up the hill and only found an even better handicapped horse slightly too good. The cobwebs would have been dusted off as a result of that run, so he should be a little less keen today.
That in turn should help him to stay this extra trip, but this sharper track places less of an emphasis on stamina anyway. He ran some brilliant races over 2m last season, winning the Gerry Fielden at Newbury before storming home for third in the William Hill at the same track, despite being off the bridle for the whole distance. He will surely be more comfortable racing at this slower pace, but his class edge could well see him through, assuming the stamina holds out as well as I think.
Ascot 3.15: JPR One
A very classy chase performer, I am hopeful that first time cheekpieces can provide the spark to get JPR ONE back in the winners enclosure.
He was a little underwhelming on his reappearance in the Haldon Gold Cup two weeks ago, a race he had won in style in 2024. A 22l defeat by the admittedly progressive Thistle Ask was not the start to the season connections would have wanted, but it is interesting that the headgear is being applied and he is now only 2lbs higher than for that Exeter win last season.
He was only beaten 10l into third by Jonbon in the Tingle Creek last season before starting to lose his way, so this is a very classy horse at his best. At least that recent outing will have brought him on fitness wise and the stable could hardly be going better at this point with a 40% strike rate over the past two weeks. Provided that headgear sharpens him up it is difficult to see him out of the frame at least.
Haydock 3.35: Top of the Bill & Saladins Son
This might not be quite the usual slog we see in this stamina test with ground currently on the good side of soft. As such I think two horses making their seasonal returns could do well.
TOP OF THE BILL looks over priced on the basis that connections have finally realised this horse needs to go left-handed and he has won going that way on both his last two starts.
He had a quiet season last term with just the three runs and was highly tried in two races going right-handed including the London National where he hung and jumped his chance away. He did come back for one run in the spring and it was a winning one where he made most to win on decent ground at Ffos Las. He has plenty of soft ground to his name though and usually races prominently which could be a positive factor around this sharp track.
Preference though would be for SALADINS SON representing the in-form Anthony Honeyball team. This horse remains thoroughly unexposed after just three runs over fences. After a hiccup on his first start in desperate ground at Ffos Las, he has shown his true ability with two wide margin wins around Wincanton.
Whilst those were small field affairs that somewhat fell apart, I liked the way he travelled and jumped in those races and he was only put up 7lbs for those two wins. Both wins came at this 3m1f trip and on ground similar to today. Haydock’s fences are not the stiff test they used to be, so lack of experience should not pose too great of an issue.
Recommended bets:
1pt win – Kabral Du Mathan – 1.15 Haydock – 13/8 general
1pt win – Ma Shantou – 2.25 Haydock – 9/2 Unibet
1pt each-way – Navajo Indy – 2.25 Haydock – 7/1 Coral (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – JPR One – 3.15 Ascot – 9/2 general
0.5pts each-way – Top of the Bill – 3.35 Haydock – 33/1 William Hill (1/4 odds 1st 3)
1pt each-way – Saladins Son – 3.35 Haydock – 9/2 general
