Ascot & Wetherby selections Saturday 31st October
Despite the fast ground the field sizes have held up pretty well at the two principal British jumps fixtures, especially at Ascot, so we do have a competitive day in prospect. I am concentrating on Ascot, but also have a selection for the feature at Wetherby.
Ascot 2.00: Brookie
I am going to take a chance with a horse that looked out of form last season, but was perhaps performing in a grade too high for his ability. BROOKIE has dropped in the handicap as a result and could be value on his return to the track.
Encouragingly he runs well fresh, putting in by far his best performance of last season on his reappearance in a good handicap at Cheltenham when 8l third to Calico off a mark of 149. He did not really figure after that but was running in races like the Champion Chase and Celebration Chase, Grade 1 contests that were out of his league.
He is able to race off 137 today, within 7lbs of his last winning mark when scoring at Doncaster in March 2025. He had also won first time out that season, and first time out over fences at Sandown and definitely enjoys the top of the ground conditions he will face at Ascot today.
Ascot 2.33: Imperial Alex
Although he perhaps lacks the class of a few of his opponents, IMPERIAL ALEX gets weight all round for this big handicap and after a three month refresher following a busy summer, he might bounce back to his best today.
He certainly enjoys good ground and landed back to back wins at Stratford and Uttoxeter during the heatwaves of early summer. He might have been feeling the effect of those hard races when disappointing back at Uttoxeter on his last start at the end of July, but a 97 day break could have done him the world of good.
Usually raced with cheekpieces, a visor is applied today which might just sharpen him up given this is the classiest field he has faced thus far in his career. Trainer Tom Lacey has targeted Ascot races well with his string, showing a healthy level stakes profit in all jumps races at the track and this race is likely to be run at a strong pace which might result in a pace collapse, something this horse, already a winner in excess of 3m3f, can profit from.
Wetherby 2.55: Pic D’Orhy
In a slightly unexpected move, owner Johnny de la Hey moved all his remaining horses with Paul Nicholls to Dan Skelton over the summer and PIC d’ORHY was one of those. Only narrowly beaten in this race last season, I expect his new stable to claim a victory for this 11yo on his first start for the yard.
In a race where there looks to be plenty of early pace on from the likes of Handstands and The Real Whacker, I expect the selection to be ridden with a little more restraint than usual, given this horse’s best form has largely been over intermediate trips.
However he was only just outpointed by Djelo last season here, and even quick ground today will place more emphasis on speed than stamina, something that will definitely be in his favour.
Ascot 3.43: Nap Hand
Another horse fit from summer jumping in NAP HAND is favoured.
This keen going sort disappointed two starts ago when pulling too hard in front at Plumpton. However he bounced back to winning ways at the same track twelve days ago when ridden with a little more restraint and I think he will be aided by a big field today which should allow Freddie Gordon to get plenty of cover.
He has only gone up 3lbs for that last win and clearly relishes the fast ground he will face today. This horse moved to the Chris Gordon yard in the summer from Alan King and having lost all six handicaps for his previous yard, he is already 2-4 for Gordon, so there could be more to come from this 6yo yet.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Brookie – 2.0 Ascot – 12/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt each-way – Imperial Alex – 2.33 Ascot – 16/1 William Hill (1/4 odds 1st 3)
1pt win – Pic D’Orhy – 2.55 Wetherby – 5/4 general
1pt each-way – Nap Hand – 3.43 Ascot – 14/1 Ladbrokes, Coral (1/4 odds 1st 4)
