Rory Delargy

ASCOT SATURDAY

1:50 ASCOT UNDERWRITING CHASE 2M 2F 175Y

Winner of a Loughbrickland point-to-point last winter, Benatar has made a positive start to life under rules for Gary Moore, winning at Fontwell on his hurdling bow, and building on a couple of subsequent efforts when fourth to Finian’s Oscar at Aintree in April.

The son of Beneficial had looked a work in progress prior to that outing, and had acquitted himself well against well-regarded rivals at Huntingdon and Newbury, so deserves full credit for his most recent run for all it represents a fair step forward. He has plenty of chase winners in his family, suggesting he’ll do better still when tackling fences, and it’s surely significant that he makes his chase debut at Ascot, which is Moore’s venue of choice for his best prospects.

2:25 BYRNE GROUP HANDICAP CHASE (Listed) 2M 167Y

Quite By Chance was an easy winner of this contest last year, and then ran a fine second to Sire De Grugy over course and distance. He had excuses when failing to complete in the Topham when last seen, and has fallen to a workable mark again.

He’s got plenty of miles on the clock, but was better than ever last season, and can go well if back in similar form, with Colin Tizzard making positive noises in that regard during the week. The ground was quick for his last win, but he has stamina for further and handles cut, so won’t be inconvenienced by overnight rain, and looks a fair bet with market leader Marracudja better on quick ground and something of a short runner in any case.

3:00 WILLIAM HILL HANDICAP HURDLE (Listed) 1M 7F 152Y

Song Light refused to race in the Swinton at Haydock in the spring, but that looked an aberration at the time, and he warmed up for this by running away with a flat handicap at Goodwood last month, looking better than ever, so he can be expected to outrun generous-looking odds of 16/1 here.

Placed in the Greatwood at Cheltenham last November, he’s clearly well-suited by big-field handicaps, and his fifth in the Ladbroke Hurdle here a couple of years ago was a meritorious performance, so it’s hard to imagine why he’s been ignored in the market. His Goodwood win was a career-best in terms of flat form, and he returns to hurdles on a fair mark, so will not be far away assuming he takes to blinkers.

On a side note, Timeform note in the aftermath of Haydock that he had “hitherto seemed anything but temperamental”, but he’s been landed with a squiggle in their racecard, and that seems very harsh on balance.

3:35 SODEXO GOLD CUP HANDICAP CHASE (Grade 3) 2M 7F 180Y

Fourth Act finished a creditable fourth in this corresponding event 12 months ago, and is fancied to improve on that having slipped in the weights. The son of King’s Theatre has suffered from wind issues at various points of his career, but is reported to have had a breathing operation since last seen, and is favourably handicapped at present.

It usually pays to have a light weight in this, and Fourth Act fits the bill, as does Dark Flame, who looked a good prospect last season, and who would be a danger to all if readied for this by Richard Rowe. Dark Flame won on his seasonal return last term, so his ability to go well fresh is respected, and he promises to find further improvement at this trip.

4:05 THAMES MATERIALS STANDARD OPEN NATIONAL HUNT FLAT 1M 7F 152Y

Kateson is bred to do well at the winter game, his dam being a useful sort for co-owner David Richards, and he impressed when winning a Chepstow bumper recently despite looking very green indeed in the process. He’ll achieve more when eventually tackling fences, but looks a promising recruit, and is better than the bare form of his debut win, and is worth backing to follow up.

WETHERBY SATURDAY

2:05 olbg.com MARES’ HURDLE (Listed) 2M

This really ought to go to the classy La Bague Au Roi, who is held in very high esteem at the Warren Greatrex yard, and won four of her six races last season, including at this level. She came up a little short at Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring when unable to dominate. The return to a smaller field will suit, and she can be expected to cope with the expected rain better than most, bred as she is, and her win at the Hennessy meeting at Newbury last winter sets the bar pretty high in this company. I’d expect her to improve on what she was capable of as a novice, and it will be a huge disappointment if she can’t get off to the perfect start.

2:40 bet365 (West Yorkshire) HURDLE (Grade 2) 3M 26Y

Some likeable types in opposition, but this seems to boil down to a match between Lil Rockerfeller and Ptit Zig, and the former is simply much more reliable, and gets the vote to improve on his excellent third in last year’s renewal.

That was his first try at the trip and he was ridden with a degree of restraint, but he’s unsurprisingly shown himself to be capable of better form at three miles when aggressively handled, and he should prove hard to pass. Ptit Zig is arguably better suited by the relatively flat track, but he disappointed more than once last season, and it’s hard to know whether he will run up to his best.

3:15 bet365 CHARLIE HALL CHASE (Grade 2) 3M 45Y

Bristol De Mai is a value alternative to the market leaders in an excellent edition of this historic contest. Nigel Twiston-Davies’s grey was spectacular when winning at Haydock in January, and that race in heavy ground probably left its mark next time. He very much caught the eye in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, travelling and jumping well on the whole, but blundering badly at the last when still holding frame claims.

He’s capable of going very well fresh, and Wetherby ought to suit him ideally in terms of its demands in terms of jumping and stamina, so a big run is very much on the cards. It goes without saying that he would struggle to cope with a peak-form Coneygree, but the wellbeing of Mark Bradstock’s star is taken on trust. It should be remembered that Bristol De Mai is still only six and should be reaching his peak now.

RECOMMENDED

BRISTOL DE MAI 3.15 Wetherby - 1pt win @ 10/1 (Hills, Stan James)

SONG LIGHT 3.00 Ascot - 1pt e/w @ 16/1 (SkyBet, BetVictor)

DARK FLAME 3.35 Ascot - 1pt win @ 9/1 (Hills)