ASCOT SATURDAY

13:35 SODEXO REYNOLDSTOWN NOVICES’ CHASE (GRADE 2) 2M 7F 180Y

Now McGinty jumped much better when making all the running in a solid-looking novice at Chepstow last time, beating De Rasher Counter and Captain Cattistock, and although that form hasn’t been tested subsequently, the placed horses look decent chasers in the making, and this full-brother to Lexus Chase winner Outlander is taken to come out on top of a bunch who look closely matched on paper.

The son of Stowaway was initially trained by his breeder Ronnie O’Neill, and gained plenty of experience in bumpers, but he only really flourished as a hurdler last March, and looks ready to blossom as a chaser as spring approaches.

Mister Malarky impressed in a handicap at Newbury last time, and is the type to do well in similar events, and while he’s feared here, he’s of even more interest if taking on more experienced chasers at the spring festivals.

14:10 KELTBRAY SWINLEY CHASE (LIMITED HANDICAP) (LISTED) 2M 7F 180Y

Reikers Island is taking on much more experienced rivals, including a Gold Cup winner and another successful at Grade 1 level, but he’s a horse on a sharp upward curve, and can prove he’s still ahead of his mark by scoring in this exalted company.

A really impressive winner of the Silver Buck chase at Wincanton on his penultimate outing, he may well have followed up but for a blunder at the last at Newbury in the Mandarin Chase, and he did that despite looking unsuited by the track.

Having jumped out to his right at Newbury, he will appreciate the return to racking clockwise, and there appears to be plenty more to come from the six-year-old son of Yeats.

14:45 BETFAIR DENMAN CHASE (GRADE 2) 2M 7F 180Y

I’m in no rush to take odds of 2/5 or shorter about Clan des Obeaux here given his progress has not always been smooth, and he has started 3/1 or shorter on 11 occasions in his short career, losing seven of those.

That is not the profile of a horse you want to back at short odds, for all he can make a big impression in victory, as he did when springing a surprise in the King George last time.

He is undoubtedly the best horse in the race, but that is not the sole criterion for finding selections, and I rate Terrefort a bet at the prices.

Terrefort was put up as a bet for the Gold Cup here a few weeks ago at 66/1, and I thought he ran very well when third in the Cotswold Chase, the impression he left being that he needed the run having suffered an injury behind Thomas Patrick on his return to action at Sandown.

Prior to that he had shown some improvement for the step up to this sort of trip when beating Ms Parfois and Elegent Escape in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree.

That performance was arguably as good as the one put up by Clan des Obeaux when third to Might Bite in the Betway Bowl the day before, and the son of Martaline can be expected to improve further now, so there is a fine chance that he can beat that rival in receipt of weight.

You can take the view that the King George represents a big step forward for the favourite, but the clock does not agree, and my view is that while he needed to be a high-class performer to score, the race did pan out beautifully for him.

15:20 BETFAIR HURDLE (HANDICAP) (GRADE 3) 1M 7F 152Y

This contest is unrecognisable from the one due to be staged at Newbury, and I’m trying to adjust my view accordingly.

He hadn’t entered my thoughts previously, but I’m now of the opinion that William H Bonney is overpriced at around 20/1.

On one hand he has climbed the weights for two wins against lesser opposition which is usually a reason to oppose horses at this level, but he’s still lower in the handicap than when running well in some tougher races last season.

No horse travelled better than he did in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham last term, but he kept to the inside of the track when the principals remained on the better ground out wide, and that remains the best guide to his ability.

He didn’t see his races out later in the season having typically travelled well, and had a wind operation in the spring.

Like many horses, it was his second subsequent run which saw him return to form when winning at Hereford, and he was better when following up at Huntingdon last time.

The jury is out as to whether he would have won either of those races against stronger opposition, but it will have done his confidence good, and he stayed on encouragingly on his latest start having briefly looked like he wouldn’t find a great deal.

15:55 BETFAIR ASCOT CHASE (GRADE 1) 2M 5F 8Y

Waiting Patiently attempts to repeat last year’s stunning success in this contest, and put behind him his unfortunate King George experience. He deserves to head the market, but this is a much tougher race than it looks at first glance, with Politologue a real force short of three miles, and stablemate Cyrname improving out of all recognition when ridden aggressively here last time, a performance backed up by the clock.

That pair are respected, but I wonder if another runner hasn’t been underestimated.

Fox Norton was due to run in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury last weekend and would have been an odds-on favourite.

It’s true that this would be an afterthought, but the trip is well within his compass, and he showed that his ability was still there when beaten seven lengths by Altior in the Clarence House Chase here last month.

His record is not to be sniffed at, and his effort when injured in the 2017 King George was the first time he’s been out of the first two since his novice days.

He was looked after when beaten in the Clarence House, and the form he showed when winning the Melling Chase in 2017 before defeating Un de Sceaux at Punchestown is a reminder of how exciting he can be.

RECOMMENDED:

REIKERS ISLAND 14:10 Ascot – 1pt win @ 11/4 (general)

TERREFORT 14:45 Ascot – 2pts win @ 5/2 (general)

WILLIAM H BONNEY 15:20 Ascot – 1pt e/w @ 20/1 (general – 5 places)

FOX NORTON 15:55 Ascot – 1pt win @ 13/2 (general)