Wetherby Saturday

1:35 Bet365 Handicap Chase (Challenger Series Qualifier) 2m3f85y

A case of sorts can be made for almost all the field, but the vote goes to the lightly-raced She’sasupermack, who bettered her hurdles form at the first time of asking when second at Musselburgh in February, and built on that when a cosy winner at Newcastle the following month.

Her jumping has looked very tidy for a novice, and given she was 15 lengths clear of the others behind a subsequent winner at Musselburgh, and had a fair bit to spare, a total rise in the weights of 5lb for those runs looks lenient.

She ran up to her best after an absence at Kelso in December, so fitness is not a serious issue, and the early 12/1 underestimates her chance.

2:10 Bet365 Mares’ Hurdle (Listed) 2m

An odds-on favourite and seven runners means that this is not a great betting race, and Verdana Blue should win this even if running to the same form which saw her beaten at Kempton on her return.

She ought to have been fit there, although she had a small issue which saw her miss the Cesarewitch, so perhaps was more in need of the run than expected. If she is back to the form which saw her win the Christmas Hurdle and Scottish Champion, she will be hard to touch, but more rain would be a negative, and all in all, it’s hard to back her, but harder still to oppose her.

2:45 Bet365 Hurdle (Grade 2) (West Yorkshire Hurdle) 3m26y

False favourite alert! The Stayers’ Hurdle won by Lisnagar Oscar was a shocking affair, confirmed by the clock and the collateral form lines, and while he’s a likeable type, he is nowhere near the best horse in this race.

That would be Roksana, whose form last season when second in the Relkeel Hurdle is superior to that of the favourite, even without considering the weight she receives here. She does most of her racing over shorter, but two runs at three miles or further have seen her beaten only by Santini and If the Cap Fits, and both of those runs have come at Aintree, so the layout of Wetherby should suit her fine.

She did disappoint behind Honeysuckle at Cheltenham when last seen, but even a reproduction of that run would give her a decent shout at the weights here.

3:20 Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase (Grade 2) 3m45y

Cyrname is the pick of these, but the elephant in the room with him is that he appears to only be fully effective at Ascot, while the slog he had with Altior there last season seemed to leave a mark on them both, with Cyrname beaten when falling in the Ascot Chase after a disappointing effort in the King George.

He jumped repeatedly to the right when last tried left-handed, and Paul Nicholls’s insistence on coming here looks like bloody-mindedness to me.

Vinndication has also been accused of needing to go right-handed, but that is not borne out by the formbook, as his fourth under a big weight in the old National Hunt Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in March looks a career best, while he also ran well there the previous season. He goes well fresh, and was very impressive when winning on his return at Ascot last year, and he is definitely value to beat the favourite.

Sam Spinner is also quite short, but his form over fences simply does not entitle him to his position in the market, while he has a bit to prove coming back from injury.

Ascot Saturday

1:20 Ascot Underwriting Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase 2m2f175y

The one who interests me here is Sully D’Oc, who is now lower in the weights than when running well to be second to a Venetia Williams rocket at Newbury’s Winter Festival (the Hennessy meeting for older readers), and while he didn’t match that afterwards, he often shaped better than the bare result, and gave the impression he would appreciate the return to better ground.

He’s had wind surgery since last seen, and wears a tongue tie for the first time, and that could make a big difference, while Anthony Honeyball has had three wins and three seconds from his last eight winners, which adds to the optimism.

1:55 tote.co.uk Handicap Chase (Listed) 2m167y

Capeland was a desperately unlucky loser in this race last year before winning next time over the same course and distance, and he was subsequently overfaced in Grade 1 company.

This return to handicaps will suit (you can ignore a poor run in the Grand Annual as he hates the Cheltenham Festival, and has beaten only one horse on each of his runs there in March), and although he’s 7lb higher than his last winning mark, he absolutely skated up by 12 lengths that day, and he can give the weight away for his in-form stable.

3:40 Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 2m7f180y

Whatmore was a pretty smart novice at this trip last season, finishing third in the Grade 2 Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick behind Two For Gold, and placed against handicappers in the race which used to be the Racing Post Chase at Kempton, and in the Northern Trust at Cheltenham in March.

He can race off the same mark as he did for those runs, and with improvement to come in his second season, he must go well. His record after a break of two months or more reads 111373, so he’s expected to be well forward, and his yard had Honest Vic produce a career-best effort after a similar break last weekend.

Recommended

She’sasupermack 1:35 Wetherby – 1pt win @ 12/1 (Betfair, BetVictor, Paddy Power)

Roksana 2:45 Wetherby – 2pts win @ 3/1 (general)

Vinndicationn 3:20 Wetherby – 2pts win @ 11/4 (Bet365, Hills)

Whatmore 3:40 Ascot – 1pt win @ 6/1 (Bet365, 11/2 Betfair, Paddy Power)