The Berkshire Winter Millions moves up a gear on Saturday. Following a sizzling opening day at Windsor, the action switches to nearby Ascot for the newest racing festival in town.
The ITV squad will be in attendance at the Berkshire venue to screen four contests into your homes, including the huge head-to-head clash between Jonbon and Energumene in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase.
With supporting action from Haydock and Lingfield, there’s plenty for punters to get stuck into. Here, we pick out our four best bets as we aim for a profit with a Saturday TV Lucky 15.
14:15 Ascot – bet365 Handicap Chase
The stayers take to the track in this 10-runner 2m5f handicap on the Ascot Berkshire Winter Million card. Course winners Martator, Kotmask, and Scarface all feature prominently in the market and merit a second look.
Martator, in particular, arrives in a rich vein of form, having won each of his last three handicap outings and finished third in a Grade 2 at Kempton last time. However, he’s up to this trip for the first time and on a career-high mark of 151, which just sways us towards one at a bigger price.
Lucy Wadham’s Terresita looked set to master Martator when the pair clashed at Sandown in April - travelling much the best, the mare had just hit the front when falling two from home. She received 4lb from Marator that day but gets fully 17lb here. That brings her firmly into contention from a handicapping perspective, as does her Listed success over the smart Galia Des Liteaux on her seasonal return. She wasn’t quite so good when third at Ascot last time, but gets 2lb help from the handicapper for that and arrives fresh following a 57-day break.
Recommended Bet: Terresita each way @ 15/2 with BetVictor
14:30 Haydock – Sky Bet Peter Marsh Handicap Chase
The Venetia Williams-trained Royal Pagaille heads the betting in the feature event from Merseyside. A five-time winner at this track, those successes include the 2021 and 2022 editions of this event off marks of 156 and 163. With no race in 2023 or 2024 due to a frozen track, the tough-as-teak eleven-year-old bids to become the first three-time winner of this event. Despite a welter burden of 12st, we like his chances of going well, but not quite enough to take the general 2/1 on offer.
Having mastered the talented Iroko at this track in November, Trelawne makes some appeal at around 9/2, but we prefer an each-way punt on one at a double-figure price.
Successful in Grade 2 company when based with Gordon Elliott, Imagine came in for strong market support ahead of his debut for Harry Derham in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, only to disappoint on the day. However, we are happy to draw a line through that effort, which came following a 307-day break on ground far quicker than ideal. Back on soft ground – and soft at Haydock really does mean soft – he should be seen in a much better light. Boasting career form figures of on soft or worse going of 1125114, he is an appealing price to at least hit the frame.
Recommended Bet: Imagine each way @ 12/1 with BetVictor
14:50 Ascot – Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle
Fourteen go to post in a race which has a nice each-way shape. Nicky Henderson’s Aston Martini makes plenty of appeal at double-figure odds on the pick of her form from last season. However, we would like to have seen a little more in her two outings in the current campaign.
The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Josh The Boss and another Henderson runner, Doddiethegreat, have the ability to take a hand off their current marks, whilst Wilful, from the Jonjo & A J O’Neill operation, appeals at a really big price.
However, we suspect that the market is right to make Harry Fry’s Altobelli favourite to prevail. This one let us down at Doncaster last time but did remarkably well to finish as close as he did. Almost last turning into the straight of that 2m contest, he appeared to have no chance, only to produce a jet-propelled finishing effort to go down by just a length at the line. The manner of that performance suggested that a step up in trip was in order. He gets that here, and a similar finishing effort could well be enough to come home in front.
Recommended Bet: Altobelli each way @ 5/1 with BetVictor
15:05 Haydock – Sky Bet Cheltenham Non-Runner No Bet Handicap Hurdle
Dan Skelton’s Punta Del Este heads the market in this stamina-sapping affair but could be worth taking on. Having finished in the first three in seven of 13 outings, he scores well for consistency but has yet to win beyond 2m5½f - his two efforts beyond that distance yielding a 14l defeat and a pulled-up outing over this track and trip.
In a tricky heat, the one to take a chance on is the Philp Kirby runner, Burshypark. As the only course and distance winner in the field, this one immediately caught our eye. That success came in December 2023 when making all the running in a heavy ground event off a mark of 115. He’s 1lb lower here, and that ability to plough through the Haydock mud counts for plenty.
Recommended Bet: Lossiemouth each way @ 8/1 with BetVictor
A 50p each way Lucky 15 on the above selections at the recommended prices returns £4,737.16 with BetVictor if all four horses win and £82.66 if all four only place.
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
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