Ascot Racing Tips: Saturday ITV Racing Best Bets, Including The Long Walk Hurdle

Our Ascot racing tips on Saturday come from the three ITV4 races, including the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle – a race that is a good guide ahead of the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Ascot Racing Tips On Saturday 23rd December 2023

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• 2:25 – Howden Long Walk Hurdle 3m½f ITV4: PAISLEY PARK (e/w)
• 3:00 – Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase 3m ITV4: BLACKJACK MAGIC
• 3:35 – Betfair Exchange Trophy 1m7½f ITV4: IBERICO LORD

2:25 – Howden Long Walk Hurdle 3m½f ITV4

SportsLens (Andy Newton) 1-2-3 Ascot ITV Racing Tips: PAISLEY PARK, who is named after the singer Prince’s former home, can hit the right notes again – in a race he’s won three times in the past.

This veteran of the staying hurdle sphere mopped up the Long Walk Hurdle in 2018, 2020 and 2022 (run at Kempton), and despite being an old-age pensioner at 11 is still loving his racing. Paisley Park returned at the start of this month to run a close second in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury and with that race coming after 260-days will be spot-on for this.

His old rival Champ, who won this in 2021 and is also aged 11, is a horse that goes well fresh and is another oldtimer expected to be bang-there too. While even though the new kids in this division – Crambo and West Balboa – are respected the improving Blueking D’Oroux for Paul Nicholls looks better value.

• PAISLEY PARK (e/w)
  
• Champ
• Blueking D’Oroux

3:00 – Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase 3m ITV4

SportsLens (Andy) 1-2-3 Ascot ITV Racing Tips: A very tight race with a stack of chances. Horses aged 7 or 8 have won 10 of the last 17, while with 94% of the last 17 winners having raced in the last seven weeks this is another stat to note. However, trainer Antony Honeyball has his horses in good order, and he’s also won this race a few times in recent years with Regal Encore.

He’s got a leading chance of adding to that with BLACKJACK MAGIC, who won the Badger Beer Handicap Chase at Wincanton last time out (watch below). That form has been franked with the second – Threeunderthrufive – running well at Cheltenham last week, and a 6lb rise for that 3-length win last time doesn’t look too harsh.

Of the rest, another yard that are in top form at the moment is Venetia Williams and they also won this race in 2013 with Houblon Des Obeaux. They run Victtorino, who was a tidy winner over this course and distance last month and is up just 4lbs. Git Maker, for the Jamie Snowden camp is another promising staying handicap chaser that is yet to finish out of the first two from his five runs over fences.

• BLACKJACK MAGIC
  
• Victtorino
• Git Maker

3:35 – Betfair Exchange Trophy 1m7½f ITV4

SportsLens (Andy Newton) 1-2-3 Ascot ITV Racing Tips: Another race that cases can be made for many. However, the powerful Nicky Henderson yard have done well in this race over the years and it’s interesting they are mob-handed again with three runners – IBERICO LORD, Impose Toi and Luccia.

Of the trio, main jockey Nico de Boinville has opted to ride Iberico Lord and the hint should be noted. He ran away with the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham last month (watch below) and despite the form taking a few knocks since the fact Nico is sticking with him is a good pointer. An 8lb rise means more is needed, but this JP McManus horse could easily progress out of handicap company and at just 5 years-old and with only six career runs will have more to come.

The Gary Moore runner Hansard won well at Newbury last time and is respected again despite having a big weight (12st) to carry, while after a dry spell the Harry Fry yard had a nice winner in the week and that bodes well for Altobeli, who was a fine second here last time out.

• IBERICO LORD
  
• Hansard
• Altobeli