Horse Racing Tips: Nicholls set for super Saturday at Ascot

It’s another day of Premier Racing action on Saturday afternoon, with the Ascot Chase taking centre stage. There’s also the Grand National trial at Haydock and the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton to get stuck into.

I've picked out a few horse racing tips from across the card - including the winner from last year’s Ascot Chase who looks capable of going in again.

13:36 Wincanton - Burdett Road @ 4/6

It’s hard to look past Burdett Road in this year’s Kingwell Hurdle. He’s carried on his progression this season after a promising juvenile campaign last year and he made a winning return to hurdles in a competitive Cheltenham handicap at the November meeting.

He then went on to chase home Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth on Boxing Day at Kempton and was only beaten nine lengths. He sets a really solid standard on that level of form and this speed test is probably going to favour him over the others in the field.

15:00 Ascot - Victtorino @ 7/2

Another runner on Saturday with a superb record at Ascot is Victtorino who has won three of his four starts at the Berkshire venue.

He got the better of a progressive rival here in December and a 3lb rise for that success looks on the lenient side from the assessor. He’s likely to get a decent pace to aim at again in this field and he looks like a worthy favourite in a winnable race.

15:37 Ascot - Pic D'Orhy @ 7/4

The Ascot Chase is the feature race across all of Saturday’s cards in Britain and Ireland and it’s the final chance for horses that appreciate the intermediate trip to strut their stuff before the Cheltenham Festival in a month’s time.

Ascot produces its fair share of course specialists, particularly on the chase track due to its sharp nature and it can be difficult to make up ground if a front-runner gets away on the front end.

One that fits the bill is Pic D’Orhy, last year’s winner of the race who may be able to gain another uncontested lead this time.

He returned with a course win, an effort worth marking up given that many of Paul Nicholls’ stable have needed their first run of the season and that was also his first outing since a wind procedure so we can expect him to come on for that here.

This track really plays to his strengths with an emphasis on speed and his only defeat in four attempts over this course and distance was when losing out to the top class Shishkin in this race two years ago.

Corbetts Cross might find things happening too quickly for him and L’Homme Presse won’t be fully tuned up with the Gold Cup around the corner. This is a chance for Pic D’Orhy to show what he’s all about and he can take his course and distance record to four from five.

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