Horse Racing Tips: Pic D’Orhy bidding for historic ride

There are a total of six race meetings scheduled across Britain and Ireland on Saturday, with Ascot’s 1965 Chase Meeting and Haydock’s Betfair Chase Day the clear highlights. However, there’s some strong supporting action, namely from Punchestown.

First off is Punchestown (11:30), closely followed by Huntingdon (11:45), Haydock (12:08) and Ascot (12.25), prior to two AW floodlit meetings at Newcastle (15:30) and Wolverhampton (16:25). Amongst our Saturday fancies is one for trainer Paul Nicholls, who is bidding to become the first three-time winner of the Grade 2 1965 at Ascot. Read on for my horse racing tips.

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12:32 Punchestown - Kitzbuhel @ 1/2

Willie Mullins has introduced Final Demand and Kopak De Bordes to win impressively on their chasing debuts this past week and it’s hoped that KITZBUHEL - who showed some excellent form over a variety of trips over hurdles last season - can follow suit.

The five-year-old created a good impression on his Irish/stable debut when cruising to a win over 2m here in December and he added to that, enhancing his reputation in the process, when bagging at Grade 3 at Gowran subsequently.

Sent-off favourite for the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle over an extended 3m at Aintree in April, he ran a solid race to finish fifth. He was then unlucky not to win the Grade 2 Select Hurdle back at 2m5f at Sandown later that month, rallying strongly on the run-in having lost his position when squeezed out on the run to two out.

12:40 Haydock - Escapeandevade @ 11/4

There was a lot to like about the run of ESCAPEANDEVADE on his debut for in-form trainer Harry Derham at Worcester last month and he’ll be hard to beat if improving at all on that.

The selection was previously in the care of James Ewart and he enjoyed plenty of success for that Borders-based handler, including when reeling off a hat-trick over fences in the early part of last year - those wins coming off marks of 118, 124 and 128.

He’s not won since, but his last two efforts have been really encouraging, signing off for Ewart with a second at Kelso in March and again finding one too good on his stable debut at Worcester.

He’s now 7lb below his last win and has strong claims of cashing in.

13:30 Ascot - Pic D’Orhy @ 5/2

Paul Nicholls has farmed this Grade 2 over the years, winning it on nine occasions, including twice with Master Minded, Al Ferof and PIC D’ORHY, who bids to become the first horse to win the race on three separate occasions.

Indeed, he’s won the last two renewals, slamming Strawfan Jack in 2023 and making every yard of the running when landing a substandard event 12 months ago. He loves Ascot, winning five races at the track in total, including the Grade 1 Ascot chase over this course-and-distance in each of the last two seasons.

He ran a lovely race on his comeback when second behind Djelo in the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby at the start of the month and that ought to have brought him on from a physical perspective.

Ground conditions should be fine for him and he’s preferred over likely favourite Il Est Francais, who has struggled badly with consistency over the last couple of years in France and now makes his debut for Tom George.

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