Saturday Racing Tips: Collonges is the Classic choice

Jump racing dominates across the UK & Ireland on Saturday, accounting for four of the six meetings.

Amongst our fancies on the day is a chaser trained by Charlie Longsdon who is attempting to go three places better than when fourth in the Classic Chase at Warwick last year.

13:10 Wetherby - Colonel Harry @ 5/6

Colonel Harry only has three horses to beat now in a depleted field for the Grade 2 2m3.5f Towton Novices' Chase at Wetherby, but he is one of the most likely winners on the day.

He is dropping in class after running second in the 2m Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown last month. He rallied into that position on that occasion and won a 3m Irish point earlier on in his career, so this step up to an intermediate trip looks likely to suit.

The seven-year-old should cope with the testing ground too, being 3-5 on soft and heavy ground, and may build further on his perceived formbook superiority over this opposition.

13:30 Kempton - Flegmatik @ 11/4

Finally, Flegmatik is worth backing to win the Class 2 3m handicap chase at Kempton.

He is dropping in class after his good third in a better Ascot handicap chase last month.

The selection has won and placed twice from his five starts at Kempton including a success over this course and distance in February 2022, and is 4-15 on good to soft and good ground.

The capable 3lb-claiming jockey Tristan Durrell takes the mount. He has a 17% strike-rate over fences for Dan Skelton, who has a healthy 17% strike-rate with his runners over fences on this course.

15:00 Warwick - Guetapan Collonges @ 8/1

Guetapan Collonges finished fourth on heavy ground in a stronger running of Warwick's 3m5f Classic Premier Handicap Chase in 2023 and he is thought likely to get much more competitive on this occasion with the ground likely to be riding on the good to soft side of soft.

The selection has improved since last year and features from a sweet spot part of the handicap on this occasion, carrying 11st 4lb off a 10lb higher rating of 136. Four of the last five winners carried 11st 4lb or less to victory and the same number were officially rated between 133 and 140.

His trainer Charlie Longsdon has a healthy 16% strike-rate with his runners over fences at Warwick including through Guetapan Collonges over a slightly shorter trip here in November 2022.

The eight-year-old is 6-11 on soft and good to soft ground and he has decent claims if building on his good third in a similar race over a slightly short trip at Cheltenham in November.