Horse Racing Tips: Make it Montassib in the Sprint

Six meetings remain across Britain and Ireland on Saturday following the abandonment of Newton Abbot over jumps. First off is Catterick and then Ascot’s Premier Raceday and their six-race British Champions Day card, featuring the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Group 1 Champions Stakes.

They also go at Limerick, Stratford and Leopardstown, while the evening meeting comes from Wolverhampton. Among our Saturday fancies is one for trainer William Haggas in the Group 1 Champions Sprint on a big day at Ascot.

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

13.55 Ascot - Montassib @ 11/2

Ascot’s £500,000 Group 1 6f Champions Sprint can go to MONTASSIB, representing William Haggas.

Rain is forecast overnight and into Saturday morning at Ascot, so the ground is thought likely to remain testing.

The six-year-old is 5-7 over 6f and 3-3 on soft ground. He made a lasting impression when quickening up well to land Doncaster’s Listed Cammidge Trophy Stakes in March.

He could finish only sixth of 14 in York’s Group 2 6f Clipper Stakes in May but bounced back with a Group 3 6f Chipchase Stakes success on Newcastle’s Tapeta surface in June.

Following a small break, the Exceed And Excel gelding confirmed himself to be in prime form when registering a peak Racing Post Rating (RPR) of 119 in making his Group 1-winning breakthrough in Haydock’s 6f Sprint Cup Stakes last month.

Cieren Fallon gets on particularly well with the high-class sprinter in the saddle and they can follow up back on a soft surface.

14.35 Ascot - Grateful ew @ 16/1

GRATEFUL makes plenty of each-way appeal on Saturday afternoon when contesting the £500,000 Group 1 1m3.5f Champions Fillies And Mares Stakes at Ascot, representing Aidan O’Brien in a 14-runner field with Christophe Soumillon in the saddle.

Stablemate Content has obvious form claims at her best under Ryan Moore, but her inconsistent profile is a concern and Grateful is an improving three-year-old filly who will hardly be wanting for talent in the saddle with the enigmatic Belgian on top.

The daughter of Galileo readily landed Longchamp’s Group 1 1m6f Prix de Royallieu on soft ground two weeks ago, her third success from seven starts. And she remains open to more progression, even over this slightly shorter trip with the testing ground helping to stretch her opponents’ stamina limitations.

16.35 Ascot - Mr Professor ew @ 14/1

Finally, MR PROFESSOR is another worth backing each-way when representing Lambourn trainer Raphael Freire in the £200,000 Class 2 1m Balmoral Handicap from Ascot.

The five-year-old gelding will arrive fresh for this assignment for his new yard, having had a four-month break since running down the field in the 7f Buckingham Palace Handicap on quick ground at Royal Ascot in June.

The selection is 4-12 over a mile and 3-9 on soft ground, as when landing the Lincoln Handicap when fresh at Doncaster in March, and he could return to winning ways from a 5lb higher mark under ideal conditions.

Horse Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.