Saturday’s Racing Tips: Beauport has strong Ascot credentials

Jump racing holds sway in the UK on Saturday with five meetings taking place throughout the day. 

First off though is Newmarket before they go over jumps at Ayr, Wetherby and Ascot, and finish off on the AW at Chelmsford.

Amongst our Saturday fancies is one for in-form trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies in the feature 3m Premier Handicap Chase at Ascot, which looks a particularly good renewal with the 2021 Exeter Haldon Gold Cup winner Eldorado Allen heading the handicap off 154. 

15.45 Ascot - Beauport @ 7/2

Ascot's feature contest this Saturday is a particularly good renewal of the 3m Sodexo Live! Gold Cup Premier Handicap Chase.

Nigel Twiston-Davies has begun the autumn jumping campaign in fine style. He is 5-24 in the past fortnight to illustrate the point. The ground is going to be testing and his seven-year-old gelding BEAUPORT (7/2) has placed on his only start on heavy ground and is 4-10 on a soft surface.

Nine winners of this race since 2013 carried 11st 3lb or less to victory and this factor may be accentuated in the likely gruelling conditions. Beauport (11st 2lb) is the highest-rated horse in the favoured weight-band.

The selection was travelling well when falling at a relatively late stage over slightly further at Aintree in the spring, and he finished a close second and won when making his seasonal reappearance on soft ground in November 2021 and October 2022 to illustrate just how well he goes when racing fresh in the prevailing conditions.

14.05 Ascot - First Flow @ 5/1

Nine runners go to post in the extended 2m Byrne Group Plate Premier Handicap Chase earlier on the Ascot card, and FIRST FLOW (5/1), representing Kim Bailey, has been found a good opportunity to get competitive once again at one of his favourite hunting grounds provided the fire still burns brightly enough on this seasonal return aged 11.

Bailey is 2-11 in the past fortnight and this stable stalwart is certainly handicapped to go well. The selection is 10-18 on soft or heavy ground and 2-6 on this course including two course-and-distance victories on soft ground.

One of those course-and-distance wins came on his seasonal reappearance in November 2020 and the other in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase in January 2021, and despite his age, he makes some each-way appeal off 158 in ideal conditions.

17.00 Chelmsford - Don Simon @ 5/1 

The Class 5 1m Racing Welfare Newcomers' Maiden Stakes is made up of nine juveniles who have never raced.

DON SIMON (5/1) is drawn well in stall two, has the services of the talented Billy Loughnane in the saddle and is a particularly well-bred colt representing trainer Ed Dunlop, who knows the family well having trained his mother to win the 2011 Oaks at Epsom.

His sire Sea The Stars is 7-20 in non-handicap juvenile races at Chelmsford and those positive factors have spiked enough interest for an each-way speculation on his claims.

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