ITV Racing Tips: Just the NINE races, live, on ITV’s superb Saturday

It's Sprint Cup day at Haydock, and the ITV cameras are taking the first five on the card which embraces not only the huge 6f Group 1 dash but a G3 and a Listed contest, too.

Add two crackers each from Kempton and Ascot and it makes for a bumper NINE-race spectacular for our Saturday afternoon entertainment. Here's a few words about each contest, and our idea concerning who might just prevail. The ITV Racing Tips start with Haydock's 13:15.

Horse Racing Odds

Fast Racing Results

ITV Schedule in full; 

13.15 Haydock - 1m Betfair Superior Mile (Group 3)
13.50 Haydock - 1m Betfair Betting Ascendant Stakes (Listed)
14.25 Haydock - 1m 6f Betfair Handicap
15.00 Haydock - 1m 6f Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup (Handicap)
15.35 Haydock - 6f Betfair Sprint Cup (Group 1)

14.40 Ascot - 7f Ascot Handicap
15.15 Ascot - 1m 4f Silent Pool Handicap

13.35 Kempton - 1m 4f Unibet September Stakes (Group 3)
14.05 Kempton - 1m Unibet London Mile Series Final

Rationale;

13.15 Haydock - Make Me King @ 10/3

Owners Wathnan Racing are chasing another excellent pot with their five-year-old Dark Angel gelding Make Me King.

Hamad Al Jehani trains at HQ, and regular retained pilot James Doyle is doing the steering. Beaten only a length by Jonquil in a G2 at Goodwood 13 days ago, this G3 looks to be right up his street - in fact, he nearly took one at Chantilly in June (beaten 0.5l).

One mile seems to be his trip all right, and he must have a terrific chance. Best-rated horse (111) in the field.

13.35 Kempton - Giavellotto @ 5/2

Fairly small field but a good one, befitting this £50k+ G3. The selection Giavellotto is trained by Marco Botti, and will be ridden by champion Oisin Murphy (regular recent arrangement).

The six-year-old entire, a son of Mastercraftsman, has an excellent record of seven-from-20 lifetime, and though he didn't trouble the principals when last seen in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, the two who finished ahead of him were Jan Brueghel and eventual G1 King George hero Calandagan.

These are far calmer waters and he won here on debut in an 11-runner novice back in December 2021. He's kept some very, very tasty company down the years (the likes of Kyprios, Vauban, Eldar Eldarov, Coltrane) and should have a fantastic scrap with Kalpana who's a terrible price as I write, and I'd much rather take her on than back her.

13.50 Haydock - Bow Echo @ 15/8

Reliable, deadly combo at work here - jockey Billy Loughnane and trainer George Boughey.

Bow Echo is well entered up despite having had just the one run so far (an easy 4.5l Newbury maiden success), which includes the G2 Betfred Champagne Stakes at the Leger meeting which takes place next weekend.

The promising two-year-old Night Of Thunder colt races in the famous colours of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, and on Newbury evidence is smart. He looks to have Publish to beat, from Team Gosden, but as that colt has had the benefit of two runs against our selection's one, I'm hopeful that there's plenty more to come.

Mouth-watering Listed affair that should prove most informative.

14.05 Kempton - Local Hero @ 13/2

A very warm Class 2 one-mile handicap now, big-ish field, and each-way is well worth thinking about (we're paying four places).

Local Hero is a four-year-old Phoenix Of Spain gelding who's dropped to a very tempting-looking handicap mark of 86. Probably needs a bit of respite from the assessor, but it's his lowest mark since June last year.

If he were to recapture form shown in the spring, especially here in March when beaten just a head in this grade off 91, he'd be in with a tremendous shout.

His shrewd handler Richard Hannon needs no introduction, and jockey Sean Levey knows him well.

14.25 Haydock - Gran Descans @ 5/1

More famous colours - this time the mighty Juddmonte silks of Dancing Brave, Enable, Frankel et al. Always get goosebumps just seeing them floating by.

Gran Descans is a three-year-old colt by none other than Frankel himself, and has shown progressive form in his four spins to date. Maiden sighter at Sandown first up, ran wide, and never really got into things.

Made handsome amends, winning his next two (novice stakes level), before last time tackling a Class 3 handicap at Newcastle 16 days ago. His 3.75l conqueror Circus Of Rome reopposes today, but there's a considerable shift in the weights (our selection conceded 2lb last time, but today is in receipt of 7lb).

He's stepping up to 1m 6f too, which looks sure to suit, and will be having career start number five - still bags of time to be showing further improvement. It's another fantastic race, fair-sized field, and massively competitive.

It's a grade higher, but that looks an entirely logical step and he gets the brilliant Will Buick in the saddle too, for the first time. Huge chance.

14.40 Ascot - Leadman @ 8/1

I've followed this fella off the proverbial cliff in recent months but in all fairness he's done little wrong.

Leadman won off 83 at HQ in July, and the five-year-old Kingman gelding has attracted support in his subsequent three outings since, one of which was a head-second in another warm one at Newbury.

Last time at York he didn't get the best of runs and was beaten only 3.5l in the Clipper, taken by Bullet Point (now rated 105). Off 91 here, David O'Meara's raider is less likely to be inconvenienced by any soft ground than most and can come with a telling late burst to get involved at the death.

The excellent Harry Davies rides, for the first time. Each-way is well worth thinking about (we're paying five places).

15.00 Haydock - The Reverend @ 4/1

Tom Marquand rides this four-year-old gelded son of Lope De Vega for his retained stable, that of William Haggas.

The Reverend recorded a statement win last time 49 days ago at Ripon with cut in the ground (easy side of good could well be the ground prognosis on Merseyside on Saturday). Seems entirely versatile ground-wise in any event, which is a plus.

He's up to 98 in the handicap as a consequence of his sterling efforts and is a definite talent. Three wins already from his eight career outings, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record it's yet another stellar contest on an afternoon just bursting at the seams with them.

15.15 Ascot - Tenability @ 4/1

William Haggas time once again - the last 14 days strike-rate may have dipped to a mere 24% or so, but Somerville Lodge remains a very steady provider of winners.

Tenability is a three-year-old Frankel gelding out of a Pivotal mare, with three successes already from just five starts. His last two have come at this very track, including the Shergar Cup Classic four weeks ago.

Jockey Cieren Fallon (another absolutely flying - 33% strike-rate) has the riding assignment and the horse is up to a mark of 92, which looks fair. Top stable, in-form, likes the course, progressive - loads to like, frankly.

15.35 Haydock - Lazzat @ 2/1

Could be just about the trickiest race of the day in terms of big-field talent, but I'm heading down the path of least resistance in selecting Lazzat, another gifted Wathnan Racing inmate and comfortably the top-rated entrant in this year's Sprint Cup field.

The Doyler once again has the riding assignment, and this four-year-old Territories gelding out of an Australia mare is trained by Marseille-based Jérôme Reynier.

Lazzat is thoughtfully campaigned with breaks in-between runs invariably of at least around 50 days, and comes here a dual G1 winner with lots in his favour.

He's another who seems ground-versatile, and in fact any additional rain would increase my confidence considerably. I'm hoping that the fact he ran rather uncharacteristically a mere 27 days ago won't be an issue!

He looks to be the best horse in the race in my eyes and appeals as by far the most likely winner.

ITV Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.