ITV Racing Tips: Flat finale can go to the Master on huge Saturday for top racing

Only one word for the ITV racing output on Saturday - spectacular! Just the ELEVEN live races on the channel - and while fans will naturally gravitate towards the Badger Beer, and the Grand Sefton, famous stepping stones in the jumping calendar, in truth it's a fantastic all-round mix with the November Handicap from Donny to savour on the level, too.

Action kicks in at 13:09, and takes us to Wincanton, Aintree and Doncaster; so for our ITV Racing tips on Saturday, November 9, kindly read on; and many thanks for your company.

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

Full ITV schedule; Saturday November 9

Wincanton
13:09 BetMGM Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase - 2m 4f
13:45 BetMGM Richard Barber Handicap Hurdle - 2m 5 1/2f
14:23 Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) - 2m 4f
14:55 BetMGM Elite Hurdle (Grade 2) - 1m 7 1/2f
15:30 63rd Badger Beer Ales Handicap Chase - 3m 1f

Doncaster
13:20 Livescore Wentworth Stakes (Listed) - 6f
15:10 VirginBet Galtres Stakes (Listed) - 1m 2f
15:45 VirginBet November Handicap - 1m 4f

Aintree
13:30 Pertemps Network Handicap - 3m 1/2f
14:05 Boylesports Handicap Chase - 2m
14:40 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase - 2m 5f

Rationale;

13:09 Wincanton - Beau Balko @ 3/1

A fabulous afternoon for us starts with this small-field but still intriguing little heat for conditional jockeys.

Paul Nicholls is the man to follow invariably at Wincanton, with his Ditcheat base only about 20 miles away. Beau Balko had a reappearance spin around Kempton 20 days ago which should have primed the six-year-old nicely for this.

He didn't get competitive but showed lots of promise novice chasing last term. No heroic stakes for me, bigger fish are to come, but an interesting contest to enjoy nevertheless.

13:20 Doncaster - Russet Gold @ 11/2

A Listed sprint on soft ground at the season's end - we need a horse who's held his/her form well, and relishes a bit of cut.

I think we have an ideal candidate in Roger Varian's Russet Gold, who will have the benefit of the brilliant James Doyle on his back. The four-year-old Al Kazeem gelding recorded a career-best at Ascot 35 days ago in a Group 3 at this 6f trip, running on well to be beaten just over a length.

The ground was soft, same as that predicted by the Donny officials, and though we're in career-high handicap mark territory now too there's stacks to commend him here.

13:30 Aintree - Reverend Hubert @ 6/1

This one ran a blinder in the Cesarewitch on the flat four weeks ago, and County Limerick trainer Charles Byrnes has booked the brilliant Sean Bowen for this hurdling assignment on Merseyside.

The six-year-old Zoffany gelding Reverend Hubert is ultra-versatile, plying his trade over fences too, and should on previous evidence appreciate the advertised good ground.

He's got his share of weight but Byrnes resists retaining a claiming rider in favour of securing one of our very best. An absolute cracker.

13:45 Wincanton - Mermaids Cave each-way @ 13/2

Nice seasonal reappearance for this one at Bangor 11 days ago, scoring with a bit up her sleeve off a mark of 106.

The assessor has had his/her say, and Mermaids Cave looks to follow-up off 110. The five-year-old mare certainly appears to have thrived since joining James Owen in April, winning on four occasions.

Claimer Callum Pritchard takes off a useful 7lb, and the upward curve could well continue in Somerset on Saturday afternoon. It's a four places each-way race, so that's how I'll be playing it.

14:05 Aintree - Coastguard Station @ 4/1

An open-looking handicap chase; and my idea of the winner is by six-time Group 1 and Arc de Triomphe-winning sire on the flat, Dylan Thomas!

Coastguard Station is an eight-year-old gelding trained by Henry Oliver in Worcestershire. He's kept pretty hot company of late including last time in a Cheltenham Class 2, £52k to the winner affair 15 days ago.

Prior to that he'd had a spin over hurdles for his seasonal opener, and I'm thinking his connections perhaps think there's a decent prize in him off this kind of mark, which in fairness does reflect that he's probably in the best nick of his career.

Class 3 company today, slightly calmer waters, for a pot of around £13k. Reckon that's right up his street.

14:23 Wincanton - Soul Icon @ 4/1

Tip-top novice chase, only five scheduled to start, but try ruling any of them out!

Soul Icon represents Dorset trainer Kieran Burke, and the excellent Tom Bellamy rides. The seven-year-old gelding, another that's beautifully bred (by St Leger hero Sixties Icon), hasn't run for 112 days but has won fresh from a break in the past.

He nearly won the big summer Plate at Market Rasen last time under this jockey, missing out by a neck in a field of 16. He's up 5lb for that superb effort, and is on a progressive curve.

At his age and with his profile this could be a very big season for the gloriously-named This Time Next Year Maybe ownership team.

14:40 Aintree - King Turgeon each-way @ 11/2

This six-year-old French-bred, typically, already has a great deal of experience. He's with David Pipe in Devon, and has had a couple of wind operations.

Reappearing 11 days ago King Turgeon absolutely dotted up under Harry Cobden at Chepstow, and tackles the famous Grand National fences carrying just 10st 2lb, though he's been penalised for that last win.

His racing style of late has been to run prominently - how about with this relatively tiny weight he looks to make all? It's sure to be a thrilling watch, and the Sefton invariably throws up some fantastic performances which gets connections wondering if they could do the same over rather further in April!

Terrific race to savour, and we're paying four places so each-way would definitely be the smart play.

14:55 Wincanton - Brentford Hope @ 13/8

Looks like only three will face the starter, but it's still very competitive.

Brentford Hope will surely be opposed by Nicholls' Rubaud in the market as we get nearer to the off, and don't ignore the red-hot yard of Henry de Bromhead either, and his challenger Aspire Tower.

The selection hasn't run since Punchestown in the spring, an excellent second of 24 in a Listed heat, capping a terrific 2024 when winning two and finishing runner-up on his other couple of appearances.

The seven-year-old could take pretty high rank among hurdlers this campaign, and he's another bred to show a turn of foot - being by Derby winner Camelot. Small field perhaps, but sky-high anticipation.

15:10 Doncaster - Danielle @ 6/4

Listed action, for fillies, over 10f.

My selection Danielle is well treated on official marks in this, hails from the Gosden yard, and races in the famous Oppenheimer colours carried by the likes of Golden Horn - also trained by Johnny G.

Danielle drops back from a Newbury Group 3 over a mile-and-a-half two weeks ago and this three-year-old daughter of Cracksman (same owner) relishes soft ground.

It's hers to lose for me and is my best bet of the day. Stable jock Kieran Shoemark is doing the steering.

15:30 Wincanton - The Changing Man @ 3/1

The Badger Beer, won by some fine tools in the past (Frodon is a good recent example). Close my eyes and I can see the likes of Teeton Mill, Captain Dibble and Panto Prince powering home ... anyway, back to the 2024 renewal.

The Changing Man hails from the Tizzard yard in Dorset and will be ridden by Brendan Powell. The seven-year-old gelding hasn't been seen since March, has had a wind procedure, and holds an entry in Newbury's big chase, the Coral Gold Cup, in a few weeks.

For me the best is very much yet to come for this one, and the next 18 months are crucial to see if he can take a significant step up in the ranks of staying chasers. His yard have specialised in just that for years, and I'm expecting a big run with both trainer and jockey operating at around the 20% success mark over the past fortnight.

15:45 Doncaster - Master Builder each-way @ 8/1

The November Handicap - big field, testing ground, and fortunately we're paying SIX places each-way.

My selection Master Builder should still be relatively fresh, fingers crossed, as the three-year-old has had only six lifetime starts since beginning his career in April this year.

The excellent David Menuisier, who has such a touch with middle-distance horses, trains. He's got champion Will Buick booked to ride, and that's a proper statement of intent for me.

The horse is progressive, gets a bit further, and goes on the soft. He's by Mastercraftsman, who was as tough as nails, and ticks many boxes. Runs at York and Haydock with a couple of wins along the way have marked him out as a horse of great potential, and I hope we see that realised on Saturday afternoon.

ITV Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.