ITV Racing Tips: NINE absolute belters on Easter Saturday

Terrific racing is once again the order of the day, with NINE Saturday races televised free-to-air on ITV. We've got four over the sticks at Haydock, and five up on the flat at Musselburgh.

It all kicks in at 13:25 and is an integral part of sport's weekend basket of goodies. Whatever you're up to have fun, take care, and above all enjoy.

Oh - and a very Happy Easter!

Horse Racing odds

Full ITV schedule;

13:25 Musselburgh: Royal Mile Handicap 1m
13:55 Musselburgh: Silver Arrow Handicap 7f
14:12 Haydock: Two Mile Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle 1m 7.5f
14:30 Musselburgh: Goliath Cup Stakes 1m 6f
14:46 Haydock: Stayers' Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle 3m 0.5f
15:05 Musselburgh: Queen’s Cup Handicap 1m 6f
15:20 Haydock: Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase 2m 4f
15:42 Musselburgh: Scottish Sprint Cup Handicap 5f
15:55 Haydock: Handicap Chase 2m 4f

Rationale;

13:25 Musselburgh: Strength Of Spirit @ 7/2

I get the feeling that trainer Karl Burke will soon be firing in the winners in his customary fashion, and indeed enjoyed success at Donny about a week ago.

He saddles Strength Of Spirit here, a lightly-raced three-year-old Ulysses gelding, with Sam James on top. Quietly progressive profile, just the four runs so far, but with two wins and a second among them.

He steps up to a mile from 6/7/7.5f, and as I saw his sire win York's G1 Juddmonte over 10.5f back in the day that shouldn't be an issue whatsoever, touch wood.

He's been gelded since his last run (he's reappearing for the season after a break of 254 days) and that could well unlock a little more improvement. Moving from two to three years of age can of course also mean a whole new landscape form-wise, a remark that applies to his opponents too.

Looks to have a lovely racing weight of 8st 13lb in the context of this field, and his mark of 81 is 5lb higher than for his last spin, a cosy win at tip-top Grade 1 track Newbury.

13:55 Musselburgh: Midnight Gun @ 5/2

Wathnan Racing's silks are a familiar sight throughout the season and here's another of their entries, with main man James Doyle doing the pushing. It's his only mount on the card, so I'm hoping the trip to Scotland will be worth all the effort. If he's on a private plane with endless diet bacon sandwiches on tap, I take it all back ...

Midnight Gun is a five-year-old Kingman gelding, with two wins so far from his 11 starts. He dipped his toe into Listed waters last time, in November (St Cloud), fading late over a mile on heavy ground after showing very promisingly.

Good ground is likely today, and that should suit very nicely. I hope the 7f isn't just a tad sharp, but he's got a genuine turn of foot and if the race generates enough pace to run at I'm hoping James can produce him on the line where it really matters, in this Class 2 handicap. Smashing race.

14:12 Haydock: Ice In The Veins @ 6/1

Nice handicap hurdle series final worth £20k to the winner. D Skelton entrant carrying 10st 9lb, not seen since an uncompetitive mid-February spin, and now dropped 2lb by the assessor. Yes please ...

Ice In The Veins is a six-year-old gelding by an Irish Leger hero, with three wins from his eight starts thus far. He's only run in two handicaps, after winning a bumper and two novice hurdles, and takes a decent step up in class this afternoon.

Interestingly he's entered up in Plumpton's Sussex Champion Hurdle on Sunday but hopefully the Haydock race is his preferred engagement. Something of a mystery in terms of getting a firm handle on his capabilities right now then, but after the amazing season enjoyed by Dan and Harry Skelton it would be no surprise whatsoever to see him going very well.

All a bit speculative, and certainly a modest stake for me, but absolutely fascinating.

14:30 Musselburgh: Al Qareem @ 5/6

Ah, the fabulous veteran Al Qareem. A credit to Karl Burke and his team, this seven-year-old gelding is such a tenacious battler that it's no accident he boasts a marvellous 12-from-35 career wins record.

This is a Listed heat and he's been successful at both G2 and G3 level previously. I recall he beat subsequent Arc heroine Bluestocking by a neck at Chester in 2023, conceding 12lb. That's who he is - a giant-slayer either giving some of the loftier talents a pretty tough time, or a view of his rear end.

He reappeared last season with a win, and the season before that with a neck second to that great yardstick Hamish, so he goes pretty well fresh. He concedes weight all round but on official marks has a nice cushion compared to his rivals, and it's his to lose in my book if he's as combative and resolute as we've come to except and admire.

14:46 Haydock: Blue Carpet @ 3/1

This Team Skelton conveyance is a more obvious choice perhaps than the one representing the yard in the 14:12 - an in-form six-year-old Blue Bresil gelding who's won two of his last three, and looks decidedly progressive.

Blue Carpet steps up into Class 2 company this afternoon but that looks to be totally warranted. Very consistent, and I'm doubting very much that we've seen the best of him yet - nowhere near.

Only had seven starts and is open to any amount of improvement. Latest mark of 127 looks fair, and this could be graduation day.

15:05 Musselburgh: Dancingwithmyself @ 5/1

Newmarket handler Michael Bell is in ridiculous form, admittedly from a fairly small sample size. As I write, four of his last six runners have won, and he saddles Dancingwithmyself in this with the champion Oisin Murphy booked.

The five-year-old Phoenix Of Spain mare is five-from-17 all told, and is reappearing after a break of 157 days. She progressed steadily throughout the last campaign and with the yard in such great nick, plus the booking of Murph, I'd much rather be on her side than against.

She goes well fresh and I'm very hopeful of a big run.

15:20 Haydock: Genois @ 13/2

A popular event - a veterans' chase - and a grand French-bred ten-year-old in the fabled green-and-gold livery of JP McManus. In great form too, with two wins in his last three starts.

The assessor has had his/her say, and Genois races off 125 this afternoon. He won off 127 in November 2024, under Sean Bowen no less, and resumed winning ways off 117 on Boxing Day last, under a 7lb claimer.

Jonjo O'Neill Jr rides for Dad and JP, and in this current rich vein of form might just have another big run in him.

15:42 Musselburgh: Democracy Dilemma @ 6/1

The mighty Rossa Ryan journeys north too, for four booked mounts - including this one for sprint king trainer Robert Cowell.

Democracy Dilemma is a six-year-old Cotai Glory gelding, 8-from-38, and reappears after finishing a fine close-up third in a Listed Lingfield heat in February on the Polytrack, over this minimum distance.

A Class 2 today off 105 looks to be right up his street and the booking of in-form Ryan, who knows the horse well, is significant for me. Another brilliant race on a really outstanding card.

15:55 Haydock: Heads Or Harps @ 5/1

This looks very competitive, and I'm siding with a raider from Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore's Perth & Kinross base, some 240 miles away.

Heads Or Harps must shoulder 12st in this Class 4 handicap, but the nine-year-old Flemensfirth gelding is slipping down the weights a little after struggling to adapt to being penalised for an empathic 13l Ayr win 12 months ago, after which he was raised 12lb.

He's looked to be firmly in the grip of the handicapper since, but has nevertheless raced with credit without threatening to actually score. His last two Ayr spins (February and March) have seen superior Racing Post ratings of 116 recorded, in keeping with some of his better previous efforts, and with Haydock being similar to Ayr in nature there's good reason to be hopeful of a bold showing.

This yard expertly handles its chasers to best effect and despite the difficulty of late in getting his head in front he's invariably pretty well-supported in the market.

ITV Racing tips with Betfred Insights.