ITV Racing Tips: EIGHT Saturday sizzlers are on the box

STOP PRESS - ITV have now included Haydock's 15:35 in their coverage, a 3m 1 1/2f handicap chase, so eight televised races becomes nine.

A 24-carat Super Saturday on ITV, as the channel brings us some top-drawer National Hunt racing from Haydock Park, Ascot, and Punchestown. Tip-top Graded action, some of the best jockeys and trainers in the world, and plenty of very handy prize money on offer. Yes please!

It all kicks in at 13:15 and there are now NINE terrific contests to enjoy, beamed live into our living rooms and on to our devices. Enjoy!

Horse Racing Odds

Full ITV Schedule;

13:15 Haydock - Handicap Hurdle 2m 3f

13:30 Ascot - G2 Chase 2m 5f

13:50 Haydock - Graduation Chase 2m 5 1/2f

14:10 Punchestown - G1 Morgiana Hurdle 2m 1/2f

14:25 Haydock - Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle 3m 1/2f

14:40 Ascot - Ascot Hurdle 2m 3 1/2f

15:00 Haydock - G1 Chase 3m 1 1/2f

15:15 Ascot - Handicap Chase 2m 1f

Fast Racing Results

Rationale;

13:15 Haydock - Andashan @ 9/2

Our opener is from the north-west, one of the first courses I ever attended - more years ago than I care to recall! Superb Grade 1 track that features brilliant racing under both codes, and we start with a warm-looking handicap hurdle.

Team Skelton field a likely-looking candidate in Kabral Du Mathan, but he has to concede just over a stone to my idea of the winner Andashan.

Chris Gordon's five-year-old gelding has won twice from seven starts and had a seasonal pipe-opener with presumably this assignment in mind 16 days ago, a 6l third of 13 at Newbury in a slightly lower grade.

That was his first handicap, running off 124, and the mean old assessor was suitably impressed enough to pop him up a pound for his efforts. Freddie Gordon takes off a further, most useful 3lb, and I think the selection is ready for a breakout display this afternoon.

13:30 Ascot - Jango Baie @ 2/1

What a lovely contest - among the five declared we've got Ascot specialist Pic D'orhy, French flyer Il Est Francais, and last season's Arkle hero Jango Baie.

It's to the latter of the three, trained by Nicky Henderson in Upper Lambourn and ridden by Nico de Boinville, that I'm turning for my idea of the winner.

The six-year-old needed every inch of Cheltenham's two miles to lift that prestigious novices' prize in March, and this 2m 5f on seasonal reappearance should be perfect. He's four-from-nine so far, and was a close-up second in his solitary point-to-point.

He's got a bit to find on official marks but I can really see this one improving and thriving this term. He's potentially entered up all over the place (possibles at this stage) at the Festival ranging from the minimum trip Champion Chase to the Gold Cup via the intermediate-distance Ryanair - talk about all bases covered!

We'll know a lot more on Saturday afternoon in Berkshire - can't wait. Race of the day for me.

13:50 Haydock - Iroko @ 11/4

Quite a classy chaser this, and formerly an extremely useful hurdler, for trainer(s) Oliver Greenall/Josh Guerriero, and owner JP McManus.

Iroko ran Grey Dawning, a huge player in the G1 chase later on this card, to 2.5l at Kelso in March getting just 3lb, and then ran a fine fourth in the Grand National, beaten 7.5l.

Still seven, the gelding has an absence of 231 days to overcome but is nicely treated by the conditions of this race and this could be set for a productive season in those famous green and gold silks.

14:10 Punchestown - Lossiemouth @ 2/5

The G1 Morgiana is one of the first top-drawer hurdle clashes in Ireland, and it's perhaps a shade disappointing that we've only got four declared in pursuit of the handsome prize of €88k.

One of the combatants though is the gifted Lossiemouth, WP Mullins-trained, Ricci family-owned, and P Townend-ridden. She's a Triumph Hurdle heroine, and a two-time Mares' Hurdle Queen, among other glittering successes.

Last seen hoovering up the G1 Aintree Hurdle in April she's rated 159, and is a magnificent 11 from 14 in her stellar career. She's no price as I write, entirely unsurprisingly, and for me it's a watch-and-savour job as we marvel that she's still only six, and must be such fun to own.

14:25 Haydock - Hartington @ 6/1

Perhaps the trickiest contest anywhere today, as a big field of talented staying handicap hurdlers hunt down a first prize of some £56k.

My selection is a six-year-old Jukebox Jury gelding in the hands of in-form Dorset-based trainer Joe Tizzard - Hartington. The yard's operating at a 31% strike-rate over the past fortnight and Hartington made his reappearance for the season 20 days ago when winning a Carlisle heat at 2m 4f, running on strongly late in the piece.

That was off 119 and he's up to 122 today, but has an extra half-mile+ to negotiate - and looking at Carlisle it could suit him down to the ground. His sire dead-heated for an Irish Leger and was thought durable enough for the Melbourne Cup, so stamina tests could just be the making of him.

Brendan Powell was originally earmarked to ride but he's doing battle at Ascot, so a certain force of nature Sean Bowen has been given the riding assignment. Talk about another dozen or more reasons to back the horse ... !

14:40 Ascot - Celtic Dino @ 5/1

A very good-looking G2 hurdle, which has attracted a Gordon Elliott-trained hotpot in the shape of Wodhooh. She's got just 10st 7lb to shoulder but I'm hoping the winner may reside a little closer to home.

My fancy is Sam Thomas' six-year-old Doctor Dino gelding Celtic Dino, in the prolific *Walters Plant Hire colours; a company that supports racing most enthusiastically, particularly in Wales (*Dai Walters).

'Dino' is a superb five-from-nine all told, and produced a big career-best when reappearing at Chepstow 41 days ago. He took a hot handicap by an authoritative 2.25l and the second has since won TWO fantastic prizes, at Ascot, and Cheltenham.

Further improvement looks assured and though he looks to have it all to do with the Elliott raider on official figures I can see jockey Dylan Johnson ensuring that this particular prize stays at home. He carries 11st under the race conditions and that's a decent racing weight in practical terms.

I'm thinking that this heat will have been carefully selected after Chepstow and I bet connections are excited about what they might just have on their hands.

My Nap of the afternoon.

15:00 Haydock - Grey Dawning @ 5/6

The G1 Betfair Chase, won four times by the great Kauto Star - and I was privileged to be there to see the last of those victories, in 2011.

Last year's second could be this year's hero, for my selection is Team Skelton's admirable eight-year-old gelding Grey Dawning.

He boasts an impressive nine-from-17 career record, and on official marks (166) he's got upwards of 7lb and more in hand - not always a sure-fire indicator of course, but for me he really does look to have a very strong chance.

Haiti Couleurs isn't dismissed lightly - Sean Bowen forms a power-packed Welsh partnership here with trainer Rebecca Curtis - and he coaxed the fellow eight-year-old to a tremendous hurdles win at Newbury a couple of weeks ago to set him up beautifully for this.

The Irish National winner might want an even stiffer test than this three miles though, and standing dish Royal Pagaille has to prove at 11 that he's still got the necessary; but does undoubtedly love it around here.

In a field low on numbers but high in intrigue and quality, I'm looking to Harry Skelton and his powerful grey partner to prevail.

15:15 Ascot - JPR One @ 5/1

We're worshipping at the Tizzard altar again in this 2m 1f handicap chase with their eight-year-old gelding JPR One.

Hugely respectable six-from-18 all told, and three of those have been over fences. He last won 12 months ago off 149 and has slipped to 151 for today - which when allied to the yard's terrific form makes him of exceptional interest in my book.

He's had a pipe-opener, in Exeter's Haldon Gold Cup no less 15 days ago (distant but respectable third, difficult task); and this looks a little more achievable.

Cracking heat.

Late addition -

15:35 Haydock - Shomen Uchi @ 11/2

Trainer Sam Thomas' eight-year-old returned from a mammoth 701-day break to win a novice chase in February, but hasn't been seen since.

Sam's yard is in sensational form with four winners from his last ten runners and if Shomen Uchi is straight on his seasonal reappearance he should go very well, for accomplished jockey Charlie Deutsch.

ITV Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.