Saturday Racing Tips: Six picks from Ascot, Haydock and Lingfield

Nine meetings make up Saturday's schedule, including cards from Ascot, Haydock and Lingfield. The latter is the standout, hosting key trials for the Betfred Derby and Betfred Oaks.

My Saturday racing tips consists of six selections for what is an action-packed afternoon.

13:15 Haydock - Tellherthename @ 11/4

A non-runner in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr last month, TELLHERTHENAME can execute 'Plan B' for the Skeltons at Haydock on Saturday. Just to clarify, that's the Swinton Hurdle, not the singer...

The seven-year-old son of Malinas joined the champion trainer at the start of the year, following spells for Ben Pauling and the O'Neills, and his first run for the yard was in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

He ran a fine race under the circumstances, finishing 12th of 23, just seven-and-a-half lengths adrift behind the winner.

I'm expecting a good bit of improvement. For the run, better ground and the application of the hood. Harry Skelton, who's operating at a highly-impressive 41% strike rate in the past fortnight, takes over in the saddle too.

Hopefully Tellherthename can do the business for his trainer, who I'm sure has been eyeing up this early £45k boost in his bid to defend the championship.

13:28 Lingfield - Cameo @ 11/4

Classic clues are on offer at Lingfield on Saturday, courtesy of trials for the Betfred Oaks and Betfred Derby.

Romantic Symphony heads the market for the Oaks Trial at time of publication, and I'm keen to oppose her. Charlie Appleby is completely out of form at present, boasting just one winner from his last 25 runners (4% strike rate). That's unheard of for the yard, especially at this stage of the season.

On the flip side, Aidan O'Brien is operating at a 38% strike rate, boosted by five winners at Chester in the week. That includes Amelia Earheart in the Cheshire Oaks, Benvenuto Cellini in the Vase, Constitution River in the Dee Stakes, Jan Brueghel in the Ormonde Stakes and Lambourn in the Huxley Stakes. Ruthless.

The yard is flying which bodes well for CAMEO, the choice of Ryan Moore in this Listed contest.

The daughter of Wootton Bassett has just the one win on her CV, from five starts, but she ran an encouraging race in a Group 3 at the Curragh on seasonal reappearance last month and she looks the type to take a big step forward.

Up in trip, especially, as the half-sister to Portland, a winner at this level over 1m4f, makes the jump from a mile to 1m3½f.

I'm hoping Cameo can do the business here and book her ticket to the Betfred Oaks.

15:05 Haydock - Jeddaal @ 9/2

Back to Haydock's mixed card for a mile-long handicap on the flat, featuring JEDDAAL.

Regular readers will be aware of Ed Walker's three-year-old - a winning NAP at Catterick last month.

I'm convinced the son of Lope De Vega is well-handicapped, so I'm delighted to see him back in the appropriate company, off a mark of 83. Apprentice jockey Ashley Lewis takes off a valuable five pounds.

His half-a-length defeat to Charlie Johnston's Ancient Egypt, a Listed winner at Newmarket on the first day of the month with a rating of 100, at Beverley last July is reads extremely well, as does his second to Queen Tamara (I'm keeping the faith despite a poor effort at Ascot on Friday) at Chepstow in August.

He caught my eye in defeat on handicap debut at the Betfred St Leger meeting in September, before a poor effort over six furlongs at Ayr just a few weeks later. Put a line through that one.

The aforementioned victory at Catterick was franked by the runner-up bolting up at Ripon on Friday and I suspect he's got a good bit more to offer, especially as he steps up to a mile for the first time. I'm hopeful of a big run.

15:30 Ascot - Sintra @ 10/3

Over at Ascot, SINTRA is another who looks ahead of the handicapper.

Andrew Balding's three-year-old son of Kingman is a half-brother to former stablemate Windlord, a Listed winner rated 107 at his peak, who races in the same silks of Juddmonte Stud.

He was beaten on debut at Newcastle back in February, and again at Wolverhampton a month later. That second defeat has aged rather well, though, with the winner Nobody Knows going very close in a Sandown handicap off a mark of 89 on his subsequent start.

Sintra was then sent to Yarmouth for a novice event over 1m2f, where he bumped into the the 101-rated Del Maro. Also the highly-promising Point Of Law for the Gosdens. He was within four lengths of that pair at the line.

All that considered, I think there's every chance his opening mark of 75 is on the lenient side and I'm eager to get him on side for the champ Oisin Murphy, fresh off a superb three days at Chester.

15:50 Lingfield - Hardy's Hero @ 6/4

If I've drawn a blank by 15:50, I'm going to need a hero - and William Haggas' hardy three-year-old can be just that.

HARDY'S HERO was runner-up in a decent race at Newmarket last month following a 207-day break, during which the son of New Bay was gelded.

Expect a significant amount of improvement on Saturday, then. Even more so, given his address. Haggas' string are coming on substantially for a run this season.

A one-pound rise ought to be manageable and this is an easier race by my reckoning. What's not to like?

16:05 Ascot - Tryst @ 7/2

Finally, I'm giving another chance to TRYST, who disappointed me a little at Wolverhampton just over three weeks ago, at the Royal racecourse.

The three-year-old daughter of Arc winner Sottsass is another I'm convinced about being ahead of her mark. Her narrow defeat to the aforementioned Romantic Symphony, which could look even better after the Oaks Trial at Lingfield earlier in the day, is a good piece of form - as is her fourth at Kempton on this season's reappearance in March.

She wasn't beaten far at all by Spinning Lizzie, who despite being rated 13lbs superior was in receipt of four pounds. The runner-up, Ellusive Butterfly, is worth every bit of her mark (89) too.

Tryst, who represents the Betfred 2000 Guineas-winning connections of George Boughey and Billy Loughnane, might have bumped into one in the West Midlands, but she certainly wasn't helped by stumbling on the turn with just two furlongs left to travel.

Boughey insists she'll be better on turf and I'm hoping that proves the case on Saturday. Fingers crossed.

Click the link for the latest Horse Racing Odds