Saturday racing

Our resident racing tipster Paul Jacobs keeps up his great recent form, correctly predicting victories for Punchestown and Binocular on Ascot’s December 20th racing card

Ascot, 1.40

Ascot will be the main focus of attention with the re-scheduled Boylesports Hurdle at 1.40 supporting the Long Walk Hurdle and the Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle.

All three races are worthy of their class rating and will no doubt go a long way to re-arranging the ante-post markets for the Cheltenham Festival.

The Boylesports sees the return to the track of Triumph Hurdle winner Celestial Halo and Nicholls sounds confident that his charge is ready to roll first time up after suffering an allergic reaction pre season ste him back, hence his late reappearance. Even on his best form and pre-supposing he is ready to do himself justice I have the four-year-old at least seven pounds behind five of his rivals on my private ratings. However, he is not what you call a stuffy horse and shouldn’t be too hard to get right first time up.

But the percentage call is to look elsewhere and in a quality field I am struggling to see where the pace will come from which means a horse with a turn of foot could well be favoured.

To that extent despite the claims of Katchit, Crack Away Jack and Chomba Womba I fancy that Binocular will have their measure.

Why bookmakers cut him for the Champion Hurdle after his Haydock success was beyond me as he beat a load of wooden horses. Sure he did it well; travelled, jumped and quickened up, but no more than the style he was intended to.

2.10

Nicky Henderson sets a real conundrum in The Long Walk Hurdle at 2.10 with two entries in Newbury winner Duc de Regnier (Tony McCoy) and Punchestowns, a most impressive victor at Cheltenham with the form already well cemented by Ballytub at Newbury.

I rate the latter 1lb behind his rival, but with much more scope to improve by a wide margin and although he is a budding chaser in the making if there is sufficient rain to make this a real test at the trip then I fancy Punchestown to see off his rival.

The added bonus of dour stayer Lough Derg in the field means this is almost certain to be an out and out test.

Blazing Bailey will probably need another run to get him fully tuned up and Pettifour needs to brush up his jumping to be a force at this level so the progressive One Gulp could well be the biggest danger to the selection.

2.45

The Ladbroke at 2.45 looks a minefield for punters, that’s if you believe connections had nothing to do with the massive gamble on Bellicantista all week.

The son of Unfuwain will relish every drop of rain that falls at the track and remains capable of considerably better after when landing a 16-runner novice event at Exeter on his British debut.

Still, the fancy prices have now gone and I would prefer to have a couple of each-way wagers against him in the form of Prince Taime and European Dream. The former ran well when just over three lengths off Helens Vision at Newbury and has every chance on these terms of reversing the form with second home Khyber Kim who could be best when fresh.

European Dream is not so obvious. He had the run of the race when winning at Wetherby first time up, but then not so at Sandown Park last out. This looks sure to be run at a screaming pace and as such I fancy he should be able to run well from off the gallop and reach the frame at rewarding odds on ground which will suit.