After a busy week of live racing from Chester’s May Festival, the televised action continues on Saturday with coverage from Lingfield’s Derby & Oaks Trials Day on their turf flat course, Haydock’s Swinton Hurdle Day and Ascot’s Victoria Cup Raceday.
- 12:55 Lingfield: William Hill Epic Boosts Handicap – Morcar @ 8/1
- 1:15 Haydock: Pertemps Network Swinton Handicap Hurdle – Indemnity @ 6/1
- 1:28 Lingfield: William Hill Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes – Prizeland @ 4/1
- 1:45 Ascot: Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% British EBF Fillies’ Handicap – Politely @ 7/1
- 1:58 Lingfield: William Hill Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes – Maltese Cross @ 3/1
- 2:20 Ascot: Carey Group Victoria Cup – Shiplake @ 9/1
- 2:40 Lingfield: William Hill Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes – Copacabana Sands @ 7/4
- 2:55 Ascot: Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Italy Handicap – Valedictory @ 7/4
- 3:15 Lingfield: William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap – Apotheosis @ 5/1
ITV’s opening live race on Saturday will be the 1m2f William Hill Epic Boosts Handicap from Lingfield. Richard Hannon’s Morcar won this race last year and will be running off the same mark as twelve months ago. As a result, the six-year-old is a solid each-way option.
Haydock’s Swinton Hurdle, a Premier Handicap, is one of the more prestigious off-season jumps races. Fresh from being crowned the leading jump trainer for the last campaign, Dan Skelton saddles the favourite here in Tellherthename, who last finished 12th in the County Hurdle. Our pick however goes to Emma Lavelle’s Indemnity, who hasn’t finished outside of the top four in his last nine runs and comes here after winning Plumpton’s Sussex Champion Hurdle last month.
Romantic Symphony for Charlie Appleby heads the betting for the Listed Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes currently with a record of two wins from two career starts. Prizeland for Andrew Balding won by 8 lengths on her seasonal debut on Lingfield’s all-weather track and may prove better value.
A 1m handicap from Ascot follows before Lingfield’s Derby Trial Stakes which is also a Listed race. Charlie Appleby’s Maho Bay heads the betting but second favourite, Maltese Cross for William Haggas is shorter on most lists for the Derby and is our pick for this. In contrast to Maho Bay’s 6l and 3½l wins, Maltese Cross’s two victories have been by a head and a neck and we feel there is more to come.
Ascot’s big race on Saturday is the £100k Victoria Cup, a 7f handicap. In last year’s race, Hickory for Jamie Osbourne beat surprise Sussex Stakes champ, Qirat, to claim victory. He will line up again tomorrow but our selection will be Kevin Philippart De Foy’s Shiplake who has thrived since stepping up to 7f and should find conditions to suit.
The classiest race on Lingfield’s card is the Group 3 Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes. Copacabana Sands is already a winner at this grade when claiming the Barberstown Castle Stakes at Leopardstown last year. She has since switched to the yard of Andrew Balding and with Ryan Moore onboard on Saturday should have enough come out on top here.
Two handicap round out the live racing on Saturday, the 1m4f Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Italy Handicap from Ascot and the 7½f William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap at Lingfield.