Saturday’s ITV Racing Tips – 18th January

There is a seven-race ITV Racing offering this Saturday afternoon as they showcase live action from Ascot and Haydock’s Premier Racedays.

The bulk of the action is from Ascot featuring the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase as the centrepiece. 

Haydock’s Peter Marsh Premier Handicap Chase is the traditional highlight from the three races to be shown from the Merseyside venue.

Our racing expert has pondered the ITV action and come up with selections for all seven races.

1.40 Ascot – Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 2, 1m7½f)

Willie Mullins’ representative Kargese is rated 141 and is the one to beat on the book on these favourable terms, but the drying ground is currently described as good to soft, good in places, and she needs to prove her effectiveness away from a testing surface. TAKE NO CHANCES, representing Dan Skelton, is rated 139 and is considered the best each-way alternative. She stays this 2m trip particularly well and is 4-12 on a combination of good and good to soft ground.

Selection: Take No Chances ew @ 4/1 with Betfred

1.55 Haydock – Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2, 1m7½f)

Dan Skelton is 2-6 in this race since 2014 and his 2025 representative Royal Infantry won unchallenged by eight-lengths over this course and distance on soft ground last month. He is odds-on to follow up but is stepping back up in grade, and there may be some value in backing the unexposed six-year-old mare CLOONAINRA each-way instead, in the hope she can at least reach the first two at double-figure odds. She finished a good second at Leopardstown last month and the more testing ground is going to suit in receipt of 10lb from the favourite.

Selection: Cloonainra ew @ 16/1 with Betfred

2.15 Ascot – Handicap Chase (Class 2, 2m5f)

Venetia Williams won this race through Dare Me in 2016 and her 2025 representative MARTATOR has strong each-way claims, stepping back up in trip and returning to this course. The eight-year-old is 4-5 on good ground and 3-3 on this course, including when winning comfortably by 11-lengths over half a mile shorter on his penultimate start from an 11lb lower rating. The 3lb-claiming jockey Ned Fox was in the saddle that day and he is resuming his association after the selection finished third in a better race at Kempton last month.

Selection: Martator ew @ 4/1 with Betfred

2.30 Haydock – Peter March Premier Handicap Chase (Class 1, 3m1½f) 

ROYALE PAGAILLE won the last two runnings of this race off 156 and 163 in 2021 and 2022, and he has since won the Grade 1 Betfair Chase in November 2023 and on his latest start in November 2024. He is 3lb higher from 166 now, but the ground is suitably testing, and the classy 11-year-old registering a fifth course and distance success is the most likely outcome.

Selection: Royale Pagaille @ 9/4 with Betfred

2.50 Ascot – Handicap Hurdle (Class 2, 2m3½f)

Nigel Twiston-Davies trained the winner of this race through Ballymoy in 2019. The market prefers Josh The Boss from his two 2025 representatives, but Sam Twiston-Davies in on board his stablemate MOVEIT LIKE MINNIE, who is considered one of the best wildcard each-way contenders on ITV on Saturday with four places available in this 14-runner field with Betfred. He is 7-22 on a combination of good and good to soft ground, and is 1-3 over this intermediate trip, having run well when fourth over 2m at this venue last month from a slightly higher rating than this workable mark of 119.

Selection: Moveit Like Minnie ew @ 28/1 with Betfred

3.05 Haydock – Handicap Hurdle (Class 3, 3m1/2f)

TUNE IN A BOX is an each-way suggestion in a tough 12-runner staying handicap hurdle. The six-year-old was beaten a short-head under similar conditions at Chepstow last month. He is 3-6 on soft ground, 2-4 over this trip and goes well at this time of year. The six-year-old’s overall strike-rate in winning four of his 12 races is not too shabby either, and, at his age, he remains open to further improvement.

Selection: Tune In A Box ew @ 6/1 with Betfred

3.32 Ascot – Clarence House Chase (Grade 1, 2m1f)

Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson are represented by the 11-year-old Energumene and the nine-year-old JONBON in an effective match on the book reminiscent of Energumene and Shishkin in this race in 2022. Henderson’s Shishkin came out on top in a race for the ages on that occasion, and, if Energumene reproduces the level of form he produced when second that day then he may prove difficult to beat. On more recent form, though, the younger Jonbon edges the call, but this could be another classic, so don’t miss it! 

Selection: Jonbon @ 4/6 with Betfred