2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Preview

We landed a place with Smarty Wild at Market Rasen on Friday. Last weekend we fired in a 12/1 winner and a 12/1 place from four selections, hopefully we have another profitable day on Saturday. Check out Dave Stevos’ 2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday preview below.

1.40 Ascot – Warfield Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 2)

This race revolves around the returning Kargese. She is just 3/1 for the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and those that have backed her ante-post for that will be hoping she wins this and wins it impressively. She got to within 3.25l of Sir Gino at Aintree, 1.5L of Majborough at Cheltenham and she won the Champion 4yo Hurdle at Punchestown on her last start 311 days ago. Clearly, she is the one to beat.

We landed a lovely winner last March with All The Glory at Newbury. She hacked up for us at 25/1 off 115 and she is now rated 135. However, all her best form is at 2m4f and whether this drop will suit her, especially in what could be a slowly run race, is questionable.

With just two places on offer, I am going to swerve this race. No bet.

2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: No Bet

1.55 Haydock – Supreme Trial Novices Hurdle (Grade 2)

The very exciting Royal Infantry will be aiming to maintain his unbeaten record over hurdles. A winner of a maiden on good at Chepstow in November, he followed up in a class 2 hurdle on soft over this C&D the following month, making all to score in facile fashion. Did he beat much? Probably not, but he could only beat what was in front of him and we’ll find out a lot more about him in this company.

The Scottish raider Dedicated Hero could be a big danger. Sandy Thomson hasn’t had a top class operator since Seeyouatmidnight and this son of Shirocco is highly thought of. After suffering an odds on defeat at Carlisle on his return over 2m4f, it seemed like his bubble may have burst but he probably needed that run and the drop back to 2m in a maiden hurdle at Kelso saw him get back on track with a 7.5l win. He should go well.

Frustratingly, this is another two place race. However, it’s hard not to be tempted by Walking On A Dream at around 16/1. Lucinda Russell’s horses are in great form and this lad got to within 0.75l of the now 135 rated Country Mile in an Ayr novice on his racecourse debut.

It was a workmanlike victory last time out at the same track but the fact that connections come here instead of trying to exploit his handicap mark of 113 could be significant. At 16/1, Walking On A Dream is worth chancing each way.

2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: Walking On A Dream e/w @ 16/1

2.15 Ascot – Bet365 Handicap Chase (Class 2)

It’s not easy to make a solid case for any of the outsiders here. The trip will surely be too sharp for Latenightpass and Kansas City Star needs a career best off his revised mark of 131 after winning at Doncaster in November. Terresita was beaten fair and square off 135 over C&D on his last start and he is only 1lb lower now.

That leaves us with Tedley. He was having a fine season up until a rare poor run at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day when he finished 29l behind Kalif Du Berlais. However, the soft ground may not have been to his liking that day. Perhaps he is better judged on his 0.75l second to Kalif Du Berlais at Newbury in November (16.5f, gd/sft). The winner was running off 135 that day and is now rated 151 after that Cheltenham win earlier this month.

Tedley was running off 124 that day at Newbury and he runs from 1lb out of the handicap off 130 today but Jamie Brace’s 5b claim negates that. He should be suited by the step back up to this sort of trip and odds of 12/1 are big enough to warrant an e/w interest.

2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: Tedley e/w @ 12/1

2.30 Haydock – Peter Marsh Handicap Chase (Premier)

Royal Pagaille is on a hat-trick in this race. He won it in 2021 and 2022 and both the 2023 and 2024 renewals were cancelled due to a frozen track. He’s an 11yo now but he showed he still retains a heap of ability when lowering the colours of Grey Dawning and Bravemansgame in the Betfair Chase here in November and he looks to hold every chance of following up off top weight back in handicap company.

I am a big fan of Trelawne and I believe he is more than capable of winning at the top table if he puts it all together. He gets a stone from Royal Pagaille here and this testing ground will be right up his street. He won a nice pot here in November on his seasonal return and I’m not sure the ground was to his liking at Ascot last time out. If he gets into a rhythm and jumps as well as he is capable of, he could put it right up to the fav.

The only one that makes any appeal at bigger odds is Richmond Lake. He has shaped like he was getting back to close to his best on his last two starts at Aintree and he has won around here on soft ground before, albeit over 2m4f. His last win came off the same mark off which he races today and this will be his first try at this sort of distance on testing ground. If he stays, he can hopefully sneak into the places at odds of 16/1.

2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: Richmond Lake e/w @ 16/1

2.50 Ascot – Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)

It might be worth taking a chance on Wilful here for the O’Neill clan. By Westerner, this 6yo racked up a hat-trick of wins in maiden and novice company on a variety of ground between March and August last year. After his last win at Worcester (20f, gd) he was given a four month break and he shaped as though he was in need of the run on his handicap debut in a class 3 at Taunton in December.

This is clearly a much tougher race but he’s been dropped 2lb to 123 and he is bred to be better than that. His half-brother Bold Enough was a 140+ rated chaser and his dam is a half-sister to the 130+ rated Shuil Aris. Ultimately, this fella’s future will probably lie over fences but he might be up to winning a nice pot over timber off his current mark and he’s definitely a better horse than the one that turned up at Taunton last month. At 25/1, Wilful is the e/w selection.

2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: Wilful e/w @ 25/1 (4 places) nb

3.05 Haydock – Skybet Handicap Hurdle (Class 3)

Inox Allen might represent a bit of each way value in this class 3 handicap hurdle. This horse looked a nice prospect at the start of last season. A point to point winner, he won a maiden hurdle on debut at Hexham on heavy ground and then followed up narrowly in a 21.5f novice on soft ground at Ayr.

His unbeaten run came to a halt here in a Grade 2 in February when he finished a well beaten third after undergoing wind-surgery. He again ran poorly on his final start of last season in his first handicap at Newcastle but it can take a couple of runs for a horse to realise they can breathe properly again after a wind op and it was a lot more like it on his return and chase debut at Uttoxeter in November (3m, sft).

The son of Masked Marvel was possibly a shade fresh after a 243 day break and he raced keenly enough but he finished off his race well for third and he was only 4.5l behind the winner. He now reverts to hurdles off a 2lb lower mark and he should get his preferred testing ground. At odds of 14/1, hopefully Inox Allen can make his presence felt.

2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: Inox Allen e/w @ 14/1 (4 places) nap

3.32 Ascot – Clarence House Chase (Grade 1)

This is a race that has thrown up a few shocks in recent years. Three of the last four winners have been priced up at 14s or bigger but it is hard to look beyond the top two this year. Energumene has won seven of his eight chase starts going right handed, his only defeat coming behind Shishkin in this race in 2022.

Jonbon is 5/5 over fences on right handed tracks and he was impressive in the Tingle Creek on his latest start. He’s two years younger than the Mullins’ horse and that could make the difference. Boothill and Edwardstone are no mugs and you could argue that the former horse is overpriced given he got to within 1.5l of Jonbon at Cheltenham on his penultimate start. However, this is a win only race and I’m happy to just watch and enjoy. Hopefully it’s a cracker.  

2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: No bet

-DaveStevos