2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Preview – DS
2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Preview
Dave Stevos posted a Festive e/w lucky 15 earlier this week, check that out here. This weekend is our last chance to fill the coffers before the crazy Christmas period, Dave’s 2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday preview is below.
1.50 Ascot – Howden Handicap Chase (Class 2)
If Ascot had missed the rain yesterday and it was good to soft all over, I’d have been pretty sweet on Here Comes Georgie for this 2m3f handicap chase. A course novice chase winner at this meeting for Patrick Neville a year ago, I’d imagine Dylan Cunha has had this race in mind for the son of Geordieland for some time but this ground is not in his favour.
Of the other outsiders, Etalon is probably at his most effective over 2m and Matterhorn needs good ground so this will have to be a no bet race.
2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: No Bet
2.05 Haydock – Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase (Class 2)
At odds of 12/1, perhaps Grand Albert is worth chancing each way in this open looking handicap chase. Trained by Donald McCain, who is having a fine season, this 7yo son of Jet Away won a novice handicap chase at Wetherby this time last year off 121 and he is just 4lb higher here.
He’s only been seen twice since then, finishing tailed off at Kelso in February and then finishing a modest fourth on his seasonal reappearance at Bangor three weeks ago. His jumping lacked fluency at times in that 3m heat on heavy ground but he did stick to his task and he should come on plenty for that run fitness wise.
The new cheekpieces might sharpen up his jumping and he should be more at home on this better ground. Brian Hughes, on board for his last two wins, returns to the plate and at odds of 12/1, Grand Albert gets the e/w vote.
2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: Grand Albert e/w @ 12/1 NAP
2.25 Ascot – Long Walk Hurdle (Grade 1)
A field of 11 will go to post for this Grade 1 and it’s a cracking race. The Irish raider Honesty Policy, a winner of a Grade 1, 2m4f novice hurdle at Aintree last season, is the 11/4 favourite. He ran well over this trip at Punchestown on his final start of last season and he’s a fascinating contender, but an official rating of 148 suggests he’ll need to improve again on his seasonal reappearance.
Crambo, who we backed last time out, has won the last two renewals and he looks sure to put up a brave defence of his crown for Fergal O’Brien. There wasn’t much between Impose Toi and Strong Leader at Newbury three weeks ago and they have to be considered major players but the bookies haven’t missed them.
Old Pal
One they have missed is an old favourite of the blog, Colonel Mustard. He’s available at odds of 22/1 and he comes here on the back of successive wins in a rated race at Sligo and a Grade 2 over 2m4f at Navan where he beat the Grade 1 winner The Yellow Clay by over 2l.
Last season, the Colonel ran with credit in the Irish Champions Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown and last November, he ran a blinder in the Ascot Hurdle over shorter than this, finishing a close third behind Lucky Place and Blueking d’Oroux (Golden Ace a neck behind in fourth).
The 10yo son of Makfi has yet to definitively prove he stays 3m but I think there’s every chance he will. He’ll be suited by sitting off a solid pace and coming with his challenge late and Beauport should ensure they go a decent gallop. At the prices, I’m going to roll the dice one more time with Colonel Mustard. Fingers crossed he runs a cracking race.
2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: Colonel Mustard e/w @ 22/1
2.40 Haydock – Mares’ Novice Hurdle (Listed)
I’m going to take a flier on Bittalemon here for Jimmy Moffatt and Charlotte Jones. An extremely expensive yearling, this daughter of Dubawi managed to win just one of her four flat turf starts for William Haggas and that success came on soft ground at Catterick in October 2024 off a mark of 67.
She has had five runs over timber since joining this stable and she has won two of her last three, both novice hurdles at Cartmel at 2m1f on good and good to soft ground. Given that she won over 1m4f on the level, she should stay the extra 2f here and she may well improve plenty for softer ground too.
The form of her last win at Cartmel in August, where she made all, has been boosted big style by the runner up Hamlet’s Night. He won his next two and was runner up in the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton on his latest start. The fact that Bittalemon has been off the track since then is a bit of a concern but hopefully Moffatt has simply been waiting for softer ground. On the form of that last win, odds of 33/1 about Bittalemon are too tempting to turn down.
2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: Bittalemon e/w @ 33/1
3.00 Ascot – Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase (Premier)
The cat is out of the bag regarding Deep Cave. We got 33s when he won at Aintree in April but he is nowhere near those odds today after he added another win in a Bangor Handicap chase on his seasonal return last month.
There could be more still to come from him but you’d wonder will connections be thinking about preserving his mark (or even getting dropped a pound or two) ahead of the festivals in the Spring.
The only horse that makes any appeal of those at longer odds is the inconsistent Threeunderthrufive. He underwent wind surgery in the off season after pulling up on his last two runs of 2024/25. He went well for a long way before weakening in the Badger Beers at Wincanton on his seasonal reappearance last month and he should strip fitter now.
His form figures at this venue read 132. The win came off 152 and he was running off 153 when going down by a nose to Vicctorino here back in February. He’s 3lb lower now and 4lb better off with Vicctorino so if he is on a going day, he’s not handicapped out of this. At odds of 16/1, Threeunderthrufive is the e/w selection.
2025 Ascot & Haydock Saturday Tip: Threeunderthrufive e/w @ 16/1 (4 places) nb
3.35 Ascot – Festive Handicap Hurdle (Premier)
We close out the day on ITV with this 2m premier handicap hurdle. The one I am going to take a chance on at an attractive price is the Jonjo O’Neill trained Wreckless Eric. Still just a 5yo, this son of Masterstroke held every chance of winning when falling two out on his seasonal reappearance last year so he is capable of running well when fresh.
He then won at Cheltenham on his next start off 117 and followed that with a fine second at the same track off 8lb higher last December. On his penultimate run last season, he proved he could be effective going right-handed when finishing a close second behind Go Dante in the Imperial Cup at Sandown and he is only 2lb higher now.
Wreckless Eric has won on soft, good to soft and good ground so it doesn’t really matter what the weather does overnight. There is the chance he might need this run, so keep stakes modest but at 18/1 with four places on offer, a small each way interest is advised.
