It's another extremely busy Saturday of racing action ahead across Britain and Ireland with the Scottish Grand National (3.35) at Ayr the centrepiece.
That's part of a nine-race offering on ITV Racing this afternoon, with five from Scotland and four races from Newbury's Classic trials card, and we've get selections here for all the terrestrial action.
There are further meetings from Brighton, Limerick, Navan, Nottingham and Thirsk on the Flat as well as Bangor-on-Dee over jumps on a hectic day.
Our fancies include a stayer with lots of potential looking to strike for a red-hot Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore alliance in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan.
Selections
- Navan 4.35 - Emily Dickinson @ 11/8
- Bangor-on-Dee 2.15 - Vandemere @ 4/1
- Newbury 3.50 - Ascari @ 11/1
Tip 1
Aidan O'Brien has won the Vintage Crop Stakes (4.35) with the likes of Yeats, Fame And Glory, Order Of St George and Kyprios down the years - the Ballydoyle handler numbering eight wins in this early season Listed contest over 1m6f.
Kyprios won this last year at the beginning of a six-race unbeaten season that would yield Gold Cup glory at Ascot as well as Group 1s at Glorious Goodwood, the Curragh and Longchamp before the season ended.
With that champion currently sidelined, EMILY DICKINSON (11/8) and Bolshoi Ballet represent Ballydoyle now and preference is for the latter, the choice of Ryan Moore.
She had some excellent effort in Group-race company last season, including when fifth in the St Leger at Doncaster and excellent efforts behind smart performer Sea La Rosa at Goodwood and Longchamp before and after that Town Moor run.
Stamina is a forte and that really came to light on her final start at the Curragh when she blasted clear of older rivals to win the Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes over two-miles in stylish fashion.
It's no shock to see she holds an entry in next month's Yorkshire Cup and she can stamp her passport to that sort of contest by winning €30,000 pot on her comeback for a top yard currently operating at a 35 per-cent winning strike-rate in the early skirmishes of the turf season.
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Tip 2
Off to north Wales next and the Kate Hinkins 40th Birthday Celebration Handicap Hurdle (2.15) at Bangor-on-Dee where John Quinn's handicap debutant VANDEMERE (4/1) looks a good pick to shine in this Betfred Extra Place Race (five places).
He was an Irish point-to-point winner on good to yielding ground all the way back in March 2019 and had to wait until Boxing Day just gone for his Rules bow when he finished second in a novice hurdle at Newcastle (2m4½f, good to soft) after an absence of more than three years.
That was a promising start and, unsurprisingly after such a long absence, he was given time to get over that run before finishing third at Hexham (2m4f, heavy) last month on ground that probably wasn't ideal.
That was a fair effort and the pair in front of him have run well again since. Craig Nicol's partner goes handicapping off an opening mark of 108, which looks very fair, and the drying ground here should be to his liking.
This is competitive but with five places to aim for, Vandemere looks a solid contender.
Horse Racing Odds
Tip 3
The combo of Hughie Morrison and William Buick appear on the trainer and jockey in form list via the Betfred Betfinder and they'll be hoping that once-raced colt ASCARI (11/1) has improvement forthcoming in the mile maiden at Newbury (3.50) this afternoon.
The son of Invincible Spirit shaped with promise on debut over C&D last backend, finishing sixth having only weakened late in the piece.
The winner Cicero's Gift scored again on his comeback last month and is probably above average and Ascari has plenty scope for further development at three-years-old.
That course experience can prove useful and the prospect of handling the give underfoot is another bonus with the in-form champion jockey (25 per-cent strike-rate of late) taking over in the saddle.
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