Horse Racing Tips
ITV Racing Tips – Saturday 17th January 2026
Steve Mullington casts his expert eye over the televised races at Ascot and Haydock on ITV this Saturday.
ITV are set to cover four live races from Ascot on Saturday, with their big race being the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase. Prior to that they will show the Grade 2 Warfield Mares’ Hurdle, the £100k Handicap Chase and the Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle.
Also sharing the bill on Saturday will be three races from Haydock on their Peter Marsh Chase Day. The Grade 2 Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle will be followed by the feature event – the Peter Marsh Chase, then a 3m½f handicap hurdle.
1.25 Haydock – 2m Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (4yo+)
Old Park Star and HURRICANE PAT (NAP) are very hard to split in this Grade 2, but I have been more impressed by the nature of the victories from the later named to make him the nap.
Noel Fehily’s syndicated horse won the Listed Claremont Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown with consummate ease and can follow up on that effort.
1.40 Ascot – 2m Warfield Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (4yo+)
Jamie Snowden and Gavin Sheehan are a formidable team and their runner LA COQUIERE can bring up her hat-trick in this mares’ hurdle.
She won a Listed event over the same trip by 3½ lengths in November and is a horse who is rising through the ranks quickly.
2.00 Haydock – 3m1½f Peter Marsh Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (5yo+)
Joel Parkinson has really been instrumental in firing up the fortunes of the yard since joining his Grandmother on the training licence and KONFUSION can take another big race scalp this weekend.
Winner of the William Hill Rowland Meyrick Chase and the Rehearsal Chase already this season, this staying event is well within his scope and he will be a popular choice in our horse racing betting.
2.20 Ascot – 2m5f Handicap Chase (Class 2) (5yo+)
HITMAN is enjoying a renaissance in form this season and I see no reason why he shouldn’t be a major player in this 2m5f affair, even off top weight.
This season’s Old Roan winner couldn’t live with Djelo in the Peterborough Chase, but this race is a wide open affair.
2.35 Haydock – 3m½f Handicap Hurdle (4yo+ 0-140)
Back in 2024 KYNTARA ran a blinder to finish runner-up in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham.
No victories have been forthcoming since, but the ten-year-old is still running to a decent level as he did at Cheltenham in December. He can be an each-way candidate today for sure.
2.53 Ascot – 2m3½f Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) (4yo+)
Harry Fry’s old stalwart METIER showed enough last time to make him an each-way interest this afternoon.
The former Chester Cup and November Handicap winner can hopefully follow up on his decent fourth behind Go Dante at Sandown.
3.30 Ascot – 2m1f Clarence House Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+)
IL ETAIT TEMPS can get the better of Jonbon once more in the Clarence House Chase and is likely to go off at short odds in our sports betting.
It was relatively easy work for him in the Tingle Creek and it will only be errors that can stop him beating the Henderson-trained horse around Ascot.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
