Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Nemean Lion can raise the Bar up in trip

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews the best of Saturday’s racing from Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton, and puts up his best bets.

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Ascot, Saturday

Jingko Blue is a worthy favourite for the Reynoldstown (1:50pm) but LOWRY’S BAR made a costly mistake at a crucial time when they met last time at Windsor. That didn’t necessarily make a difference to the result, but he would have finished closer without it, and now he gets a five-pound swing in the weights with Jingko Blue. I think the combination of those factors sways me towards Lowry’s Bar, and he offers a bit more value in the market too.

In the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle (2:25pm), I came down on CLASSIC KING of Emma Lavelle’s. He put in a good performance to win last time at Doncaster when switching back from fences to hurdles. If you look back through his form, he previously had some very strong runs over hurdles last season as a novice. He didn’t excel over fences, unseating twice in four starts, but had been progressive over hurdles before that. It seems to me an open race and he looks way overpriced given how comfortably he won last time.

There are a few you can make cases for in the Swinley Handicap Chase (3:00pm). One I was interested in was Terresita, who won well at Ascot on her last start and this step up in trip could bring out further improvement. However, I thought HASTHING overcame a lot to win at Windsor last time. He made some mistakes and came through from a very unpromising position to win a competitive handicap. I think he will have learned an awful lot from that. He’s gone up eight pounds, but he is two from three over fences and I think there’s still more improvement to come.

Pic D’Orhy beat L’Homme Presse by over five lengths in the Ascot Chase (3:37pm) last season but for me L’HOMME PRESSE brings much the best recent form into this race. Pic D’Orhy hasn’t run since winning what looked a weak Grade 2 here in November so there have to be a few question marks over him. L’Homme Presse has some great recent form with his tough win in the Cotswold Chase last time and before that he was a good third to Banbridge in the King George. Corbett’s Cross finished around nine lengths behind L’Homme Presse in the King George, so he has that to make up. The more I look at it, the more I think L’Homme Presse looks very solid.

Haydock, Saturday

In the Rendlesham Hurdle (2:40pm) Beauport looks the obvious one. He put in a good performance when third to Crambo in the Ascot Hurdle last time but did look to have the run of the race from the front. Instead, there could be a bit of value to be had with NEMEAN LION, now stepping up to three miles for the first time. He has been good this season, winning at Hereford and Windsor. I had in my mind that he was a keen-going horse but I think he’s now learned to settle and relax a bit better in his races. He holds an entry in the Stayers’ Hurdle and I think we could now see even better from him over this trip.

The two down the bottom of the weights in the Grand National Trial (3:15pm), Val Dancer and Jubilee Express immediately catch the eye. They finished first and second in the Welsh Grand National when last seen but with their penalties they are still six and eight pounds respectively out of the handicap, which makes things more difficult for them. APPLE AWAY is one that I always felt would benefit from a marathon trip. I thought they rode her too aggressively in the National Hunt Chase at the Festival last year and she didn’t get home for that reason. Over three-and-a-half miles on reasonable ground if they ride her a bit more patiently, I can see her running a big race.

I like another of Lucinda Russell’s in the form of DERRYHASSEN PADDY in the Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle (3:50pm). He won to me like a horse that was learning as he went at Windsor and I think he can continue to progress.

Wincanton, Saturday

BURDETT ROAD looks to be the one to be with in the Kingwell Hurdle (1:36pm) and I think he has the stronger form than his main market rival Golden Ace. He was a good winner of the Greatwood Hurdle earlier in the season and then finished third to Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle last time. He had Lump Sum 23 lengths behind him that day and that horse franked the form massively when finishing second in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury last weekend.

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