Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Spillane’s Can Tower Over Rivals At Down Royal

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty picks out his best bets on an action-packed Saturday of racing from Wetherby, Ascot and Down Royal.

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Wetherby, Saturday

It’s hard to see past GOLDEN ACE in the Listed Mares’ Hurdle (1:50pm). She was obviously a fortunate winner of the Champion Hurdle in Cheltenham but she did back it up with her second to State Man at Punchestown. I think two miles is ideal for her as she didn’t quite get home over two-and-a-half miles at Ascot on her reappearance last season. The level of form that she brings makes her very hard to oppose.

The Grade 2 Hurdle (2:22pm) looks a competitive race despite the small field. Potters Charm has potential but his form did tail off in the second half of last season and you’d have to be a little bit disappointed with his last two runs at Cheltenham. STRONG LEADER has some very solid form, including when second behind Hiddenvalley Lake at Aintree on his last start. He put in a good performance when winning the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on reappearance last season, and is very much proven at this level. The Olly Murphy team are in red-hot form at the moment too.

The Real Whacker won the Charlie Hall (2:57pm) last year but I think this is a better renewal. Protektorat improved a lot for his first run last season and to me his best form is on slow ground. Hewick will love the ground and the track but he hasn’t won a chase since the King George nearly two years ago. PIC D’ORHY has won five of his last eight starts and while he is stepping up in trip to three miles for the first time and has to give weight away, his form in these sorts of races makes him of strong interest. He likes good ground and goes well fresh. In recent seasons he has done most of his racing on right-handed tracks, but he did win the Melling Chase, beating Fakir D’Oudairies in 2023, and that’s some very good form.

Ascot, Saturday

The two-mile handicap chase (2:05pm) looks very tricky and there probably isn’t much between the field. Martator won this race last year and has good early season form as well. He beat ISSAR D’AIRY by just under two lengths in this race, but is worse off at the weights with that rival now. To me that looks the form to focus on, and I think there could be each-way value in Issar D’Airy, who didn’t go on to win last season, but ran plenty of consistent races.

WASHINGTON (3:10pm) has won three of his five starts since joining Harry Derham. He reopposes Moveit Like Minnie, whom he beat at Chepstow earlier this month, when the pair pulled 40 lengths clear of the third placed horse. He’s only gone up four pounds for that win and looks set to go well again.

THE CHANGING MAN looks like the one with the most potential in the Gold Cup Handicap (3:45pm). He had really good form through last season, including when second to Myretown in the Ultima at the Festival. Before that he had won and finished a close second over this course and distance, so he has strong Ascot form. Again, it looks an open race, and one at more of an each-way price might be BHALOO. He was a winner first time up over two-miles-three-furlongs at this meeting last season when beating a good rival in Bad, and you could give him a chance on that form.

Down Royal, Saturday

The ground should be on the slow side of good at Down Royal and that will suit SPILLANE’S TOWER in the Grade 1 Champion Chase (2:40pm). To finish a half-length second to Fact To File on reappearance last season in the John Durkan was a brilliant run. He had Galopin Des Champs back in third over that two-and-a-half miles and will be more comfortable over this three-mile trip. I was happy to forgive his run in last season’s King George as I think Kempton was too sharp for him. Although Envoi Allen has an excellent record in this race having won it twice, he is now an 11-year-old, and I think Spillane’s Tower’s Punchestown form is a level above anything in this line up. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet.

There’s also Grade 2 action at Down Royal (3:15pm). FIREFOX and Croke Park are closely matched on their Drinmore Chase form from December last year. Firefox was beaten there, but he was a winner at this meeting last year and I think he could be the one here. Jack Kennedy rides Firefox over stablemates Croke Park and Speculartrix, so on jockey bookings he looks the pick.