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Saturday ante-post tips: 20-1 and 6-1 chances among four selections

Last Updated: Tue 27 Oct 2026

Nic Doggett bids to make it three profitable weeks in a row as he turns his attention to Saturday's action at Ascot, Down Royal and Wetherby.

Last year's one-two TAKE NO CHANCES and Strong Leader look set to go head-to-head once more in Saturday's bet365 Hurdle (2.18) at Wetherby, and I fancy the Dan Skelton-trained mare to turn the tables on 4 lb better terms in the race known as The West Yorkshire Hurdle.

She carried a penalty (for a Grade 2 win at Ascot the previous January) when only going down by a neck 12 months ago and has followed the same pattern of having a prep run at Chepstow ahead of this assignment, something she has done for the last two seasons, including when winning a listed race at this fixture in 2024. She didn't run well in Wales, but a 40-1 SP was something of a clue.

Strong Leader is a talented horse with an excellent record fresh, but I think the mare will be too sharp for her where it matters. Lud'or is an interesting horse back from his absence, but I think he might need more testing ground to be seen to best effect, and I can see the big two going off quite a bit shorter. Take the 5-2 about Take No Chances.

Take No Chances and Strong Leader clashed in last year's race

The Dan Skelton – (Mrs) Johnny de la Hey – Paul Nicholls - [out of] love triangle could take another twist on Saturday with Pic d'Orhy seemingly on track to make his seasonal reappearance/debut for Skelton in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase (2.55, Wetherby).

Although an Ascot specialist and probably better going right-handed, it looks a good place to start – he was second last year under a penalty having ended his previous season on a low, and it looks a similar scenario here having been well held at Aintree when last seen in April.

But prices of 7-4 make no real appeal, especially as there are plenty of other front-runners in here who should make it a good test, including Konfusion whose progress through the handicap ranks last season was built upon good old-fashioned jump and grind tactics.

Hitman's last win came in last season's Old Roan Chase on his reappearance

However, prices as big as 20-1 about HITMAN look too big. The Nicholls-trained chaser has plenty of talent, and will no doubt be fit as a fiddle for this having been scheduled to make his debut in Sunday's cancelled Old Roan Chase. Hopefully connections decide to make hay whilst the sun is shining and head here than wait for something like the 1965 Chase at Ascot or Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon.

He doesn't do much off the bridle, so if you've backed him then you'll be hoping he's still travelling well before the last, but I think this decent ground will help him get the three-mile trip here (seemed to stay okay in the 2025 Denman Chase run on soft going) and I'm encouraged by the fact that Nicholls won this with the doubtful stayer Cyrname – in the de la Hey colours - in 2020.

Backing him each-way now with a guaranteed three places on offer (except with a few bookmakers – check first) makes sense to me as only seven renewals this century featured eight or more runners.

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A touching tribute to Envoi Allen from his groom Zoe Smalley

The BetVictor, Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase (3.15, Down Royal) will likely be an emotional event, saluting a fine winner of the race for the past two seasons who died during the most recent Cheltenham Festival, a meeting where he'd previously basked in three victories.

As a result, all eyes will be on Henry de Bromhead's most recent Ryanair Chase winner Heart Wood who has a fine record fresh and should have no problem with the return to three miles, for all he's yet to win over this trip at the top level.

I'm not entirely sure how to predict when Banbridge will peak this season, especially with the 10-year-old winning his first start on the Flat last month, but it's most likely that the King George will be his main target.

Last year's runner-up AFFORDALE FURY may also have bigger targets down the line – he's 100-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup if anyone is interested – but I think connections will be keen to get him firing on all cylinders right away having missed the crescendo of last season due to an injury he sustained in the Irish Gold Cup.

He has a good record fresh, is a thorough stayer so is starting this season off over his optimum trip (unlike last year), and may try to make them all go from the front here.

Leave Of Absence won first time out last season at Cheltenham

Down at Ascot, the Sodexo Live! Regal Encore Handicap Chase (2.33) is named after Anthony Honeyball's last winner of the race who won it as a 12-year-old in 2020 some 12 months after finishing runner-up in it.

And I think the in-form trainer has another likely candidate in 6-1 chance LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Aside from a sloppy jump two out when trying to put the race to bed, he looked very much at home over these fences when a head-second to Deep Cave in a similar handicap over C&D last December, and I think his prominent style of racing is suited to these events.

He lost little in defeat when upped in class on heavy ground in the Grade Two Denman Chase on his next start, and then performed with credit when fifth in the Ultima; on both occasions he was ridden with more restraint.

He wasn't at his best – especially on the jumping front – when well held at Aintree when last seen in April, but as a result he is down to a mark that is 3 lb lower than when second here in December.

His earlier second to The Changing Man in the Reynoldstown here – when still a maiden over fences on just his second start, and rated 11 lb inferior but racing off level weights – reads well, and his win first time out at Cheltenham last term further increases confidence that he will be primed first time out in a race the yard will be keen to do well in. Last year's winner Henry's Friend looks the main danger, though I'm a little concerned about the form of the Ben Pauling yard.

Saturday selections

2.18 Wetherby (bet365 Hurdle)

TAKE NO CHANCES at 5-2 (general)

2.55 Wetherby (bet365 Charlie Hall Chase)

HITMAN each-way at 20-1 (William Hill, 16-1 bet365, 14-1 Unibet)

3.15 Down Royal (BetVictor, Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase)

AFFORDALE FURY at 7-2 (Paddy Power, Sky Bet, Betfair)

2.33 Ascot (Sodexo Live! Regal Encore Handicap Chase)

LEAVE OF ABSENCE at 6-1 with William Hill (11-2 general)

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