Ascot Saturday

2:05 Chanelle Pharma 1965 Chase (Grade 2) 2m 5f 8yds

With Do Your Job running on Friday and Hitman’s preferred engagement being at Haydock, this looks set to go to L’Homme Presse, who had such a productive campaign as a novice last year, and can help kickstart the season for Venetia Williams, who has been slower than usual to get off the mark for the jumps season proper.

It looks like the ground is drying back at Ascot with fresh winds and mild temperatures for the time of year. That would be a slight concern for a horse who stays three miles well in testing ground, but he didn’t look short of pace last season, and the drop in trip is not expected to cause much inconvenience.

An on-form Saint Calvados would give L’Homme Presse a real run for his money, but he must concede 3lb as David Maxwell is unable to claim and he didn’t need to be at his best to win an uncompetitive Oaksey Chase at Sandown in April.

It’s interesting that Paul Nicholls believes he wants good ground these days as he was a confirmed mudlark for Harry Whittington, and if Nicholls is right then he could make a race of it with the trip certainly ideal.

2:40 Coral Hurdle (Registered As The Ascot Hurdle) (Grade 2) 2m 3f 58yds

Hopefully the ground doesn’t dry enough to give Nicky Henderson second thoughts about running Constitution Hill, who looks to have this race at his mercy. His 22-length defeat of Jonbon had to be seen to be believed, and Henderson is unable to keep a lid on his enthusiasm for this unbeaten hurdler.

He should have no great trouble accounting for the accident-probe Brewin’upastorm or Goshen, whose chase debut here was an unmitigated disaster.

Of the two, I would fancy Goshen to chase home the favourite, but the worry is that whichever of the others tries to take the race to Constitution Hill is likely to be left bruised by the experience, and the runner-up is likely to be the one who runs on from the rear.

3:15 Jim Barry Wines Hurst Park Handicap Chase 2m 167yds

This isn’t an easy race to be confident about, and the more I look at it, the fewer horses I feel I can discount.

That said, I remain convinced that Boothill is a high-class two-mile chaser in the making, and he was really impressive despite the small margin at Newton Abbot on his return, beating subsequent winner Datsalrightgino by three-parts of lengths after being heavily eased when clear after the last.

The fences at Newton Abbot take some jumping and he was foot perfect, while the winning margin could have been 10 lengths if he’d been ridden out.

An 8lb rise for that win may look harsh at face value, but Datsalrightgino defied a mark of 129 with ease at Chepstow on his only subsequent start (now rated 138), and that actually makes Boothill look leniently treated.

This is a bigger test, of course, but if he jumps with the same alacrity on this different track, he will prove hard to beat.

Haydock Saturday

1:50 Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Graduation Chase 2m 5f 127yds

Hitman ought to win this, but the talented son of Falco is certainly not the punters’ friend, with his only win in the last two years coming at the prohibitive odds of 1/7.

He’s traded at odds-on in five of his six starts since, and while he stands out on form here, I’m not convinced a slog in soft ground suits him, and his sire is certainly more of an influence for speed than stamina, making the extra couple of furlongs he tackles here a definite concern.

Erne River has it to do on ratings, but he is best on testing ground and goes very well fresh, so may be able to spring a shock.

He was impressive in winning his first two starts over fences at Doncaster and Wetherby, and the ground was quicker when he was upped to Grade 1 company at Aintree, which seemed to have an effect on his jumping.

He’ll appreciate the return to testing ground and he remains unbeaten after a break of two months or more.

2:25 Betfair Exchange Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 3m 58yds

Run For Oscar is dangerous even with 12st, but whether he translates his hugely impressive Cesarewitch-winning form back to hurdles under different circumstances is hard to predict, and I’m more inclined to find each-way value lower down the weights.

Good Risk At All remains well handicapped after impressing at Carlisle on his return over two and a half miles, but he’s not short of pace and I’m far from certain a slog at this trip is needed, whereas Might I is also unproven at the trip but very much bred to need it being a half-brother to National Hunt Chase winner Stattler.

Might I kept exceptional company over 2m as a novice, finishing second to Constitution Hill and third to Jonbon before improving further for the step up to two and a half miles at Aintree where he found only Three Stripe Life too strong.

This is Might I’s first attempt at a staying trip, but he pulled 24 lengths clear of Good Risk At All in that Aintree race and looked in need of an even stiffer test, which he gets here. His stable has been in fine form in recent weeks, and this son of Fame And Glory is completely unexposed granted a test over obstacles.

He won despite being unfancied on his racecourse bow, and also after a lengthy break on last season’s return, so his absence since April is no concern at all.

3:00 Betfair Chase (Grade 1) 3m 1f 125yds

It would be wonderful to think that grand veteran Bristol De Mai could turn the clock back to register a fourth win in this event, and the soft ground should ensure he runs much better now than he did a year ago, but the real bogey is A Plus Tard who is a better chaser than the gallant grey ever was, and who should be able to win consecutive runnings of the race despite slight concerns over the ground.

He handles soft ground perfectly well, quickening off such a surface when a hugely impressive winner at Cheltenham in his novice season, and while he’s more effective on good ground given what a fluent mover he is, it would be a shock if he can’t beat today’s rivals with his stable in such good form.

He was better than ever when winning the Gold Cup in March, and is still only an eight-year-old after all.

3:35 Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase 3m 1f 125yds

Houston Texas has been most progressive this season, and impressed with how well he travelled when bringing up a Carlisle hat-trick on his most recent start.

He has been slow to bloom, but Nicky Richards is a patient man and has given the son of Dylan Thomas plenty of time to come to himself. He’s done that in no uncertain terms of late, shaping as if he’s going to do even better as his stamina is drawn out.

Boothill 3:15 Ascot - 2pts win @ 5/1 (Ladbrokes, Coral – 9/2 general)

Might I 2:25 Haydock – 1pt e/w @ 9/2 (general – Hills 5 places)

Rory recommended Unanswered at 2/1 among last week’s tips