Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Saturday’s racing coming your way from Ascot, Haydock Park, Huntingdon, Newcastle and Wolverhampton on 22 November 2025.
ASCOT
Race 2 No6 GAYE LEGACY
Trainer: Tom Symonds – Jockey: Ben Poste
GAYE LEGACY raced only three times in a stop start 2024/25 season when she won at Ludlow in February. The final survivor of a line of high class hurdlers and chasers trained by the Rimells, she has taken well to fences at home, and can make an impact in this open distaffers’ race.
Race 3 LADBROKES 1965 Chase (Grade 2)
No2 PIC D’ORHY (Nap)
Trainer: Paul Nicholls – Jockey: Harry Cobden
All eyes will be on last year’s King George VI Chase hero IL EST FRANCAIS racing for the first time out of Tom George’s Slad stables. The seven-year-old has endured a topsy turvy time since that resounding triumph which helped bring about his export to Gloucestershire, where according to his trainer he’s settled in well and done everything right. PIC D’ORHY is a standing dish at Ascot where he’s won this race for the past two years. Last season he also netted the Grade 1 Ascot Chase and he’s effectively a 4 to 5 lbs better horse at today’s venue. Il Est Francais and to some extend Pic D’Orhy are both free goers and it will be interesting to see how things pan out should there be a battle for the lead. The French horse has shown a tendency to sulk if he’s unable to dominate, suggesting what happens over the first two fences will determine the eventual outcome. GIDLEIGH PARK and JANGO BAIE are second season novices, and the one to pick up the pieces should the race fall apart is MASTER CHEWY.
Prediction: 1st PIC D’ORHY, 2nd Il Est Francais, 3rd Master Chewy
Race 4 No1 OUR POWER (Each Way)
Trainer: Sam Thomas – Jockey: Dylan Johnston
OUR POWER got no further than the Chair when falling on his return to action in the Grand Sefton Chase at Aintree two weeks ago. None the worse for that spill, the ten-year-old is back at the scene of one of his greatest triumphs and has a good chance to make amends. It’s his first visit here since he landed the London Gold Cup in the autumn of 2022.
Race 5 LADBROKES ASCOT HURDLE (Grade 2)
No6 CELTIC DINO (Each Way)
Trainer: Sam Thomas – Jockey: Dylan Johnston
Two mares take on seven males in a cracking heat with WODHOOH sure to start short in her bid to back up her Stayers’ Hurdle triumph in March. Her impressive winning streak was only halted in the Aintree Hurdle, and taking into account her sex allowance she’s sure to prove hard to beat. POTTERS CHARM exited his comeback race at Wetherby too far out to suggest he would have won, but he was a high class novice last season and worked beautifully earlier in the week. One that could cause both these horses problems is CELTIC DINO, who after storming home in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Chepstow was a late scratch from the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham after his connections had a rethink. The chestnut was never better than when landing a Grade 2 novice hurdle at this meeting 12 months ago, while he won a bumper and finished second in another on his only other visits to this track. As the apple of his trainer’s eye he has much to live up to, but a big run is anticipated.
Prediction: 1st CELTIC DINO, 2nd Potters Charm, 3rd Wodhooh
HAYDOCK PARK
Race 1 No5 MASKED MAN
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: JJ Slevin
There are few more exciting novices at Grange FarmStakes than MASKED MAN, who was a most impressive winner of a novice hurdle at Chepstow last month after joining his trainer as the winner of his only point in Ireland. The Masked Marvel gelding has a bright future in front of him, and with conditions in his favour can remain unbeaten.
Race 4 No2 THE JUKEBOX MAN (Nap)
Trainer: Ben Pauling – Jockey: Ben Jones
IROKO was most unfortunate not to win last season and is already high on many lists as a possible Grand National winner. He brings an experience edge to the table for this graduation chase but could find the classy THE JUKEBOX MAN a hard foe to overcome. The Nap impressed in both starts over fences around this time last season, and but for going onto the injury list could have reached for the stars. Happily he’s still only seven, and following the wise decision of his trainer to come here rather than tackle the Grade 1 chase at Ascot he can continue from where he left off, and put in an early foothold for a tilt at the Gold Cup.
Race 5 No5 MA SHANTOU
Trainer: Emma Lavelle – Jockey: Ben Jones
MA SHANTOU landed some good bets on his return in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham, looking good value for his margin of victory. He’s back for more off a 9lb higher mark, but is the type of progressive individual that can cope with it, and he can stave off the challenges of HARTINGTON and ACE OF SPADES.
Race 6 BETFAIR CHASE (Grade1)
No1 GREY DAWNING
Trainer, Dan Skelton – Jockey: Harry Skelton
GREY DAWNING has a great chance of avenging his unlucky defeat by ROYAL PAGAILLE in this race 12 months ago, as he’s at eight just reaching the height of his powers, while his rival is now at 11 in the veteran stage. The selection was last seen finishing second in the Bowl at Aintree and is relatively lightly raced over fences, making him open for further progression at a track that suits his attacking style. He probably would have won the race but for a mistake at the last in 2024, and with a victory today can assert his claim’s as England’s leading contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Race 7 No2 TOP OF THE BILL (Each Way)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Toby McCain-Mitchell
TOP OF THE BILL needed his first run back last season, but his trainer has put more work into him ahead of this return to action. He’s 5lb higher than for his latest win, but loves these testing conditions, while this track should play to his strengths.
HUNTINGDON
Race 4 No7 SLEEPING LATE (Nap)
Trainer: Pam Sly – Jockey: Jack Andrews
SLEEPING LATE showed promise by troubling the judge on all three outings last season. The chestnut will be more forward for his comeback run three weeks ago, and is the most unexposed runner in the field.
NEWCASTLE
Race 5 No8 SEE THAT SPARK (Each Way)
Trainer: Ed Bethell – Jockey: Kevin Stott
SEE THAT SPARK outran his odds when claiming a minor cheque at Doncaster on the final day of the turf season. After that second earning run he’s primed to open his account, even though he has a tricky draw to overcome.
WOLVERHAMPTON
Race 2 No4 KUIAMA (Nap)
Trainer, Dylan Cunha – Jockey: Lillie Dingle
KUIAMA won over course and distance under this apprentice and has strong claims to follow-up from a 3lb higher mark. She showed a patient approach and the pair looked good value for their margin of victory, even though it was only a neck.
