Today's Tips

Professional tipster Ben Merritt gives his thoughts on today's racing...

1.25 Ascot - DANCE AND GLANCE 5/2 (NAP)

I'm a bit gutted that I didn't ante post DANCE AND GLANCE at 8/1 for this race in the week. Having typed him up for a race at Aintree last Sunday, before it was abandoned, I saw he had this on his agenda next. However, the yard had three horses entered in this, none of them had jockeys booked and it just wasn't worth the risk. We're left with a much shorter price, but that's because its a much weaker race than the 20 runner field that was entered earlier in the week. Having said that, it's a much easier assignment than his Aintree one and, with a great record fresh, I think he'll go well. A winner for us at Haydock last season over hurdles, he was then unlucky to have not followed up over that same C&D last time out. Staying on strongly after the last, he was badly hampered approaching the line in that class 1 race. This is his chasing debut and Ascot wouldn't be the easiest test of jumping. However, he's bred to love a fence and his record fresh reads 1121. Given the race he was targeted for on Sunday, I would presume he's ready for this and he has the potential to be a class above this field here.

2.33 Ascot - CALIFET EN VOL 7/2 (Next Best)

Nicky Henderson had his first winner of the season on Thursday and given that most of the others have gone close, he must have them pretty forward. He sends just one horse racing on Saturday, CALIFET EN VOL, who he's recently stated is very forward and needs to get out asap. Huge things were expected of this horse last season and once he won at Kempton, connections felt that he'd rack up a sequence. He didn't really kick on but, with another summer on his back and upped to a trip that might be the making of him, I think he's in for a good year. He'd been doing all his running over 2 and a half which, on breeding, just looked too short and when winning a Listed hurdle at Huntingdon in February 2025, it was stated that he's a 3 mile chaser in the making. Going right handed seems to be a big plus for him, his 3 wins have come that way, and a mark of 139 is only 3lb higher than the one he beat this race fav, VIROFLAY off last Feb. He meets that horse on 6lb better terms here today. He was being lined up for the Badger Beers race, which had been abandoned, so we can assume he's pretty straight for this.

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