The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections for 4th November 2023

The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections from Wetherby, Ascot & Newmarket

Wetherby

bet365 Mares’ Hurdle (Listed) 1.50
You Wear It Well (nap)
Jamie Snowden can land the first of the Black Type races on Wetherby’s Saturday card with You Wear It Well. She won four of her first five starts over timber, including the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, so this Listed contest looks a good entry point for another big campaign. The return to two miles should suit, as will the soft going, so You Wear It Well looks the one to beat

bet365 Hurdle (Grade 2) 2.25
Dashel Drasher (nb)
The tough and likeable Dashel Drasher can get this season off to a winning start in this Grade 2 race. Jeremy Scott’s stable star goes well fresh, and won’t be lacking for effort over this 3 mile trip, so with plenty of form on soft ground in the book has the edge over the smart Thyme Hill. This pair have both placed in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, so a good duel is on the cards. Thyme Hill is probably using this to blow out some cobwebs before returning to fences, so Dashel Drasher is the one to follow

bet365 Charlie Hall Chase (Grade 2) 3.00
Bravemansgame
Last year’s winner looks set for a big run to defend the title in what will be a big campaign over fences this season. He only found the brilliant Galopin Des Champs too good in the Cheltenham Gold Cup back in March, but was a worthy runner-up in that Blue Riband event. The front-running Ahoy Senor rates the main danger in this field of just four, but that will set the race up nicely for Bravemansgame, who is sure to go off a warm order favourite

Ascot

Byrne Group Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 2.05
Boothill
Last year’s winner, Boothill, can score again if the ground doesn’t get too deep, with some rain still in the forecast for Saturday. There’s a valuable prize pot for this Premier Handicap, so Johnny Burke will be hoping to take a slice of that home should he steer Boothill to the winner’s enclosure, and if anything, this doesn’t look as hot a race as last year. That said, the cut in the ground will play its part, but with form on soft, Boothill should be in the mix once more. Every chance

Seat Unique Handicap Hurdle 3.15
Our Champ
Chris Gordon seems to have got some improvement out of Our Champ since the move from Paul Henderson’s yard. He struck at the first time of asking when scoring at Plumpton, and backed that up with an impressive run at Cheltenham is a Conditional Jockeys’ race, bolting home by over 7 lengths. Freddie Gordon keeps the ride now sent into handicap company, so although this is tougher, Freddie’s 5lb claim can help offset the 11lb hit from the Handicapper. One going the right way, and every chance of brining up the hat-trick if taking to this softer going

Sodexo Live! Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 3.45
Two For Gold
The chance is taken on Kim Bailey’s Two For Gold in the second of the Premier Handicap’s on Ascot’s Saturday card. Last seen winning a Veterans’ Handicap Chase here back in April, he clearly has a penchant for this track having been a runner-up in two of his other three visits here. Wouldn’t be wanting too much more rain, but his second in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase here in 2022 behind the smart Fakir D’oudairies is solid form. Goes well fresh and has to be high in the shortlist

Newmarket

Betfred Horris Hill Stakes (Group 3) 12.27
Finbar Furey
Jane Chapple-Hyam has the key to the Horris Hill with Finbar Furey, whose cosy win at Salisbury last month should set him up for Pattern success here. This Kodiac colt coped well with the testing conditions in that last run, so should find plenty for pressure coming out of the dip here at Newmarket. Costing a pretty penny out of Clive Cox’s yard, Finbar Furey can repay some of that sum with a win in this Group 3 contest

British EBF 40th Anniversary Montrose Fillies’ Stakes (Listed) 2.47
Glimpsed
Course winner Glimpsed can take the step up in trip and grade in her stride to get some Black Type in the book in this Listed race. The Night Of Thunder filly will find conditions pretty similar to her debut run here last month, and she looks the pick of Ralph Beckett’s trio, with the Frankel filly Regal Jubilee rating the obvious danger. However, this is desperate ground as the flat season draws to a close, so Glimpsed might just edge it in going this deep

Mutasaabeq At The National Stud James Seymour Stakes (Listed) 3.22
Warren Point
A trappy looking Listed race where a gamble is taken on Charlie Appleby’s Warren Point. He returns from a break here after runs at Doha and Belmont to try his luck on a very different surface. No promises that he’ll cope with this amount of cut in the ground, but useful on his day and with some doubts about all of his rivals here, as good a chance as any. Thereabouts if taking to this going

The Mandarin