The two-day Ascot November Racing Weekend is the penultimate meeting at the Berkshire course of the calendar year. Taking place across Friday, 22 & Saturday, 23 November, the latter card is loaded with the best races.
Following a low-key start on the opening day, which contains plenty of horses to follow for the future, Grade 2 action headlines Saturday. This is thanks to the Ascot Hurdle and 1965 Chase. Supporting those races are a couple of notable handicaps.
While the Hurst Park Handicap Chase is an established part of the two-mile division, the Ascot November Racing Weekend brings something new to the table. This is the Berkshire National Handicap Chase for stayers over almost three-and-three-quarter miles.
It’s always interesting to see how top horse racing betting sites handle pricing up a new race. We’ve called in our experts for their analysis of all the action at this busy track. Check out what they have to say in this detailed preview of the meeting:
Ascot November Racing Weekend Friday Preview
12:20 – 2m 3f 58y Class 3 National Hunt Maiden Hurdle
Honky Tonk Highway has an entry at Warwick on Thursday, so Dan Skelton’s Listed bumper mare is far from certain to turn up here. JP McManus runner Milan Tino goes up in trip, but has largely been pretty disappointing and is a seven-race maiden.
Oak Grove lacks hurdling experience, but has more upside than Paul Nicholls inmate Marvellous Mick. The latter’s two worst runs so far came here at Ascot, so the former trained by Fergal O’Brien could prove the biggest danger. After staying onto fifth in a course bumper, Oak Grove starting life off in this sphere over this trip looks significant.
12:55 – 2m 2f 175y Class 3 Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
If a lack of experience or recent run finds the favourite out, then this looks pretty competitive. Uttoxeter winner Rare Edition just scrambled home on his chasing debut and reappearance, but Charlie Longsdon’s runner should strip fitter for that. Bad, meanwhile, finished a length second over the course and distance for Ben Pauling last time out.
Badger Beer fifth Riskintheground drops markedly in class from Wincanton. He has tons of experience of fences for the Skelton stable, yet does look exposed. Venetia Williams’ Bucksy Des Epeires is the other chasing debutant at the foot of the weights, but a 1-10 record over hurdles isn’t encouraging.
1:30 – 1m 7f 152y Class 2 Introductory Hurdle
Royal Infantry is a Listed bumper winner from a British Point background and should come on plenty for the last day. Joyeuse is related to erstwhile Nicky Henderson JP McManus stable-owner companion Epatante. She’s lightly-raced for her age and a big danger to the boys.
Unbeaten Olly Murphy inmate Wade Out has done nothing wrong either. His Market Rasen bumper form was franked by the runner-up landing a Cheltenham maiden hurdle on Sunday. This is one of the events on Ascot November Racing Weekend that could produce any number of subsequent winners.
The other three will have to be very smart to have a say in the finish. Noel George’s French raider Nothing To Sea crosses the Channel with a first-time hood, while Skelton stable second string Kenmya and Kingston Bresil look very much up against it.
2:05 – 2m 5f Class 2 Handicap Chase (0-145)
Listed Carlisle heroine TERRESTIA has a 10lb hike for that success, but could still be improving. Lucy Wadham’s mare beat a rival rated 145 last time out, so there looks as though there’s more juice in her mark. Terrestia now takes on the boys dropped in class with Gavin Sheehan again booked to ride.
If not her, then the Lucinda Russell yard is in form and Corrigeen Rock often travels well to the Greater London area from Scotland. He has topweight on reappearance and often jumps left, but his latest Musselburgh win has worked out pretty well.
The likes of Persian Time, Mylesfromwicklow and Grandad’s Cottage aren’t the most reliable betting propositions either. Nocte Volatus arrives seeking a hat-trick for Tom Lacey, though, and Williams’ Gemirande looks feasibly handicapped if fully tuned up for this reappearance. Bottom weight Sageburg County isn’t out of things either.
2:40 – 1m 7f 152y Class 3 Handicap Hurdle (0-140)
Afadil re-opposes and is 6lb better off with the selection, so could well improve on fourth place with a clear run for Paul Nicholls and Freddie Gingell. There are reasons to take on joint-topweights Aurigny Mill and Gin Coco, because the Newbury race won by the former seemed to be fall apart and the latter didn’t go through with his challenge at Chepstow.
Off 3lb better terms from their Wetherby encounter, meanwhile, Alnilam should turn the tables on Williethebuilder as just half-a-length separated the Murphy and Skelton runners in West Yorkshire. Bottom weight Miraband now goes handicapping for the first time
3:15 – 2m 7f 180y Class 3 Handicap Chase (0-120)
There are plenty of dangers with fellow race-fit duo Regarde, who won his first two over fences last term, and Law Of Supply chief among them. The latter scored eased down in some style at Worcester for Kim Bailey the last day and a 10lb hike from the handicapper may not stop him from going in again.
Although high in the weights, Ideal Des Bordes won a Point and has two placed efforts over hurdles around Ascot. The Henderson runner could be one to progress further now tackling fences for the first time. Bertie Wooster is another chasing debutant and six-year-old in the line-up for in-form Team Tizzard.
Ascot November Racing Weekend Saturday Preview
12:25 – 2m 5f 141y Class 2 Novice Hurdle
Wide-margin Auteuil winner Kloth Of Utopia was the most visually impressive of the last time out scorers. He has to prove he can do it on going other than heavy, but James Reveley comes over from France to maintain their partnership. Silver Thorn has proven stamina, meanwhile, after Stratford success over slightly further for Emma Lavelle.
A lack of fluent jumping didn’t stop Tizzard inmate Western Knight from earning victory around Uttoxeter. He and the runner-up pulled some 13 lengths clear of the third. Course graduation chase winner Excello ran third in this race 12 months ago at the last Ascot November Racing Weekend and the Henderson runner has had wind surgery over the summer.
12:55 – 2m 7f 118y Class 3 Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (0-130)
It’s a poor renewal, but handicap debutante SCARLET O’TARA has the right pedigree for this stamina test off a workable mark of 111. Dr Richard Newland’s six-year-old daughter of Kayf Tara is out of a dam that won over 3m. Scarlet O’Tara looks well-treated on her good Worcester second to subsequent Persian War heroine Flying Fortune (now rated 131) off level weights.
Having made all subsequently at Perth, there could be even more to come from her. Luke Scott now takes the ride on Scarlet O’Tara and 5lb off with his claim. Topweight Royale Margaux shares a mother with Royale Pagaille and tries this trip for the first time. Tom Symonds’ charge being related to a Peter Marsh and Betfair Chase winner augurs well for her tackling greater stamina tests like this.
Few others make much appeal but, lower down the weights, Fry’s Ma Belle Noire won twice over roughly this trip last autumn. If she is fully tuned up on this reappearance, then the seven-year-old could have a say in the finish off just 2lb higher than her last winning mark. Harry Cobden is an eye-catching jockey booking too.
1:30 – 2m 5f Grade 2 1965 Chase
There is little to scare Nicholls’ runner in truth now with veteran Dashel Drasher another previous Ascot Chase winner now rising 12. Gary & Josh Moore’s Le Patron looks a bigger danger in his second season over fences. He comes with risks attached as he didn’t always jump fluently last term, but the six-year-old is only one open to further progress.
Skelton inmate Flegmatik and Neil Mulholland’s Hidden Depths both fall some way short of Grade 2 standard on ratings. They are contemporaries of Pic D’Orhy, both aged nine, be need career bests to avoid a battle for the wooden spoon here.
2:05 – 3m 5f 94y Class 2 Berkshire National (0-150)
Fortescue has also been dropped 2lb by the assessor to an attractive mark of 133, 10lb lower than when successful in the Swinley Chase here in 2022. Cobden rides Kitty’s Light, but Christian Williams is surely thinking of another tilt at the Grand National in the spring. Topweight Beauport stays further and has an amateur claiming 7lb off his back.
Slipway ran well from 4lb out of the weights when fifth in a Cheltenham Cross Country event last week. Pauling’s runner is back on his proper rating, just 3lb higher than when last successful. Down the bottom of the handicap, Art Decco ended last term on a high with three wins and could have more to offer in these long-distance races.
2:45 – 2m 3f 58y Grade 2 Ascot Hurdle
Last year’s winner Blueking D’Oroux gives weight all-round but goes well fresh, so he’s a contender for a successful defence of his crown. Salver now takes on his elders for the first time and the Triumph Hurdle third may struggle as a four-year-old in open company.
Thunder Rock may be using this reappearance as a pipe-opener for going back over fences. Irish raider Colonel Mustard is a difficult horse to win with, meanwhile, leaving Lucky Place as a value bet against the field in the co-feature of the Ascot November Racing Weekend.
3:20 – 2m 167y Class 2 Hurst Park Handicap Chase
If only Venetia’s stable were in better form, then Martator would be a worthy favourite. He landed a Premier Handicap over this course and distance nicely earlier in the month. Off 6lb higher, he could well go in again but the booking of 5lb claimer Ned Fox implies connections are worried about the hike in the weights.
Instead, it could pay to side with the re-opposing third KOTMASK, who came on for his reappearance to win second time out last term. He was only beaten about a couple of lengths by Martator and should strip fitter for the outing. Haldon Gold Cup third Sans Bruit drops in class and can also have a say in the finish, meanwhile.
Old rival Prince Quali is also of interest for Robert Walford. First-time cheekpieces go on Triple Trade, meanwhile, as he seeks another course success for Team Tizzard. Dropping cross-Channel raider Marvel De Cerisy back in trip when he has won over 2m 7f seems odd.
