Saturday racing tips: Andy Ayres picks out his best bet for today's racing and looks ahead to Champions DayDon't miss out on all the latest talk from the tracks as Andy Ayres talks Jason Watson and gives a red-hot Newmarket tip

The big man has banked over six million pounds in prize money this season and is primed to pocket another fistful of dollars through his high-class hit squad Stradivarius, Lah Ti Dar, Roaring Lion and Cracksman.

There is a strong rumour that owners Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber wanted Lah Ti Dar to run in the Arc, but were overruled by Gosden who insisted she should sit that dance out and wait for the Fillies & Mares (2.40).

With £600,000 up for grabs and a relatively uncompetitive field to deal with, it’s difficult to argue with his logic.

There wasn’t much clear thinking going on before the 5f handicap at Kempton on Monday, where punters latched onto the diabolically frustrating Harry Hurricane (8-1 to 5-2).

This gelding arrived on a 19-race losing streak and with a reputation that suggested he would have thrown his towel in during warm-up if it was a scrap down at the York Hall.

It was a dot on the cards that the old rogue would disappoint and he rubbed salt in the wound by finishing fourth, messing-up any each-way money in the process.

The heavy hitters were on a retrieval mission after that and smashed into Jahbath (10-11 to 4-11) in the 1m novice event. He’s no world beater but looks a trier and collected without inducing any wallet palpitations.

Keep an eye on Francisco Bay who finished a never threatening fifth in this. He’s a big bruiser of a colt and just the sort Ed de Giles will enjoy plotting up for a handicap in 2019.

Oisin Murphy was sensational on Hanakotoba in the 6f nursery on this card.


ITALIAN JOB Former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti nets half-brother to top filly Sea Of Class


The priest was reading last rites when she came under the cosh two-out, but Murphy the magician conjured a run from nowhere to get her up between horses in the shadow of the post.

I’m told the in-running players were left licking their wounds after Hanakotoba blind-sided them here and it was definitely a contender for ride of the week.

There were some lumpy cash bets flying round the ring at Kempton on Tuesday, including a monkey each-way on Chris Dwyer’s Precious Plum in the opening sprint handicap.

The lady behind the punt was closely connected to the filly, but she got a miserable run for her money and wore a face as long as a fiddle for the rest of the night!

SATURDAY SELECTION

LAH TI DAR (2.40 Ascot) lost nothing in defeat when runner-up in the St Leger and will be hard to beat back against her own sex.

The jumps action has started to move up a gear and it was great to see James Bowen included in the BBC’s shortlist for young sports personality of the year.

Our champion conditional comes from a family who work harder than a gang of beavers and looked a force of nature at times last season.

He’s got the same teeth-gritted refusal to be beaten as AP McCoy and if there’s a better candidate to win the trophy I’d like to meet them.

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