ITV Racing Tips on September 5th - Saturday's selections at Haydock and Ascot
Saturday promises an exciting afternoon for ITV Racing fans, with feature races from Haydock (including the Group 1 Sprint Cup), Ascot and Kempton. Expert tips include Dancing Gemini in the Superior Mile, Thunder Call in the Schweppes Handicap, Decade Of Time in the Money Back 2nd Handicap, Reem Rak in the Betfair Exchange Handicap, Ashnak in the Old Borough Cup, and Arklow Lad in the Be Friendly Handicap. The key recommendation is to focus on horses proven on soft ground, as conditions could play a vital role across several contests.
- Free tips for the ITV races on Saturday 5th September
- Haydock, Ascot and Kempton feature on the ITV Racing schedule
- Thunder Call, Ashnak and Arklow Lad feature in our selections
- ITV Racing Schedule
- 1:25pm Haydock - Superior Mile Stakes Tips
- 1:40pm Ascot - Schweppes Handicap Tips
- 1:55pm Haydock - Ascendant Stakes Tips
- 2:10pm Ascot - Money Back 2nd Handicap Tips
- 2:20pm Kempton - London Mile Series Final Handicap Tips
- 2:30pm Haydock - Betfair Exchange Handicap Tips
- 4:50pm Kempton - September Stakes Tips
- 3:05pm Haydock - Old Borough Cup Tips
- 3:40pm Haydock - Sprint Cup Tips
- 4:15pm Haydock - Be Friendly Handicap Tips
Saturday's Tips
ITV Racing fans have got an action-packed afternoon of racing to look forward to on Saturday. Five of the televised races come from Haydock, where the Group One Sprint Cup headlines a strong card. Ascot chips in with a couple of good handicaps, before our attention turns to Kempton, where Constitution Hill runs in the September Stakes.
Here are my best betting tips for Saturday's ITV races.
ITV Racing Schedule
| Time | Track | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1:25pm | Haydock | Betfair Backs Opinions Superior Mile Stakes (Group 3) 1m |
| 1:40pm | Ascot | Schweppes Handicap (Class 2) 7f |
| 1:55pm | Haydock | Betfair Celebrates Bow Echo Ascendant Stakes (Listed Race) 1m |
| 2:10pm | Ascot | tote.co.uk Money Back 2nd Handicap (Heritage Handicap) 1m4f |
| 2:20pm | Kempton (AW) Polytrack | William Hill London Mile Series Final Handicap (Series Final) 1m |
| 2:30pm | Haydock | Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap (Class 2) 1m6f |
| 2:50pm | Kempton (AW) Polytrack | William Hill September Stakes (Group 3) 1m4f |
| 3:05pm | Haydock | Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup Handicap (Class 2) 1m6f |
| 3:40pm | Haydock | Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes (Group 1) 6f |
| 4:15pm | Haydock | Betfair Be Friendly Handicap (Class 2) 5f |
ITV Racing Tips - Saturday 5th September
1:25pm Haydock - Superior Mile Stakes Tips
DANCING GEMINI (3/1) is long overdue a victory, and Saturday's opener should provide Roger Teal's stable star with the ideal opportunity to get his head in front again.
Teal's five-year-old shot to prominence with a runaway victory in the Flying Scotsman Stakes as a juvenile, and was narrowly beaten in the French 2000 Guineas the following season. Dancing Gemini opened his 2025 campaign with a superb victory in the bet365 Mile at Sandown, before losing out by just a head to Lead Artist in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
Dancing Gemini ran well in that Group One again this spring, finishing fourth behind the excellent Notable Speech. Teal has run his star in two top ten-furlong contests since then, and Dancing Gemini failed to see out the distance. A mile on soft ground should be perfect for this talented colt, and if he can run up to an RPR of 118 or better - something that he's achieved five times in the past two seasons - then he should have the beating of this field.
1:40pm Ascot - Schweppes Handicap Tips
With William Haggas' yard in excellent form, I'm expecting THUNDER CALL (6/4) to claim a much-deserved victory in our opening ITV contest at Ascot.
Haggas' colt kicked off this season with back-to-back victories at Kempton and York. Thunder Call then got no luck in running when narrowly beaten by Jazl at the July Festival, and took a little too long to find his stride when second to Red Spells Danger in the Shergar Cup Sprint.
Cieren Fallon's mount remains on a lenient handicap mark. Being widest of all in stall 11 might not be ideal, but Thunder Call is clearly good enough to overcome a poor draw.
1:55pm Haydock - Ascendant Stakes Tips
Heavy ground will be a complete unknown for all of the juveniles in this Listed contest, and I don't fancy chancing any of them, so I'll leave this well alone.
2:10pm Ascot - Money Back 2nd Handicap Tips
Heyzoom and Ancestor are greatly respected, as is Archers Bay. However, DECADE OF TIME (7/1) has improved with every start since making his debut in April, and this step up in distance could unlock further progression from Jack Channon's colt.
Third as a 40/1 shot on debut at Newbury, Decade Of Time then claimed successive novice wins at Windsor and Nottingham. Channon's youngster ran a cracker on his handicap debut at the July Festival, finishing second to Heraldry, and did well to finish a close fourth behind the well-backed Ciarrai Abu at Glorious Goodwood, considering he endured a tricky trip throughout from his wide draw in stall 14.
Decade Of Time is out of one of the Channon family's all-time greats, the two-time Group Two winner Opal Tiara. Study Of Man's progeny handle soft ground and stay very well. I'd be surprised if Decade Of Time didn't reach a triple-figure mark by the end of the season.
2:20pm Kempton - London Mile Series Final Handicap Tips
No bet for me in this one.
2:30pm Haydock - Betfair Exchange Handicap Tips
Mythical Bay and Galilean Quality were my two against the field in the Melrose Handicap at York last month. They top the market for this lesser contest, but on this occasion, I'm going to take them on with REEM RAK (11/2).
Roger Varian's filly broke her maiden on her third handicap start at Doncaster in June, where she flattened a couple of rivals to win by 16 lengths. Ray Dawson then held his mount up at the back on her second start over 14 furlongs at Newmarket, where Reem Rak responded to pressure well, but was beaten a neck in a thrilling three-horse finish.
Dawson's mount proved again that she could see out this mile-and-three-quarter distance, and she remains on the same mark of 80. By Zarak and out of an Italian filly who won a Group Three on heavy ground, Reem Rak is bred to relish this sort of surface, and Roger Varian's stable has been in excellent form of late.
4:50pm Kempton - September Stakes Tips
11/2 is, quite frankly, a ludicrous price about Constitution Hill. Nicky Henderson's star hasn't really achieved much in his two starts on the Flat thus far, and Billy Loughnane's mount will have done well if he finishes in the first four on Saturday afternoon.
Gethin and Tornado Alert are proper Group One horses. Pride Of Arras is dangerous, and I wouldn't be quick to rule out Warrant Holder or Almeric. The latter two hold appeal from an each-way standpoint, but with only two places available, I'm inclined to take a watching brief.
3:05pm Haydock - Old Borough Cup Tips
ASHNAK (10/1) is a really interesting runner in Saturday's Old Borough Cup. David O'Meara's recruit has yet to win since arriving from France in the spring, but has impressed with three placed efforts in the first half of the season.
Danny Tudhope's mount finished a close third behind Prydwen at Ripon in April, before a three-length defeat behind the excellent Warrant Holder at York's Dante Meeting. Ashnak then encountered his preferred soft ground for the first time in the Johnstone Rose Bowl at Ayr in June, only to bump into the classy Square Necker, who won comfortably from just off the pace, as O'Meara's gelding kept on from the rear to finish second.
Ashnak struggled a little when last seen at York in July, where the ground was too quick for his liking and Tudhope found little luck in running. O'Meara decided to save his well-handicapped four-year-old for an autumn campaign after that, and Ashnak should relish the ground conditions at Haydock this weekend.
3:40pm Haydock - Sprint Cup Tips
Read our full guide to the 2026 Sprint Cup to find out who we've backed in Saturday's Group One feature.
Visit our Sprint Cup Live Stream page to watch any of Saturday's races via a mobile or tablet.
4:15pm Haydock - Be Friendly Handicap Tips
Mick Appleby has won two of the last three renewals of this handicap. He'll be represented on Saturday by Epsom Dash winner ARKLOW LAD (13/2), who always seems to produce his best on slower ground.
Appleby's charge won his maiden in Ireland on very soft ground, and is two-from-two on softish turf this term. Arklow Lad won nicely at Pontefract in April, before blasting past a field of quality handicappers in the closing stages to land that valuable prize at Epsom.
His two performances on decent ground this year haven't been as good, including when last seen at Hamilton in August. Ground conditions should be ideal for Arklow Lad on Saturday, and Appleby's four-year-old has been freshened up for this assignment.
Verdict
Saturday's Top ITV Racing Tips:
Thunder Call
1:40pm Ascot
@6/4 - 5 Units
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Dancing Gemini
1:25pm Haydock
@3/1 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £40
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Decade Of Time
2:10pm Ascot
@7/1 - 5 Units
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with promo code NEWBONUS
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Ashnak E/W
3:05pm Haydock
@10/1 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £10
Promo Code: NEWBONUS
New customers only. Bet £10+ to receive £10 in Free Bets. 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. 18+. GambleAware.org
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