Andrew Asquith returns with his ante-post column and he has two selections at Ascot and Haydock on Saturday.
Weekend View: Saturday January 17
1pt win Faivoir in the Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle at 8/1 (William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral)
1pt win Johnnywho in the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase at 6/1 (General)
Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook
The three-day Winter Million Racing Festival starts at Windsor on Friday, and it is making it very hard to figure out who is running where, with umpteen horses entered all over the place. It is therefore another week to tread carefully as far as ante-post betting is concerned.
One horse I’m hopeful of taking his chance is the Dan Skelton-trained FAIVOIR in the BetMGM Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle at Ascot. His only other entry is in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury next month and he has been shaping up well so far this season, running a cracker when third to Alexei and Helnwein in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham at odds of 40/1.
He had clearly come on a bundle for his return from a lengthy absence and proved he retains all of his ability despite his advancing years, still bang there travelling well turning for home but succumbing to a couple of younger, more progressive rivals after jumping the last.
Faivoir was still entitled to need that run given how he’s usually campaigned and there was again plenty to like about the way he moved through his race at this course over two miles just before Christmas.
Again, he didn’t find as much as looked likely, but I liked the enthusiasm he showed, clearly still in love with the game at the age of 11, and it could be that a return to two and a half miles will see him to better effect nowadays.
Faivoir has been relatively lightly raced since his success in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023 and he is now 2lb below that mark. This represents a slightly easier task than his last two runs, but most importantly, it appears that Harry Skelton will be back in the saddle on Saturday.
He has been ridden by an amateur rider in his three starts this season, but the return of Skelton, who last rode him when beaten a nose in the Imperial Cup at Sandown in 2024, is an enormous plus. There is some rain forecast later in the week which could possibly soften the current good to soft description, but he acts on all ground, so that isn’t too much of a concern, and he’s a classy horse on his day.
At Haydock the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Handicap Chase is the feature on the card and it looks set to be a cracking renewal with last year’s winner Mr Vango and course specialist Royale Pagaille, who won the race in 2021 and 2022, among the entries, though the ground may not be soft enough for that pair.
Add into the mix the most progressive Konfusion, who was last seen winning the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby on Boxing Day, and it’s potentially a hot renewal. All of those horses named like to get on with things, however, while there is other pace angles with Doyen Quest and Myretown, so it could be a real burn up.
With that in mind, I think JOHNNYWHO is of some interest at around the 6/1 mark. He remains with just his chase debut win to his name, but he’s shown on multiple occasions he’s a smart chaser, and he still remains potentially well handicapped.
Connections went down the graded route with him following his impressive win at Carlisle last season and, though he wasn’t disgraced in those small-field events, he relished the switch to handicaps and a much bigger field when beaten only a neck in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival.
Johnnywho went like the best horse at the weights on that occasion, jumping much better than he had previously and still tanking on entering the straight. He looked to have the race sewn up jumping the second-last – he traded at 1.10 in-running on Betfair – but a less-than-fluent jump at the last allowed the eventual winner back in and he was unable to get back in front despite rallying well all the way to the line.
He ran out of steam upped in trip in the Irish Grand National next time, but still went through his race like a well-handicapped horse following a 6lb rise in the weights, and both of his runs this season have come over shorter than what he’ll face on Saturday.
Johnnywho could hardly have shaped any better in the Silver Cup at Ascot last time, though, a little tapped for toe when the pace lifted entering the straight, but finishing with a real flourish on the run-in.
He looked like being beaten comfortably, but the fact he went so close to winning from his position in the final 100 yards marks him out as a well-handicapped horse, and I think a 1lb rise for that effort is very lenient given it looks rock-solid form.
This slightly longer trip in a race which should be run at a true pace will be his ideal conditions, while the longer straight and more jumps within it at Haydock should really play to his strengths. He’s definitely up to bagging himself a big handicap this season.
Preview posted at 1500 GMT on 13/01/2026
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