Ascot Placepot tips: Paul Kealy's perm for the £150,000 guaranteed pool

Ascot's card starts with an average, but very competitive novice handicap hurdle (12.55), and hopefully Gary and Josh Moore have the answer with Nachtgeist.

The Moore yard has had a fair few winners at this meeting over the years (they've won the feature three times since 2016), and Nachtgeist returned with a career best at Huntingdon recently.

He's first on the list for the Placepot, and we'll also add Hell Hound, another who ran pretty well on his return over a trip shorter than his optimum and now goes back up for his first handicap.

In the next (1.30) Bhaloo has to be of interest given in his recent Racing Post Stable Tour Nicky Henderson said he'd likely be staying over hurdles. The six-year-old must have done something to change Henderson's mind that quickly, and he was going the right way over hurdles on decent ground in the spring.

I can't bank in a novice handicap chase, so Leader In The Park, seemingly the first string of Ben Pauling's, goes in, too.

The race-fit Saint Segal appeals as the best handicapped in the third (2.05), while Martator could still be on the up after winning his last three in the spring.

In the next (2.35) Tripoli Flyer's second in the Grade 2 Aintree bumper in the spring suggests he's on a different level to his rivals, and he ought to be a very short price to start his hurdles career with a win.

The big handicap hurdle (3.15) needs some coverage. The two I've backed are Rightsotom and Afadil, but I'll also add Secret Squirrel, who is the one I like most at the front of the market.

Amirite and Our Power complete the perm in the featured handicap chase (3.45).

Ascot Placepot perm

12.55
7 Hell Hound
8 Nachtgeist

1.30
3 Bhaloo
5 Leader In The Park

2.05
6 Saint Segal
7 Martator

2.35
7 Tripoli Flyer

3.15
5 Afadil
7 Rightsotom
8 Secret Squirrel

3.45
5 Our Power
6 Amirite

2x2x2x1x3x2=48 lines

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