Joe Tizzard and Sean Bowen Saturday Blog | Ascot
18 Dec 2025
Coral Racing Ambassadors, Joe Tizzard and Sean Bowen, both head to Ascot on Saturday with an exciting book of runners and rides. Get the inside scoop from the pair as they preview their chances in each race in their latest blog.
SEAN BOWEN: 'HE DEFINITELY HAS A CHANCE IF BACK TO HIS BEST'
12:40 Ascot – Firefox
I am excited to pick up this ride on board Firefox who is a talented horse. Gordon Elliott’s runners are absolutely flying. It was an excellent comeback run at Down Royal recently, so he comes here on the back of a big performance. He only has two runners to beat in this race, but both horses have a lot of ability, so it should be a cracking little race to begin the card with.
13:50 Ascot – General Medrano
It looked like a disappointing run from General Medrano at Newbury last time, but he was not far away on his comeback run at Ascot, and that was off a 4lb higher mark than this. I think the return to this course will help, the distance should not be a problem, so he definitely has a chance if back to his best.
14:25 Ascot – Strong Leader
I always enjoy getting back on Strong Leader. I thought his run at Newbury was very good. He had the cheekpieces on, and they seemed to spark him back up. We had to give Impose Toi 6lb that day, but we don’t have to concede weight here. The only negative you could look at is that his form isn’t always the best going right-handed. That said, this is a Grade One, he is in great form, and we are going to give it a good go.
15:00 Ascot – Transmission
Transmission has never run anywhere other than Cheltenham over fences in the UK, and he has some decent form there. He was fifth in the National Hunt Challenge Cup behind Haiti Couleurs back in March. Unfortunately, his form since then has not been as good. He will need to bounce back to what he produced at the back end of last season.
15:35 Ascot – Sticktotheplan
This will be Sticktotheplan’s first run in a handicap. The race was not run to suit him last time at Haydock on a quick track. If there is a strong gallop here, that will help. It’s a good race, as it should be for the prize money available. We are not sure about his handicap mark, but we will obviously know a lot more about it after this race.
SEAN BOOKED TO RIDE BANBRIDGE IN THE KING GEORGE
I am delighted to pick up the ride on Banbridge in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. He was obviously last year’s winner, so he has proven himself over the course and distance. This year’s race looks set to be even stronger, with Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File likely to run. I’d say it will be one of the strongest renewals for many years. It has been a great season so far, but races like the King George are the ones you get really excited about, so heading to Kempton knowing I am on board one of the genuine contenders is fantastic.
JOE TIZZARD: 'CLEARLY HE'S IN THE FORM OF HIS LIFE'
13:50 Ascot – Scarface
Scarface ran a lovely race first time up in the Badger Beers, and we thought he was going to Newbury with a big chance last time, but having travelled well into the straight, he just stopped very quickly. We got him scoped after that, but nothing came to light, so we just put it down to him having an off day.
He’s in good order now, and worked really well at home earlier this week, so we’ve dropped him back in trip here, we’ll put blinkers on him rather than cheekpieces just to try something a little bit different, and at his best, he’d have a really good each-way chance here.
15:35 Ascot – Alexei
One of our stars of the season so far, it wasn’t an easy decision to run Alexei off top weight here rather than wait for the Grade One Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, but I spoke to the owners, and we’re in agreement to stay in handicap company for now. I will enter him for Kempton just in case anything silly happened here, for example if he unshipped at the first, so we’ll have that plan B if needed.
Off a mark of 147 though, I do still think he's a handicapper. Clearly if he was to go and win here off top weight then we would be looking at graded company in the future, but for now this is where he should be. He's in lovely form, and I couldn't be happier with him, he showed two runs ago that he goes well here at Ascot, and we all saw what he did in the Greatwood Hurdle, winning it so easily the handicapper probably had no choice but to hike him right up.
He came out of that Cheltenham race really well, he's been in great form at home since, and clearly he's in the form of his life on the track, finishing second in a really good race at Chepstow first time up, and then winning his last two impressively. He has flat form on testing ground in Germany, so even if Ascot does get even more rain, I think he will go through it absolutely fine.
I'm really excited to run this horse. I do think there is more to come from him and he deserves to be prominent in the betting, even off this high mark. Of course it's possible he could get put in his place here by something of a much lower mark, but if he does go and win or go very close, then we will have to start thinking about stepping him up in class going forward.
Joe Tizzard and Sean Bowen, Coral Racing Ambassadors
SEAN BOWEN: 'HE DEFINITELY HAS A CHANCE IF BACK TO HIS BEST'
12:40 Ascot – Firefox
I am excited to pick up this ride on board Firefox who is a talented horse. Gordon Elliott’s runners are absolutely flying. It was an excellent comeback run at Down Royal recently, so he comes here on the back of a big performance. He only has two runners to beat in this race, but both horses have a lot of ability, so it should be a cracking little race to begin the card with.
13:50 Ascot – General Medrano
It looked like a disappointing run from General Medrano at Newbury last time, but he was not far away on his comeback run at Ascot, and that was off a 4lb higher mark than this. I think the return to this course will help, the distance should not be a problem, so he definitely has a chance if back to his best.
14:25 Ascot – Strong Leader
I always enjoy getting back on Strong Leader. I thought his run at Newbury was very good. He had the cheekpieces on, and they seemed to spark him back up. We had to give Impose Toi 6lb that day, but we don’t have to concede weight here. The only negative you could look at is that his form isn’t always the best going right-handed. That said, this is a Grade One, he is in great form, and we are going to give it a good go.
15:00 Ascot – Transmission
Transmission has never run anywhere other than Cheltenham over fences in the UK, and he has some decent form there. He was fifth in the National Hunt Challenge Cup behind Haiti Couleurs back in March. Unfortunately, his form since then has not been as good. He will need to bounce back to what he produced at the back end of last season.
15:35 Ascot – Sticktotheplan
This will be Sticktotheplan’s first run in a handicap. The race was not run to suit him last time at Haydock on a quick track. If there is a strong gallop here, that will help. It’s a good race, as it should be for the prize money available. We are not sure about his handicap mark, but we will obviously know a lot more about it after this race.
SEAN BOOKED TO RIDE BANBRIDGE IN THE KING GEORGE
I am delighted to pick up the ride on Banbridge in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. He was obviously last year’s winner, so he has proven himself over the course and distance. This year’s race looks set to be even stronger, with Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File likely to run. I’d say it will be one of the strongest renewals for many years. It has been a great season so far, but races like the King George are the ones you get really excited about, so heading to Kempton knowing I am on board one of the genuine contenders is fantastic.
JOE TIZZARD: 'CLEARLY HE'S IN THE FORM OF HIS LIFE'
13:50 Ascot – Scarface
Scarface ran a lovely race first time up in the Badger Beers, and we thought he was going to Newbury with a big chance last time, but having travelled well into the straight, he just stopped very quickly. We got him scoped after that, but nothing came to light, so we just put it down to him having an off day.
He’s in good order now, and worked really well at home earlier this week, so we’ve dropped him back in trip here, we’ll put blinkers on him rather than cheekpieces just to try something a little bit different, and at his best, he’d have a really good each-way chance here.
15:35 Ascot – Alexei
One of our stars of the season so far, it wasn’t an easy decision to run Alexei off top weight here rather than wait for the Grade One Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, but I spoke to the owners, and we’re in agreement to stay in handicap company for now. I will enter him for Kempton just in case anything silly happened here, for example if he unshipped at the first, so we’ll have that plan B if needed.
Off a mark of 147 though, I do still think he's a handicapper. Clearly if he was to go and win here off top weight then we would be looking at graded company in the future, but for now this is where he should be. He's in lovely form, and I couldn't be happier with him, he showed two runs ago that he goes well here at Ascot, and we all saw what he did in the Greatwood Hurdle, winning it so easily the handicapper probably had no choice but to hike him right up.
He came out of that Cheltenham race really well, he's been in great form at home since, and clearly he's in the form of his life on the track, finishing second in a really good race at Chepstow first time up, and then winning his last two impressively. He has flat form on testing ground in Germany, so even if Ascot does get even more rain, I think he will go through it absolutely fine.
I'm really excited to run this horse. I do think there is more to come from him and he deserves to be prominent in the betting, even off this high mark. Of course it's possible he could get put in his place here by something of a much lower mark, but if he does go and win or go very close, then we will have to start thinking about stepping him up in class going forward.
Joe Tizzard and Sean Bowen, Coral Racing Ambassadors
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