ITV Racing tips today: Newsboy's best bets for Ascot, Haydock and Taunton on Saturday

POLITOLOGUE is the rock-solid option for the Grade 1 Matchbook Betting Exchange Clarence House Chase (3.35) at Ascot.

Paul Nicholls’ 10-year-old might lack the brilliance of last year’s winner, Defi Du Seuil, while another market rival, the fragile Waiting Patiently, still has the potential for further success at the top level.

But backers of Politologue’s rivals live in hope rather than expectation that today will be their day.

Not so, supporters of the favourite, who arrives at Ascot at the top of his game.

Politologue, on whom Harry Skelton makes way for Nicholls’ stable jockey Harry Cobden, ended last season with a nine-and-a-half-length supremacy from stablemate Dynamite Dollars in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March.

And he was dominant in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park seven weeks ago, humbling another stable-companion, Greaneteen, by seven lengths.

Expect more of the same as Politologue seeks the fifth Grade 1 victory of his career.

Newsboy's tip Politologue takes on 2020 Clarence House Chase hero Defi Du Seuil (Getty)

Saturday racing tips

ASCOT

12.40 TRITONIC

1.15 ROKSANA

1.50 ARRIVEDERCI

2.25 DE FORGOTTEN ONE

3.00 ESPOIR DE GUYE (NAP)

3.35 POLITOLOGUE (NB)

4.10 JEREMY PASS

HAYDOCK PARK

12.55 ALLART

1.30 MINELLA DRAMA

2.05 HIJACK

2.40 SAM’S ADVENTURE

3.15 BUVEUR D’AIR

3.50 DESTINED TO SHINE

4.20 NEFYN POINT

TAUNTON

12.30 SEELOTMOREBUSINESS

1.05 GALACTIC POWER

1.35 STATE CROWN

2.10 YALA ENKI

2.45 GORTROE JOE

3.25 BROKE AWAY

4.00 BORN IN BORRIS

4.30 LEGENDARY GRACE

NAVAN

12.50 RIVIERE D’ETEL

1.22 MR INCREDIBLE

1.57 WOLF PRINCE

2.32 BITSANDPIECES

3.07 LORD ROYAL

3.42 JOHNNYS GIRL

4.17 TUCSON TRAIN

NEWCASTLE

4.05 GREAT ESTEEM

4.40 HEATHERDOWN MATRON

5.10 RAIL DANCER

5.40 TINTORETTO

6.10 CRAVED

6.40 ROCKLEY POINT

7.10 JACK THE TRUTH

DOUBLE : ESPOIR DE GUYE and POLITOLOGUE