The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. If you click links to other sites on this page, we will earn commission.
Saturday Ascot tip: Clarence House Chase best bets & odds
Read our free horse racing tips for Saturday’s Clarence House Chase meeting in Berkshire
Ascot betting tips
- Jonbon to win - 4/6 Bet365
- Martator to win - 4/1 BoyleSports
Saturday Ascot betting preview
The first event of Ascot’s 2025 racing calendar takes place this weekend, with the famed racecourse re-opening for the BetMGM Clarence House Chase Raceday on Saturday (live on ITV1 from 1.30pm).
This raceday is part of the Berkshire Winter Million Weekend in partnership with Windsor Racecourse, and it showcases some high-class jump racing.
The highlight of the day is the Grade 1 BetMGM Clarence House Chase at 3.32pm, as two contenders for Cheltenham’s Champion Chase face off in the first big contest of the year.
Betting sites have Jonbon as the favourite at 8/13 over Energumene (2/1) for that one, while Martator is the close favourite in the second biggest race of the day – the bet365 Handicap Chase (2.15pm).
BetMGM Clarence House Chase prediction: Jonbon to prove worthy of favourite tag
Horse racing betting sites have Jonbon as the ante-post favourite for the main race of the day, though it is clear that there’ll be a battle with Energumene, with the latter the winner of the Champion Chase last March.
These are two of the early favourites in the Cheltenham odds for the 2025 Champion Chase, and though Energumene returned from a lay-off of almost two years to win at Cork in December, Jonbon’s success in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown last month seemingly gives him a leg up on his rival.
The nine-year-old has won eight of his last ten races, and betting apps offer boosted odds of 4/6 for the win on Saturday.
Clarence House Chase Raceday prediction 1: Jonbon to win - 4/6 Bet365
Bet365 Handicap Chase prediction: Martator to continue unbeaten run at Ascot
The second most important race of the day is the Bet365 Handicap Chase (2.15pm), a two-and-a-half mile class two race that features favourite Martator (4/1) as well as Kotmask (9/2), Flegmatik (5/1) and Scarface (5/1).
In what is clearly a fairly evenly matched field, Martator stands out having won three from three at Ascot, including winning twice in November of last year. The most recent success was in the Lay & Wheeler Hurst Park Handicap Chase, where he triumphed over Kotmask.
Martator has dropped a class since coming third in the G2 Desert Orchid Handicap Chase at Kempton at the end of last month, and Ned Fox will be confident of a win with his 3lb claim.
Clarence House Chase Raceday prediction 2: Martator to win - 4/1 BoyleSports
Responsible gambling
When having a bet, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.
Sports betting can be addictive, so bettors should take precautions to keep themselves safe when using gambling sites.
Every licensed UK betting site should offer safer gambling tools, such as deposit limits, time outs, self-assessment questionnaires and self-exclusion options.
These are free tools to help punters stay in control and they are available at various gambling sites, including online bookmakers, casino sites, slot sites, and poker sites.
These operators may offer punters free bets or casino bonuses from time to time, but it’s important to treat these rewards with caution.
Read the terms and conditions before accepting any bonus as most new UK casino sites will require you to place a cash bet before handing out the reward.
Always remember that sports betting is meant to be fun. It should never be viewed as a guaranteed way to make money.
If you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
We aim to offer every online gambler and reader of The Independent a safe and fair platform through unbiased reviews and offers from the UK’s best online gambling companies.
Gambling can be addictive, always play responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. Gambling sites have a number of tools to assist you to stay in control, including deposit limits and time outs. If you think you have a problem, advice and support is available for you now from BeGambleAware or Gamcare.
Any offers or odds listed in this article are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Terms & Conditions apply to all offers.
