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

There's plenty of competitive action to get through if you want a slice of the £150,000 guaranteed Placepot pool at Ascot.

In the opener (12.55), Ed Keeper has some appeal having run really well in three maiden hurdles last season, winning the last one and pulling well clear with the runner-up.

Nicky Henderson's Immortal is sure to be popular after a pair of novice seconds last season, but the race-fit hat-trick-seeking Idem, very impressive last time, is the second selection.

Hermino AA and Cruz Control, who shapes like he wants this trip, are the picks in the novice chase (1.30).

You could pick three in the next (2.05) and not get one in the frame, but my trio are main bet First Flow, as well as Saint Segal, who still has plenty of upside after a good first season over fences, and Cap Du Mathan, who might well appreciate coming back in trip.

None of those with hurdles form in the novice (2.40) look brilliant, so a chance is taken on expensive point winner Tellherthename and fairly useful bumper winner Ten Lengths Tom.

Rare Middleton and Altobelli are the two I like against favourite Our Champ in the big handicap hurdle (3.15), while in the staying chase (3.45), the two against Monbeg Genius are Beauport and Mucho Mas. The latter shaped really well in all four starts over fences last season, three of them on deep ground, and should have more to offer.

Ascot Placepot perm

12.55
1 Idem
2 Ed Keeper

1.30
1 Hermino AA
8 Cruz Control

2.05
1 First Flow
5 Saint Segal
7 Cap Du Mathan

2.40
10 Tellherthename
11 Ten Lengths Tom

3.15
4 Altobelli
11 Rare Middleton

3.45
4 Beauport
9 Mucho Mas

2x2x3x2x2x2 = 96 lines

Sign up to the Tote here. New customers online only. £/€10 minimum stake (if each-way then minimum £/€10 Win + £/€10 Place). Receive £/€30 Tote Credit within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Seven-day expiry. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the betslip. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. begambleaware.org. Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.