One horse, one jockey, one trainer and one race to watch on Saturday

Horse

Main Fact has been one of the stories of the year after winning nine races in a row – six over hurdles – and he bids to end 2020 with a perfect record when he goes for the Porsche Long Walk Hurdle (2.25) at Ascot.

The seven-year-old landed the Grade 3 Stayers' Handicap Hurdle on soft ground at Haydock last time for trainer David Pipe and Fergus Gillard, a conditional jockey who will have his first ride in a Grade 1 on Saturday.

Fergus Gillard celebrates after scoring aboard Main Fact last timeCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Main Fact could hardly have been thrown into deeper waters on his first start at the highest level but his connections are confident he is up to the task and he could not be arriving in better form.

Jockey

There are two races from Haydock on ITV4 on Saturday and the markets suggest Sam Twiston-Davies has a great chance in both.

The jockey first partners Our Power in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle (2.05) as the five-year-old, who was third at the track last time, bids to get his nose in front for the first time this season.

In the Betfair Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase (2.40), Twiston-Davies takes the ride aboard Hill Sixteen, who bids for a hat-trick after beating Lil Rockerfeller in a Newbury handicap hurdle last time.

Trainer

Olly Murphy has two entries on Saturday and chief among them is stable star Itchy Feet, who is favourite in a small but select field for the Injured Jockeys Fund Graduation Chase (1.15) at Ascot.

He won the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase last season and has contested high-quality contests this campaign, finishing third in the Old Roan Chase and runner-up to Imperial Aura in the 1965 Chase.

Itchy Feet (right): winner of the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase in FebruaryCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

His new stablemate The Worlds End will make his first start for the yard when bidding for back-to-back successes in the Long Walk Hurdle, having previously been with Tom George.

Race

The Long Walk Hurdle has attracted the largest Grade 1 field of the season in Britain, even though the ground is expected to be testing at Ascot.

It features a fascinating rematch between Paisley Park and Thyme Hill, who landed the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury last time and is the young pretender staking his claim to be top of the division.

Other interesting contenders including last year's winner The Worlds End and the 12-year-old Thistlecrack, who was once the top staying hurdler and won this race in 2015 before an extremely successful spell over fences.

Read more:

The rematch is on! Paisley Park and Thyme Hill head ten Long Walk declarations

Christmas blow as key meetings go into Tier 3 and no Friday spectators at Ascot

December delights: the big races that cannot be missed this month

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