Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Newbury has its biggest meeting of the jumps season this Saturday with the Betfair Hurdle being the highlight of the day. This race which was originally known as the Schweppes Gold Trophy is frequently targeted by several trainers with their first or second season hurdlers making it very tricky to find the winner. But I have reviewed it below with my thoughts.
Small fields are the order of the day for all the rest of the TV races. There are three further contests being shown from Newbury including two Grade 2’s, the Denman Chase and the Game Spirit Chase.
The second meeting being shown is from Warwick with three races being shown from the Midlands track, two of which are Class 1’s and in the Kingmaker Novices Chase Nicky Henderson sends Jonbon into action prior to his run in the Arkle at Cheltenham.
So with some small but classy fields to look forward to here are my thoughts and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
1.50 Newbury. Bridge North
2.25 Newbury. Eldorado Allen
3.35 Newbury. Aucunrisque
1.30 Warwick. Mackenburg
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Newbury with the 1.50 the Betfair Multiple Offer Every Saturday Handicap Hurdle a 3 mile contest. Top weight here is Chris Gordon’s Annual Invictus who after winning at Cheltenham in November then ran a fair third at the same course the following month but was then disappointingly pulled up at Wincanton on Boxing Day. A break will have helped but his weight may be a problem.
Dan Skelton’s West To The Bridge has been placed in his last two races and can go well here. However, he has plenty of weight and may have to settle for a place once more.
Barbados Buck’s has a good chance for trainer Paul Nicholls after two third places this season but is another who may have to settle for a place.
I think there are several with chances further down the handicap and Nicholls’s other runner. Flemenstide looks to have a better chance despite being pulled up on his only outing this season at Chepstow in December. He is another worthy of hitting the frame.
I like Henry Daly’s Bridge North who won twice last season and comes here looking for some better ground. He finished well in front of West To The Bridge at Aintree in October and has a good race in him.
The Betfair Denman Chase is at 2.25, it is run over just short of 3 miles and last year’s winner Eldorado Allen is back to try and repeat last year’s victory. Joe Tizzard’s stable star has been close up in the Grade 1 chases he has run in since and drops back in class here. He can go in again.
His biggest challenger is Paul Nicholls’s Hitman who won a Class 2 contest at Haydock in November but then was pulled up in the King George on Boxing Day where Eldorado Allen finished fourth.
Kim Bailey’s Does He Know will relish the good ground and is having his first run since winning at Cheltenham in November, he can go close.
Fanion d’Estruval moves up in Grade for trainer Venetia Williams but on his run here in a Grade 3 in November, he was beaten 20 lengths into seventh. I will side with Joe Tizzard’s Eldorado Allen to take this once more.
The big race of the day both in prize money and size of the field is at 3.35 the Betfair Hurdle which is run over two miles and half a furlong. Last year’s winner and top weight is Tom Lacey’s Glory And Fortune but he has not shown that form since and it would be some training performance for him to win this carrying 2lb more than last year.
Paul Nicholls’s Hacker Des Places has shown fine form in his last 5 outings winning 3 times and he is expected to go close here.
Nicholls’s other runner Rubaud won twice at Taunton in November/December then ran a good second at Kempton on Boxing Day. His low weight may see him hit the frame.
Philip Hobbs’s Monviel won at Ascot in November on his only run this year. He has been kept for this race and will go close.
An Irish raider is Emmet Mullins’s Filey Bay who has won at both Doncaster and Wincanton this season and although they were lower grade contests, he can still be force to be reckoned with.
Nicky Henderson’s runner is No Ordinary Joe who won at Kempton in December on his first run for a year but he moves up in class here.
My preference is for Chris Gordon’s Aucunrisque who showed tremendous form last season with five victories. This season he was sent chasing and won at Uttoxeter in October he then ran second in his next two chases so the trainer has reverted to hurdles for him and he is the selection.
I must mention Gary Moore’s Teddy Blue who has only once in his racing career been out of the frame. He won at Lingfield at the end of January and can be placed at a nice price.
For my final race, I pick a small contest at Warwick, the 1.30 the Virgin Bet Warwick Castle Handicap Chase run over 2m 4f. This looks like a close contest so it may produce a fair-priced winner. Top weight is Sam Thomas’s Stolen Silver who seems to save his best form for Cheltenham these days and he was a good second there on New Year’s Day. But I’m not sure this flat track will suit him.
At the opposite end of the handicap is Jane Williams’s Galahad Quest, who was a well beaten second at Wincanton a month ago.
Dan Skelton’s Knight In Dubai was well behind on his latest outing at Aintree in early December. He has not won for four years.
Alan King runs Messire Des Obeaux who pulled up last time at Wincanton. He’s been given time to get over that and is reported to have worked well.
Mackenburg has been a good servant to Donald McCain winning nine times in his career latterly at Doncaster in November. He steps up in class here and can go close in this higher grade and he is the selection.
1.50 Newbury. Bridge North
2.25 Newbury. Eldorado Allen
3.35 Newbury. Aucunrisque
1.30 Warwick. Mackenburg
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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