It’s quality over quantity as just four go to post in this three-mile listed contest. Last season’s Hennessy, Betbright Chase and Grand National winner Many Clouds returns after making hard work of his seasonal debut behind Cue Card in the Charley Hall at Wetherby. The long-term target remains a repeat…
1pt win Vibrato Valtat @5/2, Sandown 15:00
Sod the hurdlers, two-mile chasers represent the best the National Hunt game has to offer and this year’s renewal of the Grade-1 Tingle Creek Chase was shaping up to be classic. With the back-in-form Sprinter Sacre, his fragile stablemate Simonsig out after a near-three-year hiatus to finally deliver upon the promise of…
1pt win Masters Hill @6/1, 1pt win Virak @7/1, Listed Handicap 14:40 Newcastle
Cue Card’s trainer Colin Tizzard has had a stranglehold on this race in recent years with Hey Big Spender winning on three of the last four occasions. Having been retired in the spring, Tizzard attempts to add to that run with Masters Hill parachuted in for an in-form yard. He…
1pt win Identity Thief @8/1, Newcastle 14:05
An interesting Fighting Fifth this year, with an unexpected market leader in Wicklow Brave. Willie Mullin’s charge got within two lengths of Nichols Canyon and the champion hurdler Faugheen in the Morgiana at Punchestown, whilst in August he placed second in the Ebor at York on the flat. Throw in…
1pt win Saphir Du Rheu @5/1, Newbury 15:00
Coneygree’s absence has changed the complexion of this year’s Hennessy Gold Cup. His catch-me-if-you-can style would have strung the field out long before respective treatment by the handicapper came into play. I’m confident he’d have won. His absence is great news for our ante-post selection Bobs Worth, as he couldn’t cope with…
1pt win Monetaire @6/1, 1pt win Niceonefrankie @11/1, 14:40 Newbury
Monetaire finished a disappointing eighth on his seasonal reappearance for the Pipe yard in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, and is turned out reasonably quickly here at Newbury. This is a much easier contest and Pipe was fairly positive on his chances before that race. It may just be that the…
1pt win Ubak @22/1, Newbury 14:05
At a big price, I’ve been tempted into having a bet on Ubak in the Grade-2 Fuller’s London Pride Novices’ Chase. Not seen on track since 2013, his trainer Gary Moore has him “as fit as we can get him at home” so he might be a snip at 22/1…
1pt win Beast Of Burden @7/2, Newbury 14:10
There’s some nice racing at Newbury on Thursday, with the Grade 2 Bet365 Novices’ Chase standing out. French Champion Hurdle winner Un Temps Pour Tout is the favourite after a solid chase bow at Cheltenham’s Open meeting. He was beaten by the outsider Vicente that day, a defeat that his…
0.5pts win Rolling Mall @20/1, Exeter 14:00
Early season novice chases are often full of value, with race fitness and sharpness so often the excuse for beaten favourites. The 14:00 at Exeter has a short-priced favourite, Fletchers Flyer, making his chase debut and seasonal reappearance on heavy ground. The same can be said of the second favourite,…
1pt win Emperor's Choice @6/1, Betfair Handicap Chase (Class 3), 12:40 Haydock
This is a tricky little handicap to unravel and acting as a pre-cursor to the Betfair Chase later in the day, it is in all honesty a weak affair by comparison. Harry The Viking, a Scottish Grand National runner last year is a decent stayer and off a mark of…