Defending champion Soaring Glory heads field of 14 for Saturday's Betfair Hurdle at Newbury, with Nicky Henderson's Broomfield Burg and Colin Tizzard's Jpr One at the top of the market for valuable two-mile handicap
Friday 11 February 2022 06:46, UK
Sky Sports Racing presenter Alex Hammond previews the weekend's feature races and reckons trainer Gary Moore could win another Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.
We are in for a real treat this weekend with the prospect of some exciting clashes as Newbury stage the feature meeting and the action there is complimented by competitive cards elsewhere, including at Warwick.
Newbury's highlight, and a real conundrum for punters, is the Betfair Hurdle. The weights for the Grade Three handicap are headed by last year's winner Soaring Glory who is a stone higher in the weights since his win over Fifty Ball and Edwardstone (more on him to follow) twelve months ago.
Soaring Glory suits these types of races and back in a big field with a decent pace will be right up his street. It won't be easy though with some up-and-coming horses in opposition with a little bit up their sleeves.
Fourteen have been declared which is the same number of runners as 2019, but generally it attracts a larger field. Let's have a quick look at some of the protagonists then…
Broomfield Burg (Nicky Henderson) - Two from four over hurdles and has just his second start in a handicap. Bumped into a well handicapped rival that day and has subsequently won a small field novices' hurdle. He is destined for bigger and better things for powerful connections (JP McManus and Nicky Henderson who won this with My Tent or Yours in 2013).
JPR One (Colin Tizzard) - A year younger than the ante-post favourite and less experienced. Two from three over hurdles and moves into a handicap for the first time. More to come.
Knappers Hill (Paul Nicholls) - Grade Two bumper winner who has a high level of form in novices' hurdles. No disgrace to finish behind Jonbon and Colonel Mustard at Ascot last time out. Form of the Paul Nicholls stable is off-putting though.
I Like to Move It (Nigel Twiston-Davies) - Another lovely novice who was progressing nicely before finishing last behind Jonbon, Colonel Mustard and Knappers Hill last time out. Needs to put that behind him.
Jetoile (Ryan Potter) - Also making his handicap debut, he got closest to Constitution Hill in a Grade One at Sandown last time out. A real star for his smaller stable and whilst his future lies over fences, he deserves his place in this line-up.
Boothill (Harry Fry) - Going to wear a tongue tie for the first time after a defeat on chasing debut last time out. Prior to that he finished third behind Soaring Glory at Ascot and is 4lbs better off with that rival. Needs to show what connections think he's capable of, but is unexposed and there's more to come.
First Street (Nicky Henderson) - Second string for the Henderson stable but may offer some each-way value on his second start after a wind operation. Raised 9lbs for his impressive handicap debut victory at Kempton and can progress again.
Fifty Ball (Gary Moore) - Back to the same mark that saw him finish second off last year and trainer Gary Moore is enjoying a superb season. Reverts to hurdles for the first time this season.
Tritonic (Alan King) - Smart performer who has to overcome a 5lbs rise for winning a competitive Ascot handicap in December. Since been well beaten in the Christmas Hurdle.
That's a spin through some of the fancied runners and whilst unexposed novices are often the order of the day in this contest, I'm going to side with Fifty Ball to finish in the places again and he should offer some each-way value against some of the shorter priced youngsters at the top of the betting. Who knows, he might even win it.
Sky Bet are paying five places, so at 10/1 I'd like to hope he can manage a top-five finish.
Onto a hugely exciting head-to-head and the match-up between Edwardstone and Third Time Lucki in the Virgin Bet Kingmaker Novices' Chase at Warwick looks to be on.
This isn't a duel we expected to see after it was reported that Third Time Lucki had sustained an overreach (a cut from another hoof) in the process of winning the Lightning Novices' Chase at Doncaster two weeks ago.
Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as feared and here we are with two leading Arkle contenders in action. It may not be quite Shiskin vs Energuemene, but it's a hottie, nonetheless.
They have already met, when Edwardstone won the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown with Third Time Lucki in third, and the winner that day is favourite to repeat the performance.
It may not be a two-horse race though as you'd be foolish to overlook anything that Venetia Williams sends out at the moment, and she runs Brave Seasca.
He's been running in handicaps and beat the useful Sky Pirate over this course and distance last time out (albeit getting almost a stone and a half from that horse).
Given that Third Time Lucki had a little cut after Doncaster and he has already seen the back of Edwardstone, I'm going to stick with the 4/5 favourite, particularly as his yard seems to be coming back to form now after an unusually quiet spell.
Other races worth noting are back at Newbury where the Betfair Exchange Game Spirit has attracted a field of five.
Alan King will be hoping last year's winner Sceau Royal can give him an across the card double, but I'm a big fan of Funambule Sivola who has been making a decent impression for Venetia Williams.
Back to Sceau Royal though. He has been running over hurdles, but he ran a bit flat in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham last time out and heads back over fences now having been freshened up. He has some high-class form over both hurdles and fences and is a wonderfully versatile character.
Hitman has been running well but has the problem that Paul Nicholls' horses are running below par. So, Funambule Sivola it is at 3/1 with Sky Bet. He comes here in good form and there is still more to come from him for his in-form stable.
There are five in the Betfair Denman Chase too. The market is headed by previous winner Clan des Obeaux, but I have to give him a swerve until we see a revival from the Nicholls stable, albeit he's the best horse in this race.
I'm going to sound a bit like a stuck record here because Venetia Williams could have another superb weekend and she runs Royal Pagaille in this. What an impressive weight carrying performance we saw from this horse when he won the Peter Marsh at Haydock last time out.
He may just fall short of top class and would prefer more testing conditions, but if there happens to be a hefty shower before his race on Saturday, I'd give him a closer look.
As my Sky Sports Racing colleague Mick Fitzgerald would say, Imperial Aura is more "alphabetical than numerical" of late and that's never good for a racehorse. His last four runs read UPFP.
That leaves Eldorado Allen and De Rasher Counter. The former will appreciate the step up in trip, but heads into unknown territory over three miles here and the latter hasn't run since October 2020, although his finest hour came at this track in the Ladbrokes Trophy in November 2019.
So, by process of elimination I think Royal Pagaille just gets my vote. He's 7/4 second favourite with Sky Bet.
