Following a rare blank Saturday on the racing front, this weekend sees the TV entertainment return with a bang, with a bumper eight races on offer from Newbury, Warwick and Lingfield. What better way to get the New Year’s Eve party started than with an action-packed afternoon cheering on your bets from the sofa?
Newbury provides the bulk of the action, with the Grade 1 Challow Novices Hurdle being the clear headline act. Warwick’s popular New Year’s Eve meeting chips in with two races, whilst the feature event from Lingfield’s all-weather card provides something for fans of the flat. Eight races on offer means eight winners to find, and here we give it our best shot in this week’s Saturday Racing Tips.
1:15 Coral First For Horse Racing Handicap Chase
Class 3, 2m½f
Of the eight editions of this to have been held to date, no fewer than seven have been landed by a runner aged six or younger. That’s a pretty strong trend, suggesting that the race is there for the taking for a young chaser with something in hand from the handicapper.
The obvious runner to fit the bill in this year’s line-up is Gamaret from the yard of Venetia Williams. Making his handicap debut here, this six-year-old by Coastal Path is two from three in his career to date and was value for more than the ½l winning margin when last sighted in February. Williams won this with Funambule Sivola in 2020 and may well repeat the trick.
1:35 Poundland Handicap Hurdle
Class 4, 3m2f
The age trend isn’t quite so robust in our second race due to this being only the fourth edition of the contest. However, it may still be worth noting that each of the three previous renewals have been taken by a runner aged seven or younger – all carrying 11st4lb or less on the day, and all with the additional weight benefit of having a claiming jockey in the saddle.
Three fit the bill this year in the shape of Langley Hundred, Farmer’s Gamble and One Fer Mamma. The first-named duo are closely matched on their recent clash at Ludlow, with Farmer’s Gamble receiving a 9lb pull in the weights for a closing 4½l defeat over 3m. That weight turnaround and additional distance should see him go close.
However, we just prefer an each-way punt on course and distance winner One Fer Mamma. He’s up 4lb for that success back in February but that is effectively cancelled out by Ned Fox taking over in the saddle and, having blown away the cobwebs with a recent spin around Haydock, he looks good value to hit the frame at the very least here.
1:50 Coral Bet Bundles Handicap Hurdle
Class 2, 2m4½f
The younger horse theme continues in race three on the TV card with eight of the past 10 editions of this one having been claimed by a runner aged five or younger. Applying that criteria to this year’s field helps whittle the list of runners from 14 down to just four.
Each of that quartet has something to recommend them. Warranty arrives seeking a hat-trick and has to be respected, Blenkisnsop is on a four-timer, and Moulins Clermont was deemed worth a tilt at the Triumph Hurdle back in March. The one for us though is Pikar from the Dan Skelton operation.
A decent fifth in Grade 2 company on his final start last season, he returned to the track with a fluent success in a novice event at Chepstow, with the manner in which he pulled clear in the straight suggesting a step up in trip may well suit. He gets that here and is fancied to go close.
2:10 Poundland Conditional Jockeys’ Veterans’ Handicap Chase
Class 4, 3m
No room for youthful exuberance in this next contest, with the field for this veterans’ event consisting solely of runners who have been around the block a time or 10. Go Steady is a pretty short-priced favourite on the back of an impressive win at Lingfield last time out. He’s two from two in chase contests at this track, but zero from two over trips in excess of 2m6f.
In what looks a tricky race to call, the one to catch our eye is the Tom George runner, Smuggler’s Blues. Fourth on his seasonal return, he looked booked for second when coming down two from home at Wincanton last time out, so does at least arrive in decent heart. His only previous visit to this track was also a winning one when staying on best of all to score over 3m1½f here back in January. He’s 4lb higher here, but this looks a slightly weaker race and he’s taken to get on top late.
2:25 Coral Racing Club Mandarin Handicap Chase
Class 3, 3m2f
Staying is the name of the game in our next event from Newbury. The Venetia Williams-trained Laskalin heads the betting having scored over just shy of this trip last time out at Ludlow, and certainly doesn’t look handicapped out of it having been handed a 5lb rise. Certainly Red is another for the shortlist following an easy win in a strangely race run in the fog at Wincanton, whilst Le Breuil has the class and tenacity to be involved if anywhere near his peak.
On balance, however, the runner to get our vote is the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained six-year-old, Undersupervision. This one posted a solid success over this trip in Class 2 company at Doncaster back in March, and whilst he’s 4lb higher here, he may well be able to cope back down in Class 3 company. Returning from his summer break with a rock-solid third in a Premier Handicap at Cheltenham, he looks fairly priced to at least hit the frame.
2:40 talkSPORT Download The App Irish EBF Fillies’ Handicap
Class 3, 1m
A break from the jumps fare sees us head to the Polytrack at Lingfield. Just the six go to post, but this still looks a wide-open affair, with none of the runners boasting copper-bottomed claims. Jilly Cooper looks set to make a bold bid for Charlie and Mark Johnston but still has to prove she stays this far. Course winner Sayifyouwill ought to go well, but remains 3lb above her career-high winning mark.
The one most likely to have a little up her sleeve from the assessor is the William Haggas representative, Morgan Fairy. Never outside the first three in five starts on a synthetic surface, she makes just her fourth start in an all-weather handicap, and gets in off the same mark as when a close-up third in a Class 2 event over this trip at Kempton in September. Still only three years old, any improvement would make her the one to beat.
3:00 Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m4½f
It has paid to concentrate on the more fancied runners in this event in recent years. Over the past decade, the race has fallen to the outright or joint-favourite on seven occasions, with no winner returning an SP of greater than 8/1.
Overall, we see that trend continuing in 2022 and rate the Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old, Hermes Allen, as the one they all have to beat. Fetching £350,000 at the sales having impressively won a point-to-point, he has made a rock-solid start towards repaying that investment. Brushing his rivals aside when winning in a 27l canter on debut, he then took the step up to Grade 2 company in his formidable stride when running his rivals ragged at Cheltenham last time out. He’s up in class, but all signs suggest he may be well up to the task.
3:35 Coral Get Closer To The Action Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
Class 3, 2m6½f
A competitive handicap contest for the novice chasers rounds off the day’s entertainment, with half of the 10-runner field arriving on the back of a win. Four-timer seeking Tea For Free seems sure to prove popular, as do Nothin To Ask and Unanswered Prayers from the yards of Fergal O’Brien and Chris Gordon respectively.
Our two for the shortlist are Malinello, who impressed when winning following a near two-year break last time out, and Nicky Henderson’s Bold Endeavour, with narrow preference for the latter. A point winner over 3m in testing ground, he should have the stamina for this and caught the eye with his finishing effort over 2m4f at Leicester on his debut for this yard. A 9lb hike in the handicap makes life tougher, but that may be offset by any improvement for this step up in trip.