
The ever-unpredictable British weather has resulted in a late rejig to the Scoop6 menu, with Naas and Newcastle stepping in to replace the abandoned events at Warwick and Uttoxeter. The Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase from Newbury tops the bill, with the Sunbury on Thames venue also staging the most competitive handicap of the day in the shape of the 25-runner Betfair Hurdle. Throw in a Classified All-weather event from Newcastle and a Bumper contest to round out the card, and this week’s offering certainly doesn’t lack variety.
With the prize pool rolling over for another week, the jackpot is well worth taking a shot at, and here we provide our best bets in each of the six legs in this week’s Scoop6 Racing Tips.
1:30 Betfair Serial Winners Fund Handicap Hurdle
Class 3, 3m
Newbury may have survived a Friday inspection, but the track won’t escape the heavy ground conditions, making an ability to handle a bottomless surface one of the key requirements for success. Ikarak (8/1), Judicial Law (10/1), and Ballmagroarty Boy (12/1) should all cope with conditions well enough, but none of that trio appears to be particularly well handicapped. We fancy the two to concentrate on here are the Mel Rowley-trained Kyntara (7/2) and Emiton (9/2) from the Alan King operation.
Kyntara is a perfect two-from-two on a heavy surface and, but for making a complete mess of the last at Warwick, would likely arrive here on the back of a hattrick. He isn’t passed over lightly but is yet to score above Class 4 level or off a mark as high as his current 128 rating. The vote goes to Emitom, who took a big step back in the right direction when second at Ludlow last time out. The winner that day has since scored off a six-pound higher mark, lending substance to the form. Having been rated as high as 154 in the past, Emitom gets in off 132 here, boasts a win and a second place over this course and distance and is a Grade 2 winner on heavy ground. With so much in his favour, he is fancied to land the opener under Tom Cannon.
2:40 Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase
Grade 2, 2m½f
Alan King also boasts strong claims in Leg 2 as 2022 Arkle champ Edwardstone (13/8) makes his latest attempt to bounce back to winning ways. Beaten by Jonbon in his first two starts this season, the step up to 2m4½f didn’t go to plan last time out, and he reverts to type here. He’s the joint top-rated runner, but King didn’t sound particularly enthused about the prospect of rain in the lead-up to the race and, on balance, he looks worth taking on.
Of the others, Amarillo Sky (9/1) and Funambule Sivola (10/1) have never really convinced on heavy and may find conditions against them. All of which leaves a straight choice between Boothill (9/4) and Editeur Du Gite (11/2). The latter has won on heavy, but that came back in 2018, and his two most recent outings on such a surface have resulted in a pulled-up effort and defeat at handicap level. Boothill is yet to sample heavy ground but, encouragingly, is a perfect two from two over fences on soft – including an easy victory over talented mudlark First Flow. Looking likely to take a hand in the finish until falling four from home last time out at Kempton, he can make amends for that mishap here.
3:05 Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle
80-116 Handicap, 2m
We move across the Irish Sea for Leg 3, and conditions don’t appear much better at Naas in this 11-runner handicap affair. The green and gold silks of JP McManus always draw the eye in an event such as this, and the support for Champion Green (10/3) may prove an ominous sign. However, with only a Maiden Hurdle win to his name and having failed to get within 13 lengths of the winner in his three most recent starts, he is tough to support on the formbook.
Only four of these have managed to win on a heavy surface – namely, Whiskeywealth (7/4), Petit Dejeuner (12/1), Ebasari (20/1) and The Grey Falco (25/1). Of those available at double-figure prices, The Grey Falco makes the most appeal, but it’s hard to disagree that Whiskeywealth is the most solid option for win purposes. Having begun the season in Listed company, this one takes a drop in class from his most recent hurdles outing when pitted against rivals rated up to 126. Moving down to 80-116 company looks like a more manageable assignment, and having won on heavy in the past, he should cope as well as any with the ground.
3:15 Betfair Hurdle
Premier Handicap, 2m½f
There’s a field of 25 to get through in a fascinating renewal of the big betting heat. Unlike other races on the Newbury card, narrowing the focus to the proven heavy ground performers doesn’t help too much, with no fewer than 17 of these having shown a liking for similar conditions in the past. Thankfully, we have strong age and weight trends in evidence here. Each of the past ten winners fell into the five-to-seven age bracket, eight of whom carried 11st5lb or less on the day.
Applying those trends to this year’s field rules out the current market leader Ocastle Des Mottes (11/2), who, hailing from the red-hot Willie Mullins operation, will be the choice of many. Others to bite the dust include Greatwood Handicap Hurdle winner Iberico Lord (6/1) and the unexposed Altobelli from the Harry Fry operation. Of that trio, Altobelli is feared most, but there tends to be at least one shock result on the Scoop6 menu, and hopefully, it will come here.
The one to get the vote is the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Norman Fletcher (28/1). This five-year-old makes his sixth start over hurdles, but it looks interesting that his trainer has waited until now to plunge him into handicap company, particularly as Twiston-Davies likes to target this race, having picked up an impressive three wins in the last 10 years. Boasting form figures of 212 on heavy ground, Norman Fletcher goes well enough on the ground, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he had something up his sleeve off a mark of 126.
4:10 Boost Your Acca-Fenwa With BetUK Classified Stakes
Class 6, 1m2f
We have a change of pace in the penultimate race as we head to the northeast for the only flat contest on the list. Iain Jardine’s Sea Grit (2/1) is out on his own at the head of the market, having come from the back of the pack to lose out by just a short head over this course and distance last time out. He’s hard to fault but may find himself having to weave through the crowd given that late running style and doesn’t look as far ahead of a few of these rivals as those odds suggest.
Rubellite (4/1) is one obvious alternative, whilst Stand Free (25/1) would come into contention on the pick of last season’s form. The one we like best is the Jim Goldie representative, Ana Emaraaty (9/1). Whilst admittedly being a little frustrating, this four-year-old is yet to enjoy the rub of the green in four efforts over this track and trip, having missed the break once and been denied a clear run three times. Nevertheless, he has gone down by under three lengths on three occasions, looking to hit the line strongly each time. A central draw should enable him to keep clear of the scrimmaging on the rail, whilst the fact that Goldie is operating at a 29% strike rate over the last fortnight provides further cause for optimism.
4:25 Betfair Exchange Beacons Bumper
Listed, 2m½f
The Paul Nicholls representative Histrionic (11/4) heads the betting in the finale following a promising third-placed effort on his bumper debut in November. Having shelled out €450,000 for the Irish Point to Point winner, connections will be hoping he can step up on that effort sooner rather than later. He may well do so here, but we were a little disappointed in his finishing effort in that bumper event, which came over this course and distance, and he is untested on this sort of ground.
Dirty Den (5/1) and Royal Infantry (6/1) make the shortlist, but the one to be on is the hat-trick-seeking Union Avenue (6/1) from the James Moffatt operation. Another with solid Irish Point form in the book, this son of Shantou has taken to life under rules with aplomb. Showing an admirable attitude to score on debut at Kelso, he improved next time when fending off all comers in a decent event at Aintree, with the soft underfoot conditions appearing to suit him well. With the going likely to provide a real test, he can tough it out best in the straight.