Hi all,
Fiddlerontheroof couldn’t do it for us at Ascot but The Galloping Bear did the business for us in the Grand National Trial at Haydock.
Onto Sunday’s action. There’s a decent card at Newbury but the quality action is across the Irish Sea at Navan. The feature races of an eight race Navan card are a pair of Grade 2 races: BetVictor Boyne Hurdle (2:20) and the BetVictor Ten Up Novice Chase (4:05).
I have had a quick look at the two big races at Navan and I have selections from Navan and Newbury for you which you can find at the bottom of the main piece.
Navan
2:20 – BetVictor Boyne Hurdle (Grade 2) – 2m 5f
Ronald Pump, an 8-length runner-up to Honeysuckle in the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace at Punchestown on his seasonal return, needs to bounce back from two dismal races in December. If he can return to form, he would have a good chance here. Longhouse Poet is an interesting contender returned to the smaller obstacles. The 8-year-old jumped well to to win the Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park last month. He’s not out of this on his old hurdles form and if he reproduces his improved chase form to the smaller obstacles, he would go close here.
4:05 – BetVictor Ten Up Novice Chase (Grade 2) – 3m
This looks between the Gordon Elliott pair of Farouk D’alene & Run Wild Fred. Farouk D’alene has 8lb to find with the latter on official ratings but he’s only had three starts over fences. A winner here (2m 4f) on his chase debut. He’s since finished runner-up to Master McShee in a Grade 1 at Limerick and a 1 ¼ length 2nd of 7 to Stattler in Grade 3 novice at Naas last time. He was just beaten by a stronger stayer on the run-in at Naas but he looks a Graded chase winner in waiting. Run Wild Fred won the Troytown Handicap Chase over C&D and is better than he was able to show in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Beacon Edge won the Grade 1 Drinmore Novices Chase at Fairyhouse in November. He fell at the sixth in the Grade 1 won by Galopin des Champs at the Dublin Racing festival last time. He’s got to be respected but does have to give the Elliott pair 7lb here which will be no easy task.
There are also three big field handicaps on the card and I have fancies in two of them
2:55 – Uknowcarty has been a steady enough improver on his last four starts over hurdles. The 5-year-old posted a career best when a 12-length 2nd of 16 in a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle 22-days ago. Today’s extra furlong should suit on his handicap hurdle debut.
4:40 – All Class bid for the hat trick after wins at Punchestown and back over hurdles here in December. Likely to be a short-priced favourite even though she’s been raised 18lb after her Punchestown handicap chase success. However, given connections there’s every chance that there’s more to come from the mare.
I’m going to take on the favourite with another improving handicap chaser in Call The Tune. The 8-year-old has only had three starts over fences and put in his best performance over the larger obstacles when a ½-length 3rd of 18 in a novice handicap chase at Naas three weeks ago. The step up to 3m looks ideal, as his best performance over hurdles came over 3m on heavy ground. With a decent round of jumping, he looks sure to go well.
Newbury
A six-race card for a rare Sunday jumps card at the Berkshire track where the ground is being described as soft. Four of the six races are handicaps. They look competitive enough but have fancies in a couple of them.
3:40 – Another Crick took advantage of the handicapper’s leniency when beating six rivals at Wincanton last month. He hasn’t been the easiest to keep sound but only been raised 2lb for that success and was competitive off much higher marks last season. There’s a good chance he will go close again here.
Russian Doyen is on a losing run that goes back to January 2019 but he does hail from the inform Jeremy Scott yard. The 9-year-old put in his best effort since joining the yard when a 4 ¼ length 2nd of 8 over C&D two starts back. He jumped solidly that day and was only beaten by an improver that day. Not as good when only 4th of 10 back over hurdles at Taunton 29-days ago. Has the back class to win this on the very best of his form and should go well.
4:15 – Eight have been declared for what’s an intriguing looking 2m 6 ½ f novices limited handicap chases. You can give all eight some sort of chance on the best of their form.
Nicky Henderson has the first two in the bookies early bird list: Bothwell Bridge & Patroclus. The former jumped nicely to win on his chase debut at Sandown in December. He was raised 5lb for that win but did look a nice chase prospect that day and open to more improvement. Made a mistake at the first before falling at the second at Kempton last time. Patroclus pulled up on his chase debut over C&D on his seasonal return but ran much better when finding plenty for pressure to prevail at Leicester 18-days ago. He’s up 3lb for that success and back up in trip here but is capable of better over fences.
Nestor Park is 0-9 over fences but he’s on what looks fair mark on the best of last season’s form and two of his best RPR’s have come at Newbury. He stays further than 3m, finished a neck 2nd of 14 in the 3m 2f Mandarin Handicap Chase here last season and finished third in this year’s renewal. He wouldn’t be winning out of turn but remains vulnerable to more unexposed rivals.
The Venetia Williams trained Burrows Park would look nicely treated on the best of his handicap hurdle form but there was little encouragement to be taken from the 10-year-old’s chase debut Chepstow earlier this month.
Young Bull is the one that could be worth taking a chance on here.The 8-year-old a useful hurdler, winning three times all on soft ground. He looked the type do better over fences than hurdles and shaped with promise on both chase starts last season. Finishing a 7 ½ length 3rd of 18 to Demachine before finishing a 3 ¾ length 2nd to that one at Ascot on his next start. He’s been off since that run in November 2020 so has a big absence to overcome here and you must take on trust his well-being. However, if he’s retained his ability, he will surely win races over fences.
Betting Advice:
Navan
2:20 – 1pt win – Longhouse Poet – 15/2 @ Bet365 or 7/1 @ Coral
2:55 – 1pt win – Uknowcarty – 9/2 @ Bet365
4:40 – 1pt win – Call The Tune – 6/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Newbury
3:40 – 1pt win – Russian Doyen – 6/1 @ Bet365
4:15 – 1pt win – Young Bull – 7/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Cheers
John