12.10pm Newbury
Jeriko Du Reponet
He won his only point in Ireland very easily back in March and he has really pleased us at home. You may have seen some of his racecourse gallop with Dusart here last week, which seems to have excited plenty, but let’s just wait and see what he can do under race conditions against two milers.
12.40pm Newbury
Persian Time
We run two in here and both have good chances. I ride Persian Time, who came from the point-to-point field and ran his best race when second at Ayr last time. Hopefully a mark of 129 can see him go well here. Our other horse, Russian Ruler, rediscovered his form after a wind op last season, atoning for his last-flight fall with a handicap win here and then winning a Kempton novice under a penalty. I rode him for both of those successes and he makes his chase debut off what looks a very fair mark of 127, too.
3pm Newbury
Marie’s Rock
All six have stood their ground for this 3m Grade 2 hurdle and Dashel Drasher and Paisley Park are dangerous rivals, but I’d like to think Marie’s Rock will go close here. A 6lb penalty for her 6-length defeat of Dashel Drasher in the Relkeel makes her task all the harder but she is clearly very good on her day and she showed she stayed this trip with a second in the Liverpool Hurdle. This has been the plan for her for a while, and she won the Relkeel first time out last season.
3.35pm Newbury
Hyland
It may not have been the strongest big-field handicap Cheltenham has seen but I was very impressed by the way he won that 20-runner Pertemps qualifier. He has gone up 6lb but he is clearly a very progressive 6yo and I’d expect him to be very competitive here.
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