12:55 Newbury
East India Express
We were hoping for a bit better from him here last time, having won so well for me on decent ground at Kempton previously, but maybe it was the soft ground. If it was, he could have similar difficulties here today, I guess. But he is certainly a horse who has the ability to figure if handling conditions.
13:30 Newbury
Wiseguy
He hasn’t been running up to his best over fences on his last two starts, so we have decided to try hurdles again. I don’t think you could say he obviously well handicapped but he finished a good second over hurdles at Cheltenham a couple of seasons ago and the trip suits. He has his chance in an open race.
14:05 Newbury
Shishkin
The ground probably looks like being more in Protektorat’s favour than ours, but hopefully the rain has stopped at last and it won’t ride too badly. Soft ground will be fine for him, as will the track and the trip, and we know he is the best horse in the race if he brings his A-game to the table. He obviously ended last season in great form but fortune has gone against us on his last two starts, though I have little doubt in my mind that he would have won the King George had he not stumbled and unseated me 2 out last time. I was only just getting going, and he must be rated an unlucky loser. If the weather plays ball, he is obviously the one to beat.
15:15 Newbury
Iberico Lord
The recent wet weather will certainly have suited him, as it was pretty testing when he won the Greatwood so impressively, and that form has worked out so incredibly well that you can easily say he remains well treated off an 8lb higher mark here. Of course, he underperformed behind Luccia at Ascot last time though, so he has to bounce back to that Cheltenham form. But maybe it was a combination of the good ground, the shorter trip and the track that saw him underperform at Ascot and I’d be pretty hopeful he has a big run in him under these much different conditions. However, I wouldn’t rule out any of our four in here in what is clearly an incredibly deep race.
15:50 Newbury
Mister Coffey
He ran another decent race in first-time cheekpieces at Doncaster last time and we keep them on here. The softer ground will be in his favour here and we know he can be very competitive off this kind of mark. One day it will click for him.
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