WE are on weather watch with the preliminary inspection at Newcastle on Friday afternoon giving the course no option but to call off their big race Saturday card, including the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth in which Constitution Hill was looking to follow up his 2022 success, whilst Shishkin was lined up for the Rehearsal Handicap Chase. Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson will now have to consider whether Shishkin goes directly to the King George or possibly runs on the rescheduled date for the Fighting Fifth meeting. The same applies to Constitution Hill, who is due to run in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day.
At Newbury they are racing on Friday with the main challenge to get the covers down as quickly as possible after the last race at 3.35. Newbury will have to inspect in the morning and let’s hope the temperatures do not drop as much as forecast with top action coming up with the feature Handicap Chase looking very competitive. I had originally marked up Bill Baxter for the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle and he will be clearly rerouted to Newbury where Bill Baxter is currently Unibet 16/1.
The Handicap Hurdle at 2.15 sees Under Control Unibet 5/4 for Nicky Henderson taking on second favourite Brentford Hope at Unibet 5/2 and they are pretty closely matched with Under Control selected to just come out on top.
Let’s hope Newbury gets the green light and enjoy if at Newbury or watching #athome on ITV Racing or Racing TV.
Cheers!
The Wine Tipster
1.40 Newbury – Handicap Hurdle (2m 4f)
Cobblers Dream is capable of taking a quality handicap when on song, as his second to Banbridge in the 2022 Martin Pipe at the Festival demonstrates. He was tried over fences last year but didn’t get on with them and wisely reverted to hurdles this season. Cobblers Dream certainly needed his first run back at Kempton three weeks ago, when travelling well until weakening late on to finish third but shaped as if all the ability was still there. He’ll strip much fitter here; the ground will suit, and he now lurks on a very dangerous mark of 134.
Unibet are paying MONEY BACK AS CASH if your pick finishes 2nd or 3rd in this race!
2.50 Newbury – Gold Cup Handicap Chase (3m 2f)
Twig (nap) looks a big price for a horse that stays, as he will like the ground, remains unexposed over fences and has only been out the first two once on his last eleven starts over hurdles and fences! This eight-year-old won the Summer Cup at Uttoxeter earlier in the season in really good style over this trip and he lost nothing in defeat on his reappearance at the October meeting at Cheltenham when second to the front runner Whacker Clan on good to soft. That was a very taking performance, with Twig travelling well throughout the race and looking like he was going to win after the last when showing some inexperience on only his seventh chase start. Twig has a nice habit of winning races, and he can be ridden to make a very late challenge here to reward each way players.
Stolen Silver is an eight-year-old now in his third season of chasing and having only his fifteenth start over fences. He was stepped up in distance on seasonal debut to a trip just under three miles at Chepstow last month when travelling and jumping really well to beat Tea Clipper easily by six lengths when heavily eased down after the last. That was impressive and the handicapper raised Sam Thomas’ charge from a mark of 150 to a career high rating of 157. Stolen Silver has showed plenty of ability over fences, winning once at Cheltenham and placed on three occasions in some classy handicaps over trips around two mile four furlongs. The longer trip at Chepstow clearly suited Stolen Silver and that looked just what he needed at this stage of his career, whilst giving every indication the additional two furlongs is well within his compass.
Unibet are paying an EXTRA PLACE in this race
3.25 Newbury – Handicap Chase for the Jim Joel Memorial Trophy (2m ½f)
Bollingerandkrug has won four of five chase starts in 2023 all at Kelso and this has seen him go from a mark of 100 to his current rating of 125. He jumps well and certainly has plenty of determination too as he showed when outbattling Duty Calls on his last appearance three weels ago. This is a different proposition with the favourite Master Chewy looking a serious threat, yet Bollingerandkrug can continue on an upward trajectory and reward each way players at a minimum.
The Wine Tipster’s Treble
Does this treble tickle your fancy?
Roll these three Breedrs’ Cup picks from our red-hot tipster into an treble and that currently pays 1424/1 – £5 each way potentially returns over £14,000 if they come in!
Click the image below to add directly to your betslip!
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