Former Talksport man Charlie McCann marks your card with five to follow on Saturday at Newbury, Warwick and Uttoxeter. View selections below:
The big betting race at Newbury this afternoon is the Betfair Hurdle and I make no apologies for siding with BetVictor’s 4/1 favourite Ballyandy (3.35) for the father and son combination of Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies.
The selection won last season’s Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival but remains a maiden in three starts over timber. He has twice finished behind the 2015 Champion Bumper winner Moon Racer before finishing runner up to a subsequent Grade 1 winner (Messire Des Obeaux) at Sandown over an additional half mile.
The yard know what it takes to win the race having saddled Slash Of Ginge to land the prize back in 2014 and I would be disappointed if Ballyandy didn’t go close from a handicap mark just 1lb higher than their 2014 winner.
Hargam heads the weights in the famous green and gold silks of JP McManus although retained jockey Barry Geraghty rides Movewiththetimes (9/2 at BetVictor) for Paul Nicholls who saddled the winner back in 2012 with Zarkandar. He is considered the main danger although at a bigger price Beltor is an interesting contender at 16/1.
The Denman Chase is a cracker and I hope to see Bristol De Mai (2.25) outpoint Native River over this three mile trip although I believe the latter is a more realistic Gold Cup contender. There will be no prisoners taken with Richard Johnson sure to make it a true test on board the Hennessy/Welsh National winner but Bristol De Mai oozed class at Haydock in the Peter Marsh last time and the form was franked last weekend when runner up Otago Trail did us a favour at Sandown.
Altior (3.00) cannot be opposed in the Game Spirit Chase and I think the whole of racing are looking forward to the day when he takes on Champion Chase favourite Douvan next season although Willie Mullins, who trains the latter, could scupper those plans if he moves Douvan up in trip which he has suggested he might next term.
At Warwick On Tour (3.15) is worth a second glance for Evan Williams with Leighton Aspell taking over in the saddle. The selection ran really well at Aintree off today’s mark back in November and a repeat of that performance would make him hard to beat. Activial jumped out to his right when unshipping Richard Johnson at Kempton on his first start for Neil Mulholland last month and no surprise to see him going left-handed this afternoon.
At Uttoxeter the mare Nautical Twilight (4.00) looks to be coming to hand when third at Catterick on New Year’s Day and she has slipped back to a decent mark given she was beaten a neck off a 1lb higher mark this time last year.
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Be lucky
Charlie
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