Jumps Racing Friday 25th of November

[Aidymac]

Sollim - Newbury 2:10 Paul Nicholls is red hot at the moment and i feel the price may not last about this recruit for tomorrow. Ruby Walsh takes the ride after riding a couple of winners in Ireland today for Willie Mullins. The horse has yet to win , was 2nd to Lamps at Chepstow last time out when going off odds-on but in its 4 runs to date it has run on heavy once and soft 3 times so the better ground may be the key to the horse tomorrow hopefully. Is also the only 4 year old in the field so gets an allowance which is a big help. Nicholls has had 3 winners from his last 7 runners and this horse commands respect tomorrow. WIN @ 10/3 Hills BOG

[Monterosso]

Re: Jumps Racing Friday 25th of November 2:10 Newbury - Arctic Ben - 1pt @ 12/1 (Ladbrokes) The top two in the market look to be lively contenders here but Arctic Ben, despite being a disappointment since winning a bumper on his racecourse debut, is still an animal with more than enough ability to win a race like this and a mark of 108 is certainly exploitable. Henry Daly's 7-year-old chaser can often throw his chances away by pulling much too hard in the early stages and that happened again on his seasonal debut a few weeks ago when sent off as an 11/8 shot in a 5-runner maiden contest. Arctic Ben jumped markedly left (not for the first time) in that race, obviously not helping his chances either, and given the fact that it was on a right-handed course, he should be a lot more comfortable in the jumping department going back this way around. I also don't think that the very stiff nature Towcester track suited him and running around the plains of Newbury will be much more to his liking, plus he has one of the best jockeys in Richard Johnson on board again. Arctic Ben ran a good race over 2f shorter here when putting in his best performance over hurdles in March of 2010 and if he's going to win a race over fences this season I suspect that it'll be at a track like this. Race fitness should be improved for that recent outing (yard rarely have them at it first time up) and he looks like a decent outside bet in this relatively competitive race, as he's still unexposed as a chaser and certainly hasn't given his best just yet. His chance could be ruined before he even goes to post though and for that reason I'll just have a minimal win bet. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2:45 Newbury - Sivola De Sivola - 2pts @ 6/1 (Boyles, Ladbrokes, Powers) Another tough contest in which it's hard to be confident about anything but Sivola De Sivola is an unexposed, improving horse who could well have oceans of improvement in him on what is his first start over this 3m ½f trip (never went beyond 2m 5f). Tom George's 5-year-old grey has only lined out to race on 6 occasions but he has been steadily progressive and ran a career-best when finishing a 13-length 5th of 10 in a Grade 2 contest over 2m 5f at Cheltenham last time out. As a result, the handicapper has put him up 6lbs but that doesn't come into effect until tomorrow and he's officially 6lbs well in at the weights here. Sivola De Sivola may have finished quite a way behind the winner last time out but it doesn't tell the whole story, as he was last as they turned for home having lost his position behind the leaders before 2 out. He then stayed on stoutly past beaten rivals up the hill and shaped as if he would be a much better performer if given the chance to race over further (gave that impression a couple of times before). Tom George gives him exactly that today and I think it'll suit the horse to no end. The track should also suit a lot more than Cheltenham did and he's certainly one of the more likely types in this contest. It's a tough race for one to get to the bottom of and as a result I'm just playing small/medium win stakes. I'm 100% sure that he has a lot more to give over this sort of trip though and he's bound to give it a good shot if all is well.