Racing Chat - Saturday 10th February

[The Brigadier]

With Warwick now abandoned  we have just the four ITV races on Saturday with the best betting heat easily the Betfair Handicap Hurdle with a maximum field of 24. Here are my thoughts on the day’s action with a further update later with any other races that ITV show.

 

Newbury 1.30

The days ITV coverage kicks off with a 3M class 3 handicap hurdle which has attracted a dozen runners. The ground will be very testing at the Berkshire track today and that won’t bother Melanie Rowley’s eight year old Kyntara who looked an unlucky loser last time out at Warwick when hitting the last when seemingly having the race won allowing J’Ai Froid to pick him off on the run in. He’s 4lb higher here but with form figures on soft ground or worse of 1122712 he can bounce back to winning ways under Charlie Deutsch. November course and distance 1-2 Young Butler and Emitom look likely threats.

 

KYNTARA 1 point each way @ 6/1 bet365 1/5th 1234

 

Newbury 2.05

The last three favourites of this 2M 7F 86 yard Grade 2 Denman Chase have been beaten and we have a skinny favourite today in the shape of Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin. I’m not sure very soft ground is what the classy ten-year-old wants and with his well documented issues at the start is maybe worth taking on here at around the 4/7 mark. Second best on official ratings (10lb inferior to Shishkin) and the one to be with is the Dan Skelton trained Protektorat who ran well behind L’Homme Presse at Lingfiled last time. He’s a three time winner on soft ground so shouldn’t be inconvenienced by soft ground and may be the value play.

 

PROTEKTORAT 1 point win @ 5/2 bet365

 

 

Newbury 2.40

Six two mile chasers line up for the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase run over 2M 92 yard with only 3lb officially covering the front four in the betting with one of them, Amarillo Sky, coming back from a 378 day absence. The pick is Harry Fry’s Boothill who has to carry a 4lb penalty for his Ascot win last November. He followed up at the same track three weeks later and wasn’t done with in Desert Orchid Handicap Chase at Kempton over Christmas when falling five from home. He can take this from Edwardstone who may not have stayed 2M 4F last time out and may not be suited by testing conditions.

 

BOOTHILL 1 point win @ 9/4 bet365

 

 

Newbury 3.15

The feature race of the day and the big betting race is the Betfair Hurdle, a handicap hurdle run over just over 2M and has a maximum field of twenty four facing the judge. Many have chances but the one who may have crept under the radar is the Victor Dartnell runner Aurigny Mill. He’s looked an improving hurdler on his last two starts winning at Wincanton ad Kempton, rising 16lb with his win at the latter track’s time not that far off the time that Constitution Hill clocked the previous day over course and distance. His Devon based trainer has stipulated that he is one of the best he’s ever trained and with winning form already in heavy ground looks a value each way bet in a race where you can get as many as seven places with a couple of bookmakers.

 

AURIGNY MILL 1 point each way @ 14/1 bet365 1/5th 123456

 

 

 

[black rabbit]

Picanha                                                           1 30 Neb/                     1/40th of a pt ew    25/1    -      4th

Clap Of Thunder                                            4 25 Neb/                     1/40th of a pt ew   20/1

Verbal Sparing                                               3 05 Nass/                    1/40th of a pt ew   14/1      -    2nd

Lexington Knight                                           8 00 Wol/                      1/40th of a pt ew   36/1      -    3rd

 

 

P/L  + 176  pts

Edited February 10 by black rabbit