HARRY SKELTON: Newbury & Newcastle Saturday

After a busy Friday at Newbury, where it was disappointing not to get a winner on the board, we’re hoping for better today, with some good chances back at the Berkshire track and three runners heading up to Newcastle too, writes HARRY SKELTON.

NEWBURY

SATURDAY

LISTENTOYOURHEART – 12:07pm Newbury

This mare has a decent bit of form to her name in bumpers and ran well over hurdles last time out, where she was a course and distance winner. Although she’s got a bit to find on the figures, she’s in cracking form at home and has a good chance.

LE MILOS – 12:40pm Newbury

He hasn’t really been seeing out his races the last few times, but he needed the run at Cheltenham in October. This distance should suit him well as he won the Coral Gold Cup here two years ago. He seems happy at home, he’s a pleasure to have around and is very enthusiastic about his racing. We’re hopeful rather than confident, but now he’s dropped in the weights he does get to run off a competitive mark here.

THE NEW LION – 1:15pm Newbury

He got the job done nicely at Chepstow last time and is a really straightforward horse. He does carry a penalty here, but a couple in the field have won as well so he is only giving weight away to a few of his rivals. Hopefully, he’ll step forward again over this trip and on ground which will suit. We think plenty of this horse and I’m looking forward to riding him.

LAC DE CONSTANCE – 1:54pm Newbury

Hopefully, the ground is soft enough for him. He has fallen quite a few times in the past but has been schooling nicely at home and seems to be off a really competitive mark. He seems to be one of those horses where things just don’t quite go his way. He’s already got a run under his belt this season and is well-handicapped here. If he puts everything together, he’s more than capable of winning.

GALIA DES LITEAUX & MIDNIGHT RIVER – 3:00pm Newbury

Galia Des Liteaux ticks a lot of boxes here. She’s off a nice weight, has a run under her belt, likes the trip and is a good stayer. She’s in cracking form at home and had a nice run at Carlisle where she was beaten, but stayed on all the way to the line. I think having that run is really important coming into a race like this. Those conditions weren’t ideal for her, it was just important to get that run in. If this turns into a proper stamina test, it definitely will suit her and she has a solid each-way chance in what looks like a very open race.

It was a tough decision not to ride Midnight River. His comeback run at Wetherby, after a long layoff from this race last year, was okay but there were only four runners, and I think he had the run of the race. He carries plenty of weight here but he’s come on since then and we’re putting cheekpieces on for the first time. He holds an each-way chance, but he has to step forward from his run last time, because I think that was only an average race. We want to see him improve on the track as he’s got some strong form in the book.

ETALON – 3:35pm Newbury

He’s won here before, but that was when he was 20 pounds lower in the weights. The ground was too quick for him last time out at Exeter and struggled to get into a good rhythm. He seems okay at home and the slower ground will help, although he is shouldering top weight. We’re putting that last run behind us because we know that on his day he’s a classy horse, so if he brings that to the table he should have a good chance.

NEWCASTLE

SATURDAY

GLOBAL HIDEAWAY – 11:53am Newcastle

She ran quite a promising race on debut at Bangor. Her jumping improved as the race went on and she stayed on strongly. This looks a tougher race, with quite a few highly-rated Flat horses in there, but she has that experience on her side and we’d be delighted if she could pick up some nice prize money.

TAKE NO CHANCES – 2:10pm Newcastle

We’re obviously pitching her very much in the deep end in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth, but there’s some super prize money on offer. She was great when winning a Listed mares’ hurdle at Wetherby last time. Beforehand we had thought that two miles would have been on the short side for her, but the fact she was able to win so well there, probably proves how versatile she is. Hopefully, she can keep improving. If they go a good gallop here, she’ll be staying on well and, again, it would be great to pick up some of the valuable prize on offer.

JET PLANE – 3:20pm Newcastle

He goes in what looks quite a competitive Rehearsal Chase. It was a nice run from him on reappearance at Wetherby and that will have blown the cobwebs away. Fergus Gillard gets on well with him, and if he puts his best foot forward, he should have a competitive each-way chance.