STAR RACING PREVIEW: Newbury Saturday

Despite ominous weather forecasts and seemingly uncertain runners, I’ve landed on 5 selections from across the country with the hope that Newbury isn’t abandoned once again this season…

Stay tuned for Simon Nott’s betting ring report arriving shortly after the final race.

1.30 Newbury – Betfair Serial Winners Fund Handicap Hurdle (Challenger Stayers’ Hurdle Series Qualifier) (Class 3) 3m

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Emitom is a 10 year-old that has been doing a lot of things right in recent seasons and most recently put up a performance to savour when he bumped into Saint Davy at Ludlow who subsequently won last week’s feature handicap hurdle at Sandown when landing a bit of a touch.

Emitom never quite managed to shake off Saint Davy that day and eventually got caught under a confident Jonjo Jr ride, but the fact they pulled 30 lengths clear of third tells you just how much of a big run that was at a price of 15/2.

Another eyecatching performance was when Emitom overcame the Seven Barrows’ resident Hyland off identical marks back in March. Hyland went on to win twice subsequently including at the October meeting and is now rated 135, 3lbs higher than Emitom. Interestingly, the horse in second from that Cheltenham victory, Judicial Law, was 2 lengths behind Hyland off a mark of 1lb higher and is 1lb higher than Emitom on Saturday.

Since joining Alan King last February he’s been knocking on the door of a big performance that would be reminiscent of his Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle win back in 2020 at Haydock, a performance for which he was subsequently given a rating of 153 which is 21lbs higher than his mark on Saturday.

Even before that Graded performance, Emitom’s prime form goes all the way back to the 2019 Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle when he was beaten 3 lengths in 2nd to Champ.

If you write off his pulled-up effort in Haydock’s big staying handicap hurdle, he’s put in some massive runs this season and I think he’ll be around the winner’s enclosure as long as he doesn’t bump into an unforeseen rapid improver on Saturday.

2.05 Newbury – Betfair Denman Chase (Grade 2) 2m7½f

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Protektorat, the 2022 Betfair Chase winner, was quickly written off by many when finishing downfield in the 2023 renewal, but his campaign was put firmly back on track when he was a fast finishing 3rd in the big staying handicap chase at the Cheltenham December meeting.

That effort was backed up with a fantastic run in the Winter Million Fleur De Lys Chase behind the impressive L’Homme Presse who was returning from a 13 month absence.

The Venetia Williams trained 9-year-old is now 9/1 for the Gold Cup and it’s understandable that such a class act and one rated 5lbs higher got the better of Protektorat who pulled 19 lengths clear of 3rd.

The son of Saint Des Saints seems to get his big day in the sun every year and I think tomorrow will be the day at 9/4.

I’m hoping Shishkin won’t be pulled out of the race because I’m more than happy to take him on at the current odds-on price of 4/6. I could to and fro all day about whether he would’ve won that King George when stumbling and unseating 2 out, but either way, his tendency to throw a race in the bin is a key factor in laying the 4/6.

Furthermore, I can’t be getting behind any peculiar excuses regarding what side the grandstands were facing him from when he refused at Ascot.

Nicky Henderson seems to be confident the horse won’t be pulled out, but let’s not forget he was pulled out of the Tingle Creek on grounds of ‘unsuitable ground’, so the forecasted heavy ground doesn’t fill me with any confidence for a trip to Newbury. Harry Skelton on the other hand is adamant that soft ground won’t be a problem for his mount. Read his blog which contains his thoughts on all of his rides tomorrow HERE.

3.15 Newbury – Betfair Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (Class 1) 2m½f

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Lookaway’s original pointing form goes back to beating the 130 rated Collectors Item over 3 miles in Ireland, and he’s been a rapidly progressive horse this season that has come into his own.

He was an enjoyable watch when making all under Jack Quinlan at Cheltenham in October, before being caught when adopting the same tactics the following occasion by Iberico Lord, whom he reopposes on 3lbs better terms with on Saturday.

The son of Ask stayed on gamely last time in the Grade 1 Challow after he was headed at the last by the strongly travelling Captain Teague. He had every right to fade at that point after setting the pace the whole way, but instead kept on at the same speed to hold off the fast finishing The Jukebox Man and Johnnywho.

He’s won over course and distance on soft ground and if Jack adopts his ever-effective front-running tactics, he should hold every chance and be thereabouts and is a fair price at 11/1.

L’Eau Du Sud is a horse the yard has thought a lot of since acquiring him from France. He was a proficient Listed hurdle winner over there and was given an opening mark of 132 in Britain and has gone down 3lbs after four runs.

He looked to be travelling supremely well on a few occasions before flattering to deceive and it looks as if he doesn’t do anything in a rush and wouldn’t mind heavy ground.

You can write off his only start this season in the Greatwood Hurdle when he went into the race at 11/1 but never travelled and it was subsequently reported that the horse carried “unusual ulcers”.

I thought after that report that the Betfair Hurdle would surely be the long term aim and although I was expecting another run before Saturday, the yard has clearly had this in mind for a while and I’m more than happy to take a chance that Saturday will finally be his defining moment at 18/1.

3.35 Newcastle – Find More Big Deals At BetUK Handicap (Class 6) 1m2f

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In much more Northern parts of the world, there’s a horse at Newcastle that I like called Lochnaver who is a horse that has been stuck in my mind since October when she was barely asked for an effort by Amie Waugh and found all sorts of trouble when beaten 2.75 lengths off a mark of 52.

The Frankel mare won over 10f two runs after that off the same mark and has since ran downfield a couple of times, and has interestingly been dropped 4lbs back to her aforementioned mark of 52.

I can forgive her last run when she looked to fade over 12f most recently when travelling strongly despite winning at the trip last summer at Hamilton. A drop down back down to her winning mark for that 16/1 respectable effort seems like a gift and with Hollie booked for the first time tomorrow and down back to her last winning trip, a full effort will surely be asked and therefore Lochnaver should hold every chance at 7/1.

LEWIS WILLIAMS

RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK Emitom to win the 1.30 at Newbury 2pts at 4/1 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Protektorat to win the 2.05 at Newbury 2pts at 9/4 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Lookaway to win the 3.15 at Newbury 1pt at 11/1 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK L’Eau Du Sud to win the 3.15 at Newbury 1pt at 18/1 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Lochnaver to win the 3.35 at Newcastle 2pts at 7/1 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)