Preview and tips ahead of Friday’s action at Newbury Racecourse
The Cheltenham Festival is in our rearview mirror and attention turns to Newbury Racecourse for their seven-race jumps card on Friday afternoon.
The action kicks off at 1.55pm with a two-mile four-and-a-half-furlong novices’ hurdle and concludes at 5.10pm with a two-mile seven-and-a-half-furlong hunters’ chase.
Read below to discover the latest tips and a full preview of the Newbury card courtesy of Punters Lounge, who offer the latest Aintree tips.
Racing kicks off at 1.55 with a novice hurdle over two miles and four-and-a-half furlongs, and David Maxwell can make it two from two onboard Queensbury Boy over obstacles.
He was a good bumper horse last season, notably when second to Wingmen at Punchestown, and he made his hurdles debut a successful one at the start of this month.
Harry Derham has always held this horse in high regard, and he can win this on the road to bigger targets.
Race two at 2.30 is a two-mile seven-and-a-half-furlong novices’ limited handicap chase and Leave Of Absence could be the one on his handicap debut.
He looked good over hurdles and in bumpers, notably when behind Lookaway in a Grade 2 bumper and ahead of Blow Your Wad in an Ascot novice hurdle.
Over fences, he finished second to the useful Iberico Lord, though his last run in Grade 2 company didn’t go to plan. With a handicap mark of 127 on his handicap debut, he has the scope to win this.
The two-mile half-a-furlong handicap hurdle at 3.00 could go the way of Aucunrisque now he is back on a workable handicap mark.
His last win came at Ascot in November when winning off 129, but the handicapper has now relented to give him a rating of 130 after three poor runs.
This drop in class will be welcomed, and two horses he beat at Ascot - Alnilam and Mirabad - have won nice races since. He gets the vote with Freddie Gordon’s three-pound claim.
Go To War is stepping up to three miles for the first time in race four (3.30) after a fine run over a shorter trip at the track earlier this month.
He ran over two miles in novice hurdles last season, but his assignment over two miles and four-and-a-half furlongs last month was decent.
He stayed on nicely at the end to run through the line, so this three-mile test is intriguing and a mark of 124 could underestimate him.
In race five, a two-mile six-and-a-half-furlong handicap chase at 4.02, Muskoka can continue his nice streak of form for Emma Lavelle.
He won at Hereford in December and went on to finish a close fourth at Wincanton one month later.
The winner that day, Ideal Des Bordes, finished a close second to Eyed on his next start who has subsequently franked the form in a decent Uttoxeter contest.
He likes better ground, which he’s likely to get at Newbury, and he’s still pretty unexposed. He has a fine chance.
The penultimate contest at 4.37 is a competitive three-mile handicap hurdle and Super Sabre Sam could be the one to side with here.
He’s had just three runs in handicaps so far, two of which were promising runs. The first came behind Guard Duty at Windsor who went on to bolt up at Newbury, so the form of that race looks decent.
Neil Mulholland’s six-year-old has a rating of 112, but he comes from a decent family which suggests he can improve from that mark. He’s unexposed and should like the nicer ground.
In the finale, a two-mile seven-and-a-half-furlong hunters’ chase (5.10), Enrilo could just have a classy edge over a few in here.
Rebel Dawn Rising is a worthy contender, but he may just prefer softer ground, and although Itchy Feet is rated higher than Enrilo, he’s not been in great form recently.
Enrilo ran a solid race in his first hunters’ chase at Ludlow in February and he should come on for the effort. Olive Nicholls claims three pounds in the saddle, so he gets the vote.
Newbury selections - Friday (via Sporting Life)
1.55 - Queensbury Boy
2.30 - Leave Of Absence
3.00 - Aucunrisque
3.30 - Go To War
4.02 - Muskoka
4.37 - Super Sabre Sam
5.10 - Enrilo
