The supporting card at Haydock on Saturday should ensure a top day’s racing from start to finish. All six races aside from the Betfair Chase are previewed alongside a superb offer from Bet365 where you can receive up to £100 in bet credits.
12:10 Betfair Weighed In Podcast Newton Novices’ Hurdle
This Listed contest has been won by some good horses in recent renewals. As a quirk for such a race, though, four-year-olds have a particularly strong record.
That would be a positive for Sonigino, having his debut for Paul Nicholls, It’s Good To Laugh, hitherto unbeaten in two starts, and Haute Estime, sent down from Scotland. They make up half of this field and all have winning prospects here.
The other half are all aged five. Knickerbockerglory would have to step up significantly on his hurdles debut, but Barrichello and MIGHT I were both very impressive in winning their first starts this season. The latter looked especially useful in winning at Newton Abbot and could end up with some lofty targets this season.
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12:40 Because We’re Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Chase
With four races over at least three miles, this is one of the most stamina-sapping days on the calendar. This three-and-a-half mile handicap is usually even tougher with Haydock’s traditionally softer surface.
However, with this year being dryer and the race being moved to an earlier position on the card should result in a closer race than 12 months ago when the 12-year-old Perfect Candidate won by 45 lengths.
Amateur is very much a horse on the up in staying races, but an 11lb rise coupled with this being his reappearance could make this difficult. Bob Mahler and Truckin Away are others who know what it takes to win in attritional conditions, but preference would be for CAPTAIN DRAKE who was fourth in the Welsh National three starts back off 5lbs higher. He’s had a pipe-opener for the season and this second run after a wind operation might be the time for him to strike.
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1:15 Betfair Pays Tribute To Andy Stewart Handicap Hurdle
Both Navajo Pass and Christopher Wood have contested Graded contests in their very recent pasts, the former winning two such races, which brings the weights and the competition right up for this excellent handicap.
Lurking just below them in the ratings for this race are Tommy’s Oscar and CALICO who finished third and fourth in the Scottish Champion Hurdle in April. The former runs off the same mark here and will prefer this return to a sounder surface, but the latter, although disappointing on his comeback, is 3lbs lower and still has potential for better.
Mackenburg also enters calculations on his best efforts from last season, while the four-year-old Homme Public has still only had three starts in this country, so could offer better from the foot of the weights.
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1:50 Double Daily Rewards With Betfair Graduation Chase
There could well be a future Betfair Chase winner in this graduation chase.
Comparisons to Denman have already been made for BRAVEMANSGAME and while “The Tank” never ran in the Betfair Chase, it was usually because Kauto Star turned up there instead.
Bravemansgame has no Kauto lookalike to deal with at Ditcheat for now, nor does he face anyone of that calibre in this race. His chasing debut against more experienced horses was taking, even in receipt of weight all round. Should he have raced off level weights, he’d almost certainly still have won and runner-up Fusil Raffles won the Charlie Hall a few weeks later.
Paul Nicholls has won this race with the likes of Politologue and Clan Des Obeaux in the past and Bravemansgame should add to those names. Itchy Feet might not be the smoothest jumper, but he should beat Pay The Piper for second.
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2:25 Betfair Exchange Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle
Main Fact was rattling off an unprecedented nine-timer when winning this a year ago. Indeed the last three winners had won on their previous start, so it pays to come into this in form.
Therefore, three with the right profile are put forward, namely ORBYS LEGEND, Bass Rock and Rightplacerightime.
Philip Hobbs’ five-year-old might be a youngster, but he’s a full brother to Jonjo O’Neill’s useful Morning Spirit, who excels over this trip. His victory in the Silver Trophy was far easier than the margin of a length at the line and he looks progressive.
Bass Rock has also won his last two and his handicap marks so far have been a gift. Up t 130 in a hotter race, he still could have room to maneuver and is also only a five-year-old.
Rightplacerightime, meanwhile, is sent over from Ireland. The handicapper is obviously wary of Emmet Mullins after The Shunter’s exploits last season. He’d have no chance off 125 on any known hurdles form, but he won a three-mile chase very easily two weeks ago and he runs from the bottom of the handicap regardless.
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3:00 READ OUR BETFAIR CHASE PREVIEW HERE
3:35 My Odds Boost On Betfair Handicap Chase
While this handicap is shorter than three furlongs shorter than the similar staying contest at 12:45, thorough stayers abound within the roll of honour.
Cappa Bleu, Vieux Lion Rouge, Chase The Spud, Vintage Clouds and Snow Leopardess have all won this in the last decade. It takes a horse with Grand National stamina or aspirations to win it.
Potters Corner would have been that horse a year ago, but he’s now been off the boil for over a year. At the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of form is Strictlyadancer who has won back-to-back handicaps on Cheltenham’s old course at this trip.
However, though he’ll have to carry some burden in terms of weight, RAMSES DE TEILLEE suddenly looks well treated back to 2lbs below his last winning mark. He remains young enough at nine-years-old to retain the majority of his ability and the field lacks staying depth.
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