Newbury hosts a fiercely competitive seven-race card on Saturday, including the Grade 2 Denman Chase which has attracted a host of star performers looking to get a final run in before the Cheltenham Festival. Our expert editor has analysed each runner in this Saturday’s contest alongside an exclusive bet365 offer where you can get £50 in Free Bets when you bet £10.
CLAN DES OBEAUX 10/11
Paul Nicholls will be hoping for a bold showing from some of his stable stars this weekend and despite a recent and unexplained dip in form for the yard, connections will be confident that CLAN DES OBEAUX can record another chasing success after failing to win the King George for the third time when last seen over Christmas.
Last season saw the dual King George winner land back to back Grade 1 contests including at Aintree where Paul Nicholls’ charge was mighty impressive in first-time cheekpieces, sprinting away from his rivals to win the Bowl Chase by 26l under Harry Cobden.
Clan Des Obeaux had struggled in the past to back up his best efforts but that was not to be the case when lining up in the Punchestown Gold Cup, as Paul Nicholls’ ten-year-old recorded a fourth win at the highest level under a determined Sam-Twiston-Davies drive to see off the late challenge of Al Boum Photo.
Despite finishing second in Kempton’s Christmas showpiece on seasonal return, Clan Des Obeaux still ran with credit after a 242-day break and will be spot on for this Saturday’s contest, a race in which he finished a neck second to stablemate Secret Investor last year.
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ELDORADO ALLEN 11/1
ELDORADO ALLEN made the ideal start to life over fences last season, winning back to back novice contests over 2miles including at Cheltenham in Grade 2 company.
Colin Tizzards’ charge found life difficult after those victories, however, finishing a distant fourth in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown behind Allmankind before bumping into star two-mile novice chaser Shihskin at Doncaster and the Cheltenham Festival.
A step up to 2m4f for the first time at Aintree on his final start last campaign failed to speak a return to winning form as he was readily brushed aside again in Grade 1 company. Despite making a winning seasonal return at Exeter in November, Eldorado Allen has been disappointing on his latest two outings including when no match for Mister Fisher in the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase back over 2m4f at Kempton in January.
Eldorado Allen’s form looks some way short of what will be required to win Saturday’s contest and the eight-year-old faces a mammoth task against established staying performers.
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IMPERIAL AURA 4/1
IMPERIAL AURA provided Kim Bailey with a Cheltenham Festival winner two years ago when gamely staying on in the closing stages to see off Galvin in Listed company. That Festival victory brought about two further successes the following season including at Grade 2 level, jumping superbly and fending off Itchy Feet to land the 1965 chase at Ascot.
However, Kim Bailey’s star has had his setbacks since that rich vein of form and has now failed to complete on the last four outings.
After a subsequent wind operation, Imperial Aura was in the process of running well on seasonal return in the Betfair Chase at Haydock but came to grief at the 13th flight and took a crashing fall.
That crashing Haydock fall clearly left its mark on his latest outing at Aintree in December, as Imperial Aura was hesitant over the larger obstacles before pulling up in the Many Clouds Chase with over a circuit to go.
Imperial Aura should strip fitter on his third run after wind surgery but is clearly not one for maximum faith as things stand and can’t be backed with any confidence.
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ROYALE PAGAILLE 2/1
Venetia Williams’ ROYALE PAGAILLE turned plenty of heads last season, racking up a hattrick of wins which culminated with a seriously impressive victory in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock under jockey Tom Scudamore.
That performance highlighted him as a potential Gold Cup prospect and despite making the Festival feature, Royale Pagaille was ultimately disappointing after making several mistakes and coming home a distant sixth.
Although the eight-year-old finished a creditable second on reappearance in the Betfair Chase, Venetia Williams’ charge couldn’t live with Irish raider A Plus Tard who recorded facile victory in the Grade 1 contest.
Connections soon returned to Haydock in January this year where Royale Pagaille gamely followed up in the Peter Marsh Chase off a 7lb higher mark, dourly staying on to prevail by 0.5l from Anthony Honeyball’s rallying Sam Brown.
There is no doubt Royale Pagaille has what it takes to go close in Saturday’s contest before being aimed at the Cheltenham Gold Cup next month. However, he faces a smart rival in Clan Des Obeaux and it will be a fascinating watch to see who comes out on top.
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DE RASHER COUNTER 25/1
It’s hard to make a case for DE RASHER COUNTER who returns to the track after a 489-day absence. The 2019 Ladbrokes Trophy winner sustained a tendon injury which saw the ten-year-old miss the entirety of last season.
Connections will be happy to see De Rasher counter back on the track this weekend with trainer Emma Lavelle revealing the ten-year-old could be a potential Grand National type for this coming season.
Either way, the ten-year-olds form is below the standard required to land Saturday’s event and connections will be using this race as a stepping stone as he returns from injury.
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BIG RACE VERDICT
This appears to be a match up on first viewing between Royale Pagaille and CLAN DES OBEAUX, with a preference for Paul Nicholls’ charge as the ten-year-old bids to return to winning ways. The multiple Grade 1 winner enjoyed a terrific season last year and still ran with much credit on return in the King George on Boxing Day. He will be tough to beat on the back of that reappearance and can provide Paul Nicholls with a much-needed winner.
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