The valuable Betfair Hurdle takes centre stage this Saturday from Newbury, with its roll of honour including the likes of subsequent Champion Hurdle winners Persian War and Make A Stand. Well-handicapped novices’ have landed this prize in recent years and our expert editor has analysed each individuals chance in the 2022 renewal alongside an excellent offer from William Hill, who are offering Bet £10 – Get 30 In Free Bets to new customers.
SOARING GLORY 7/1
SOARING GLORY was an authoritative winner of this contest 12 months ago, strongly staying on in the closing stages to defeat Gary Moore’s Fifty Ball by 3l.
After finishing fourth in the Supreme Novices’ at last year’s Festival, Jonjo O’Neill’s charge reappeared this season at Ascot and landed Listed honours in the London Handicap Hurdle.
Connections will have been encouraged by the seven-year-olds latest third in Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle when finishing behind Glory and Fortune and comfortable winner Epatante.
However, Soaring Glory will find life tough back in handicaps off a mark of 147 which is 14lb higher than when he strode to victory last campaign. Only one previous winner has carried a welter burden to success and that was the superb three-time Champion Hurdle winner Persian War.
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TRITONIC 14/1
TRITONIC landed a third win over hurdles when scoring on penultimate start at Ascot in the Grade 3 Betfair Exchange Trophy, making smooth headway behind the leaders before quickening clear to win off a mark of 141.
Despite attracting support in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day at Kempton, Tritonic was below-par and lacked fluency over the smaller obstacles on that occasion, although a line can possibly be drawn through that performance considering it came just 8 days after his Ascot triumph.
Alan King’s charge returns to the handicap ranks and is 5lb higher for that recent Ascot win. It would be no surprise if he bounced back to form in this event, however, his three hurdle wins have come on right-handed tracks and perhaps others are better treated this time around.
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GLORY AND FORTUNE 22/1
After returning with a handicap hurdle win at Plumpton last September, GLORY AND FORTUNE followed up in taking fashion when running away with the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las on his very next start.
Ultimately well beaten in sixth in the Greatwood at Cheltenham’s November meeting, Tom Lacey’s charge had his stamina tested when running over 2m4f for the first time in his career on penultimate start. The seven-year-old emphasised that stamina was not his strong suit as he came home in fourth, 14l behind eventual winner Earlofthecotswolds.
However, Glory And Fortune bounced back to form when chasing home Epatante in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day, finishing in front of both Tritonic and Soaring Glory in the process.
Two miles certainly appears to be his optimum trip and he has a chance of running well back in handicap company. However, he is fairly exposed in the context of this race and would be the first horse since 2003 to win at the age of seven.
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FIRST STREET 14/1
Being out of the sire Golden Horn, you would expect FIRST STREET to be contesting in top flat races for his connections. However, Nicky Henderson’s five-year-old has looked a natural over hurdles, winning three of his opening four starts in this sphere including when returning from wind surgery to win at Kempton in January.
Nicky Henderson’s charge travelled ominously well last time out before readily coming away from his rivals to record an impressive success. That latest victory was surprisingly his first over 2miles, after previously winning over an extended 2m3f at Bangor and comfortably scoring over 2m5f at Warwick last September.
A subsequent 9lb rise will make things difficult for First Street on Saturday afternoon, however, connections considered him good enough to contest the Grade 2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow on the penultimate start and perhaps there is more to come from him.
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I LIKE TO MOVE IT 12/1
Novices have a superb record in recent years in this valuable contest and it would therefore be no shock to see I LIKE TO MOVE IT play a leading role for Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies.
The five-year-old made it a hat trick of victories over hurdles when landing a Grade 2 contest at Cheltenham back in November. Despite only facing two rivals, Nigel Twiston Davies’ charge quickened away well to comfortably land the spoils on that occasion.
I Like To Move It faced a tough test under a penalty last time out at Ascot again in Grade 2 company, conceding 5lb to the well regarded and unbeaten novice Jonbon. Although finishing last of the five-strong field that day, I Like To Move It shaped better than the bare result and only weakened out of contention in the closing stages.
Off a mark of 138, the five-year-old appears to be on a decent enough mark now lining up in a handicap for the first time. The only question mark surrounding his winning chance is with his jumping technique, as he has previously demonstrated a lack of fluency over timber.
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KNAPPERS HILL 15/2
Talented three-time bumper winner KNAPPERS HILL made an immediate impact when transitioning to hurdles on reappearance, cosily landing novice contests at Chepstow and Wincanton at prohibited odds.
Paul Nicholls’ progressive novice was certainly not suited by the slow fractions when finishing third behind Jonbon last time out in Grade 2 company at Ascot over Christmas. The five-year-old was not beaten far on that latest assignment and a bad mistake two from home probably cost him from finishing closer to the two in front.
Although the yard has been out of form in recent weeks, Knappers Hill could be well-treated off a mark of 135 and with plenty more to come on his fourth hurdle outing, he could provide Paul Nicholls with a much-needed winner.
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BOOTHILL 12/1
It’s certainly hard to know what to expect from BOOTHILL who has hinted on more than one occasion that he could be the type to win a big pot such as this. Harry Fry’s seven-year-old looked a talented prospect when scooting away at Taunton on hurdling debut last season, jumping superbly before effortlessly going clear to win by 9.5l and marking himself as one to follow.
After a 324 day absence, Boothill ran a mighty race on his comeback to finish third behind Soaring Glory in Listed company at Ascot, battling all the way to the line and only going down by 2.5l come the winning post.
Harry Fry’s imposing charge was then tried over fences for the first time at Exeter but ultimately was disappointing after weakening someway out over an extended 2m3f.
The return to the hurdling and drop to 2miles should see Boothill in a better light but he’s hardly one for maximum faith considering the breaks he has had in between races, though a mark of 135 does look workable.
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BROOMFIELD BURG 5/1
BROOMFIELD BURG faced a straightforward task at Kempton on Boxing Day when justifying cramped odds to finally return to winning ways after a couple of previous near-misses at Newbury and Cheltenham.
Those defeats in novice and handicap company don’t tell the whole story, as the six-year-old travelled on both occasions as if defeat was out of the question before being outbattled in the closing stages.
It will be interesting to see if Broomfield Burg decides to knuckle down for jockey Nico de Boinville on Saturday if in contention in the final stages. However, there is no doubting he has still looked a useful talent for connections and his mark could seriously underestimate him.
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JETOILE 11/1
Trainer Ryan Potter has made quite a name for himself this season and that is partly down to seven-year-old JETOILE who has landed two of his opening four starts over hurdles, with both wins coming over 2m4f.
Those front running victories came against fairly modest opposition but that certainly wasn’t the case on his latest assignment as Jetoile chased home unbeaten novice and Supreme prospect Constitution Hill in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle last month.
Considering the significant rise in grade, Ryan Potter’s charge ran with plenty of credit to finish second and was not inconvenienced by the drop in trip.
Jetoile looks a decent chaser in the making for his respected connections, and the seven-year-old may just lack the pace to come home in front on this particular track and is another who would ideally be suited by softer conditions underfoot.
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FIFTY BALL 12/1
Trainer Gary Moore has wisely decided to revert to hurdles with FIFTY BALL who has been disappointing over the larger obstacles since returning in November.
The seven-year-old was progressive when last seen over the smaller flights and ran a terrific race to finish second in this very contest 12 months ago off a mark of 131.
Although no match for Soaring Glory in last season’s renewal, Gary Moore’s charge ran extremely well despite hanging left in the closing stages to finish 3l behind the eventual winner.
Fifty Ball returns over hurdles off that same mark of 131 and although he is weighted to run well, those latest heavy defeats over fences question what ability the seven-year-old will retain back over hurdles and is passed over this time around.
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JPR ONE 13/2
Despite lacking significant experience, it’s hard not to have been impressed with the rapid progress of JPR ONE in recent months. Colin Tizzard’s five-year-old has quickly made up into a smart novice prospect and has recorded two wins from his opening three hurdle outings.
Sent off 12/1 for his debut at Exeter, Jpr One got off to the perfect start when cosily landing a competitive novice hurdle, finishing in front of five subsequent winners in the process.
The five-year-old was collared late on when narrowly defeated on his second start at Cheltenham in December, before returning to the winner’s enclosure when powering away from a field at Taunton in January, jumping slickly and staying on well in the closing stages to win by 6.5l.
A mark of 130 could prove to be extremely lenient as Jpr One makes his handicap debut this weekend. Colin Tizzard’s charge has looked seriously smart in his three outings and there should be plenty more to come.
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HOWDYALIKEMENOW 40/1
HOWDYALIKEMENOW has looked a useful recruit to Evan Williams’ Glamorgan based yard and despite the six-year-old failing to win when trained in Ireland, Howdyalikemenow has won three of his five starts for new connections.
Back to back novice hurdle wins at Stratford and Fakenham were followed by a poor display at Cheltenham’s November meeting, weakening up the hill to finish down the field despite attracting market support on handicap debut.
After returning to winning ways at Ffos Las in January on heavy going, Evan Williams’ charge was readily brushed aside at Warwick in Grade 2 company after becoming outpaced some way from the finish.
Others appear better treated in this contest and perhaps he is one to be interested in when the mud is flying on an undulating track.
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ROYAUME UNI 25/1
Gary Moore’s other representative comes in the shape of ROYAUME UNI who’s only win over hurdles came three starts ago when easily landing a Class 3 handicap at Plumpton back in October.
The five-year-old has found the frame on his latest two runs at Cheltenham and Kempton but has been beaten fair and square by Nicky Henderson’s Broomfield Burg and Fair Street in those particular contests.
A 10lb pull in the weights should see Gary Moore’s charge finish significantly closer to Fair Street this Saturday, however, others have achieved a lot more in their exploits over hurdles and it’s best to look elsewhere for win purposes.
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LORD BADDESLEY 50/1
LORD BADDESLEY was a commanding winner of a course and distance novice hurdle last season for Chris Gordon but has failed to show that sort of spark in his recent outings over fences and the smaller obstacles this season.
After two poor efforts over fences at Warwick and Ascot, the seven-year-old returned back over hurdles when finishing third in Class 3 company at Kempton over Christmas.
Despite finishing 8l behind the eventual winner on that occasion, Chris Gordon’s charge was heavily supported in the betting on his return to Kempton on his most recent start. However, Lord Baddesley never travelled from flag fall and was pulled up by jockey Harry Cobden as they turned for home, in a race that was eventually won in impressive style by First Street.
The seven-year-old looks to have a stiff task against the majority of these and it’s hard to envisage him playing a leading role in the finish on Saturday.
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Race Verdict
Newbury’s feature contest on Saturday promises to be a tremendous spectacle with a host of worthy challengers looking to land the most valuable handicap hurdle of the season. Both Broomfield Burg and Knappers Hill command attention towards the top of the betting but both have their own questions to answer in some shape or form. Of those heading the market, JPR ONE stands out as the safest option despite only appearing on course three times. Colin Tizzard’s charge may lack the experience in these types of events but he looks a very smart type and could be leniently treated off 130. It wouldn’t be the biggest of shocks to see Boothill and Tritonic fair better than their current odds reflect and they make some each-way appeal.
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