Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup meeting kick starts Friday, with the Grade 2 John Francome Novices’ Chase and Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle being the feature contests amongst others for the day. Hermes Allen and Paisley Park are two of the stars in action, can they both get their seasons off to a flying start by winning their respective races come Friday?
GG writer Jake Russell is on hand to guide us through his thoughts on each of the seven races on the card.
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12.10pm – Coral Get Closer To The Action “National Hunt” Maiden Hurdle (Class 3)
All eyes will be on Nicky Henderson’s Jeriko Du Reponet (1/3 generally) who is somewhat starting to gain a little bit of traction on social media due to his Newbury track gallop last week. It caught one or two eyes, along with his looks in general to boot. Nicky Henderson has stated in his At The Races stable tour that he is a real eye catcher of a type, the sort to turn heads, which is why a few might have latched onto him already after just one racecourse gallop. He was an eye catching 11 lengths winner of his point to point over 3-miles in Ireland, therefore slightly further trip will be in order for this horse further down the line. However the yard have wasted no time in getting him over an obstacle, with Nicky H also stating he doesn’t want this horse to run in a bumper. Which might speak for something in the fact he is clued up and ready to do his job jumping. JP McManus as we all know is a very prominent owner, probably the most prominent in the national hunt scene, so that again will speak for something. I can’t wait to see him on a racecourse, as all the vibes from home can’t help but get you excited to see him out soon.
12.40pm – Coral Racing Club Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Class 3)
It’s no secret now that Venetia Williams’s horses are operating in very good form at the moment, and Djelo (9/4 generally) looks to be a type who could still improve with each run now going chasing. He made his chase debut at Aintree last time when beating a horse in Master Chewy, who already had won a chase race. So beating a horse with chasing experience on your chase debut speaks for something. That was in a Handicap Chase off the mark of 128, so I am assuming connections wanted to utilise a fairly lenient mark that day. He now currently runs off the mark of 135, so a 7lb raise after just a three quarters of a length victory last time. He is the highest rated in the field, so will have to lumber a bit more weight around than most of his rivals, however he does have that all important experience over the larger obstacles. His chase debut last time was very decent, and considering the last fence was omitted, he done well to plug on and still win, getting up in the closing stages of the race.
1.15pm – “Bet In Race” With Coral Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle (Class 1 Listed)
Considering this is a Listed Juvenile Hurdle, apart from the market leader Wodhooh (4/6 generally) it does look to really lack the class that a race of this nature usually throw up, as the 2nd favourite in the market is rated just 117, where as the Gordon Elliott runner is well clear in ratings with the mark of 130. A flat recruit who wasn’t to useful on the flat, rated just 72 for Sir Michael Stoute, she has looked all the decent hurdler so far for new connections. Racing over hurdles three times, winning on all of those occasions (Albeit he won in the stewards room on debut when bumped late on in the race). Her next two performances have been very eye catching, winning her second start for Gordon Elliott by 24 lengths, having harder pieces of work at home. Next time out was a little more workmanlike, however she rallied on well when asked of to win by a neck in the end, show some decent battling attributes that day. If she can re-produce that 2nd career performance on Friday, and run to the mark of 130, she should be winning this with ease. She is an exciting type and Gordon Elliott might have found the perfect chance for his runner to get some black type to her name already.
Coral Gold Cup – Key Runners, Outsiders To Watch + Verdict For Saturday’s Feature At Newbury
The Coral Gold Cup is one of Newbury’s feature races of the season, and has been won by some very good chasers in the past. One of the main names to win this race include ‘The Tank’ Denman, plus Many Clouds and Bobs Worth. This is a race all connections want to win, and they…
Tue 28 Nov 20231.50pm – Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase (Grade 2)
It seems to be a feature of the card on Friday, where most of the races seem to evolve around one horse in the race, however I have decided to go against Hermes Allen, which could come back to bite me. However Nickle Back (4/1 generally) has the fitness and chasing experience to boot here, which will set him in good stead for this Grade 2 contest. I like Hermes Allen as a horse, but I just feel he looked a little vulnerable in his last two runs of the season last term. And although the form over hurdles is well clear of the rest of the field, going over fences is a whole different ball game. And Sarah Humphrey’s horse proves just that. A mediocre Hurdler, rated 134 at his peak, he looks all a chaser so far with his two career runs over fences so far. He blew them away on chase debut at Warwick, taking a keen hold but jumping well throughout to win by an easy 24 lengths. He then looked to back that up next time out at Stratford, where again he made all to jump them into submission and win eased down again by 19 lengths. Any horse who wins their first two Novice Chases by a combined 43 lengths, no matter what races they are running in must be a decent animal. He is now rated 147, just one rating below Hermes Allen who is rated 148 for his chase debut on Friday, but Nickle Back also has the same Racing Post Rating as Hermes Allen. I really like Nickle Back, and the chase experience could come to the fort here as he will look to run the sting out of the rest of his rivals from the front end. I also feel the 2m4f trip will suit this horse better than Hermes Allen, who I feel will need 3-miles further down the line, Nickle Back might just have a little to much boot for him.
2.25pm – Coral Racing Club Handicap Chase (Class 2)
Sail Away (5/1 generally) does hold an entry for the Coral Gold Cup on Saturday, where he is currently 33/1 in the market, so keep an eye on that. However Harry Skelton has been booked to ride for this race, so I am assuming he will run on Friday. The top weight in the contest, it might speak for something if they were to go for this race on Friday instead of the Coral Gold Cup, so that is another thing to bare in mind. A two time winner over fences last season, he ended last campaign with a very easy win in the CPMS Novices’ Champion Handicap Chase at Ayr, where he beat Forward Plan by 11 lengths, with City Chief a further half a length in behind the 2nd placed runner. I think ultimately they might go for the Coral Gold Cup on Saturday instead of this, but the horse has had a wind op since last season, so they might use this contest as a pipe opener before trying to land a big race handicap later on in the season. He has to carry around plenty of weight here, but he looked to be improving with each run last season, so hopefully he can continue that progression throughout this season.
3.00pm – Coral Long Distance Hurdle (Grade 2)
An old National Hunt favourite Paisley Park is back in action for another season in these staying hurdle contests, however his form fresh previously is a little questionable and Emma Lavelle did state in an interview recently he might need a run before going onto the Grade 1’s for the season ahead. Therefore Marie’s Rock (1/1 generally) really takes the eye for me on her seasonal debut. When operating at the 2m4f trip she did show that an even further step up in trip might suit her, and she did duly oblige that thought when coming 2nd in the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree for her first attempt at the staying trip on her final start of last season. A Grade 1 winner against her own sex two seasons ago, she has been mixing it up against the boys for a season or so now, running well and winning on two occasions. Therefore you would expect her to probably improve this season, especially now she is being trained as a stayer. Apart from a slightly disappointing run back in November 2020 where she was well beaten on seasonal debut, that was after a 330+ day break, her form fresh after that has been quite decent, and it does include a Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle win for her first run of last season. I think the Henderson charge has been calling out for this staying trip for a little while, therefore I can’t wait to see her operate at this level going forward.
3.35pm – Play Coral “Racing-Super-Series” For Free Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
A fairly trickly little staying Handicap Hurdle to end the card on Friday, Hyland (3/1 generally) looks to be a completely different prospect this season after slightly disappointing last term when not being able to capitalise on a fairly lenient mark of low 120s. He hasn’t looked back this season and Nicky Henderson has worked his magic to get this horse back and firing nicely this season. Two game efforts this season at Warwick and Cheltenham, he looks to be one of those that just does enough to win. But although he has only won his last two starts by a combined four and three quarter lengths, he has been hiked up 12lb’s to a career high rating of 135. He won a Pertemps Qualifier at Cheltenham last time, so has that race to look forward to come March at the Cheltenham Festival. So you can only assume he will run in these types of races as a fact finding mission, on whether he might be a little bit better than a handicapper. He posted a very game effort when winning at Cheltenham last time, staying on up the hill very nicely in the end. He looks to be firing on all cylinders and better than ever at the moment, therefore he is the one to side for me.
Newbury Friday TTC Tips
12.10 Newbury – Jeriko Du Reponet (1/3 generally)
12.40 Newbury – Djelo (9/4 generally)
1.15 Newbury – Wodhooh (4/6 generally)
1.50 Newbury – Nickle Back (4/1 generally)
2.25 Newbury – Sail Away (5/1 generally)
3.00 Newbury – Marie’s Rock (1/1 generally)
3.35 Newbury – Hyland (3/1 generally)
*Odds Correct At Time Of Publishing – 2.35pm Wednesday 29th November*
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