With Warwick down due to the weather, Newbury is the card avid racing fans will be looking forward to the most this Saturday. In association with the Tote, Joe Napier is going to try and land the Placepot by selecting his tips in the first six races on the card.
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Leg 1: 12.55pm
Leg 1 Selections: (3) Making Headway
The card opens with an extremely competitive novice hurdle in which all of the previous winners hold reasonable claims, so the rest of the field may be up against it. For our purposes, the likeliest to give their running and at least fill the places looks to be MAKING HEADWAY for Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero. They have campaigned their six-year-old in Graded company since he scored on debut at Carlisle, finishing second in a Haydock Grade 2, and fourth in an Aintree Grade 1. With that initial win coming on heavy ground, he should stand a very good chance in what is likely to be soft going at Newbury.
Leg 2: 1.30pm
Leg 2 Selections: (1) On The Blind Side, (4) Kyntara
We are hedging our bets going into race two, with the 3m handicap hurdle looking extremely open, especially with the expected ground conditions. The veteran ON THE BLIND SIDE is worth including at a big price to potentially increase your dividend, as he is back to the same mark off which he won in extremely similar conditions last March, having also run well at Sandown in the interim. If forgiving his last run, he would have more than a squeak, though with age against him, select the form horse in KYNTARA too, who should probably have racked up a hat-trick last time and should give his running again now he has found a new lease of life for Mel Rowley.
Leg 3: 2.05pm
Leg 3 Selections: (1) Protektorat
The Grade 2 Denman Chase is up next, but with three of the five-strong field below this level on any recent form, it is worth sticking towards the top of the market. Shishkin could well play up again, so PROTEKTORAT is the sensible option, especially at a bigger price. He has run very well to fill the frame the last twice, once under 12st in handicap company, and the other when second, conceding 4lb to Gold Cup hope L’Homme Presse, at Lingfield. It would be a big surprise if he were out of the front two.
Leg 4: 2.40pm
Leg 4 Selections: (2) Edwardstone, (5) Amarillo Sky
It’s worth chancing another double in race five, as this Graded contest looks significantly trickier than the one prior. EDWARDSTONE is the likeliest winner stepping back to this trip having run very well in the Tingle Creek, with Boothill having only ever won once going left-handed and stepping up in Grade. However, at a bigger price, a big run could be expected from AMARILLO SKY, who would be unbeaten over course and distance in three starts but for a late fall in January 2022. If fit after a long lay-off, he could be competitive.
Leg 5: 3.15pm
Leg 5 Selections: (11) Doddiethegreat, (15) L’Eau Du Sud
We are going to try and get our dividend up here, because the Betfair Hurdle offers four places and there are some long shots who could well claim a space in that quartet. Nicky Henderson runs four in the race, but though he is the outsider of those, DODDIETHEGREAT is second on jockey bookings with James Bowen aboard. The form of his second at Cheltenham has worked out well, with the third and fourth winning since, while L’EAU DU SUD was placed in two strong handicaps at Kempton in Kelso in 2022/23 and is now below his marks for both races; he should come on for his reappearance earlier this season and may well have been laid out for this after 83 more days off.
Leg 6: 3.50pm
Leg 6 Selections: (2) Inch House
We’re taking no chances in the last, as INCH HOUSE looks comfortably the safest bet from any perspective. He is by far the likeliest winner given perennial loser Mister Coffey is the second favourite, but Jonjo O’Neill’s charge has already won twice at this venue over fences and ran well behind a potentially well-treated winner at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day. He is off the same mark here and this race looks distinctly more winnable, so it would be a big surprise to see him out of the top two.
Suggested Placepot Selections For Sandown On Saturday 3rd February
Leg 1 Selections: (3) Making Headway
Leg 2 Selections: (1) On The Blind Side, (4) Kyntara
Leg 3 Selections: (1) Protektorat
Leg 4 Selections: (2) Edwardstone, (5) Amarillo Sky
Leg 5 Selections: (11) Doddiethegreat, (15) L’Eau Du Sud
Leg 6 Selections: (2) Inch House
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