Racing
Newbury betting tips: Magic Of Light set to defend crown
Racing expert and Syndicate Captain Steven Dowler gives his verdict on the Boosted £7,000 Place 6 at Newbury on Wednesday. He thinks that Magic Of Light has a fantastic chance of defending her Mares’ Chase crown from last year. If you agree with Steven’s selections, then join his Syndicate.
12.20 – Juvenile Hurdle
To kick off proceedings, we have a nice looking juvenile hurdle. Newbury specialist Nicky Henderson relies on his only runner in the race, FRASER ISLAND, who showed a good level of form on the flat. Rated 83, he is unproven on soft ground and will have been well prepared for his hurdles debut. It’s hard to see him not being involved in the finish with a clear round under NDB.
Jonjo O’Neill has his team in good form and DEEBEE looks interesting on his hurdles debut. He showed on the flat he handles soft/testing ground and begins his hurdles campaign following wind surgery with Nick Schofield booked to ride. It is less than often you see a yard provide wind surgery to a horse before they have even debuted over hurdles and this three-year-old could go well here.
I also really like SIR CANFORD at very generous odds. Ali Stronge is also having a good season and this son of the high-class Canford Cliffs is race-fit having run consistently well on the flat and could pose a threat here with fitness on his side and the stable going really well at present.
Selections: FRASER ISLAND, DEEBEE, SIR CANFORD
12.50 – Maiden Hurdle
We turn our attention to a competitive maiden hurdle with some promising types making their hurdles debut. I think Aidan Coleman is an interesting booking aboard AL KOUT who was rated 87 on the flat. He has run well on soft ground on more than one occasion and placed three times over 2 miles, so conditions and trip will pose no problem.
Al Kout looks a fascinating recruit to hurdles and, if he was trained by a top trainer, he would be half the odds he currently is. Not without a chance of running a big race here.
Dr Richard Newland sends the smart flat performer GARBANZO back over hurdles. He was the best of these on the flat, rated 90, and won four times in that discipline on ground ranging from good to soft to soft, so he’s clearly ground versatile. Garbanzo was thought good enough to contest a grade two race at Ascot on hurdles debut and was then a beaten favourite at Wetherby.
However, Garbanzo has since finished a fair fifth in a tough staying flat race at Haydock on soft ground off a mark 90 and was last seen in the Cesarewitch. He was well beaten but is a much stronger horse now without doubt. Garbanzo is reunited with Charlie Hammond on board, who takes off a handy 3lb and this five-year-old has a major chance in a tricky event.
SHISHKIN makes his hurdles debut here having trounced a field from the front on his only start in a bumper 277 days ago. The form isn’t the strongest but you can’t help but be impressed with the way he went about his business that day. This promising five-year-old could well be a graded horse in the making in due course for the champion trainer.
ENEMY COAST AHEAD makes his hurdles debut and was just as impressive as Shishkin on debut, winning by 10 lengths in a bumper. That form is also questionable but the way he travelled and quickened up so impressively was very taking and he could turn out to be a very good horse for connections with Adrian Heskin on board. If backing up that performance on this slower ground , Enemy Coast Ahead has every chance to remain unbeaten.
Selections: AL KOUT, GARBANZO, SHISHKIN, ENEMY COAST AHEAD
13.20 – Handicap Chase
Grade one winning trainer Emma Lavelle loves a winner at this track. Top-weight FONTSANTA has showed a good level of form in bumpers and hurdle races, including at this track, when just behind greatwood hurdle winner Harambe. He rounded off his hurdle campaign with an 11 length demolition of a 135 rated horse when stepping up to 3m+ for the first time.
This six-year-old made his chase debut here over 2m6f in a beginners chase and actually wasn’t beaten far behind Champ, Dashel Drasher, Highest Sun and Beakstown, with the front three winning since and the fourth running well at Cheltenham recently.
That is the strongest form on offer and Fontsanta has loads of course form, dropping down in class for his handicap debut here off what looks a lenient mark. I am pretty confident this unexposed six-year-old will go close to winning this despite giving weight all around.
Gowiththeflow looked a high-class novice hurdler a few seasons ago when he finished second here over 2m4f and managed eighth in a grade one at the Cheltenham festival.
His first two runs over fences were disappointing and he was beaten a long way in a couple of small field races but he benefited from positive tactics last time out and has gone well fresh in the past.
This six-year-old makes his handicap debut off what is a very attractive mark and these fences will definitely be up his street with NDB in the saddl. Let’s not forget we are taking about a horse who beat PAISLEY PARK over hurdles so it’s clear to see how much talent he possesses and how well handicapped he is for this race which gives Gowiththeflow huge claims.
Harry Whittington is no stranger to success at this track and JAMMY GEORGE has a fair each way chance at the weights. He was a decent hurdler, who ran well on chase debut to be fifth over an inadequate trip at Ascot staying on well to be fifth of 10 off a mark 131 and didn’t get as fair at the first at Newcastle last time. However, if Jammy George can put in a clear round under Gavin Sheehan here then he could go well a price.
Selections: FONTSANTA, GOWITHTHEFLOW, JAMMY GEORGE
13.55 – Mares Chase
The highlight of the day is this listed mares chase and last years 14 length winner MAGIC OF LIGHT is back to try and win the race for second consecutive year.
This tough, genuine mare won the race so beautifully last year before going on to win a grade two over hurdles at Ascot, finishing second in a listed race over a trip too short next time (split two subsequent winners). Magic Of Light rounded off her campaign with a fine seventh in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival before running a career best performance to finish a two length second to the unbelievable TIGER ROLL in the Grand National where she would have been closer but for a mistake at the last.
The 8yo reappeared with a fine third in a grade two over hurdles last time and she is rated 20lbs+ higher than her three rivals back against her own sex. Robbie Power comes here to ride Magic Of Light, who has improved so much since winning this race very easily last year. You can’t help but feel that Magic Of Light will put in another demolition job. Jessica Harrington’s mare sets a high standard and is clearly in a different league to her rivals.
Selections: MAGIC OF LIGHT
14.25 – Novice Hurdle
Colin Tizzard unleashed a potential high-class horse at Chepstow in the shape of THE BIG BREAKAWAY who jumped, travelled and won very easily without being asked any serious questions. He’s a big, strong individual who will make a smashing chaser in time and has to carry a glbs penalty in this race. However, he looked an absolute monster at Chepstow last time and there’s much more to come from him this season. The Big Breakaway will be very hard to beat.
I wouldn’t dismiss the Emma Lavelle-trained KILLER CLOWN who has showed a lot of promise on both starts for the yard. He was unlucky on debut when second, having been hampered towards the finish. He then shaped nicely on hurdles debut at Huntingdon when needing the run on his seasonal debut.
There is no doubt he needs to improve to trouble the favourite but he’s entitled to have learnt plenty from his introduction to hurdles last time and I can see him running a nice race and improving on his latest start under Aidan Coleman.
Selections: THE BIG BREAKAWAY, KILLER CLOWN
15.00 Handicap Chase
We round off with a competitive handicap chase.
Anthony Honeyball has a good strike rate at the course and has his horses are in decent form, including LE COEUR NET who has only been out of the top three once in his last ten completed starts.
He has very effective form on ground soft to worse and has run well on both starts this campaign finishing third under a big weight on his return before a good second last time out over 2m3f. I think the return to 2 miles will suit and he carries a much lesser weight than he has been carrying of late so he is sure to go well here with cheekpieces fitted for the first time.
I was disappointed SHANAHAN’S TURN didn’t make good use of a golden opportunity last time out but he ran with credit the return to 2 miles will suit especially if he’s ridden aggressively again and being rated near 150 in his prime. He handles soft ground very well and has still run to a decent level on his last three starts to suggest fire still burns and he’s capable of another bold showing representing Colin Tizzard.
Richard Hobson has the improving DEFI SACRE here, who is getting better with every start and duly obliged just nine days ago by a wide margin. The booking of Jonjo O’Neill Jr is a huge positive and if returning in the same form it’s very hard to see this six-year-old not being involved at the business end of the race.
Selections: LE COEUR NET, SHANAHAN’S TURN, DEFI SACRE
