Great news! Newbury has passed the inspection and we have racing at the Berkshire track for the first time in 2025. It's a strange little card, a bit trappy but I will be there tomorrow and hope to be putting some horses in the notebook. I also think there is a bet to be had over at Hereford.
Newbury
15:00, Grosvenor Sport New Customers Double Odds Handicap Hurdle
Lightingupourdays 8/1 (Bet365), 1pt each-way (4 places, generally)
Through The Ages 11/1, 1pt win
This is one of the big betting heats of the day. Norn Iron does look well handicapped off a mark of 107 and is set to go off favourite however, this will be his first run for 101 days and it's expected to be pretty soft ground out there so any lack of fitness will be exposed. He's not experienced ground like this so I will take him on. Bucephalus is interesting after a big effort to finish second in a big field at Chepstow last month but it worries me that he hasn't always followed up one good run with another and is now 12 pounds above his highest winning mark. Instead I like the chances of Lightningupourdays at the odds. Alastair Ralph hasn't had a winner for a while but he had 4 seconds in December, two of which were beaten by less than a head so it's hard to say the stable is bang out of form. His 6 year old here had decent enough form in maiden hurdles before stepping up to win on handicap debut at Uttoxeter last time out, staying on well. He'd previously finished second over 5 furlongs further than this and has also finished 3rd in a bumper on heavy ground. The penny really dropped last time out and I think he's up to defying a 5 pound higher mark. The danger could be Through The Ages who won over course and distance in December 2023 (on similar ground) by a storming 15 lengths. He's been tumbling down the weights since but was in the process of running well at Plumpton last month when hampered badly by a faller forcing the jockey to pull him up. He's a big enough price.
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16:08, Grosvenor Sport Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle
Keable 4/1 (Bet365), 1pt each-way (3 places)
The last race of the day looks set to be a proper slog over 3 miles. Keable looks best set for this test having won by as far as he wanted on atrocious ground at Exeter 2 weeks ago. This 8 year old has really got his act together this term, as he showed when second in similar conditions over this trip at Wincanton last month. That day he only just failed to concede a stone and a half to an up and comer who has won again since. He had the rest of the field 13 lengths away.
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Hereford
15:58, DragonBet Still Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle
Lanesborough 6/1, 1pt each-way (3 places)
Ben Pauling's 6 year old has been on the go since finishing second in a point back in October. He showed some promise in 3 maiden hurdles and now goes handicapping off a very lenient mark of 101. The first of those runs was in a decent race and the horse who finished immediately in front of him won a handicap at Ffos Las on Saturday. Connections waste no time in going handicapping and it's worth noting that stable jockey Ben Jones is back in the saddle for the first time since his rules debut at Warwick in that decent maiden hurdle. He has got plenty of experience now and this isn't a strong race. I fancy he'll prove better than this opening mark.
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