Newbury - Saturday 8th February 2025

I will be at Newbury tomorrow for Super Saturday. 

15:35, William Hill Hurdle

Navajo Indy 14/1, 1pt each-way (4 places) "advised ante-post"
Beat The Bat 28/1, 0.5pts each-way (5 places)

I backed Navajo Indy last week ante-post for the reasons I made in that writeup. I still believe he has a great chance and hopefully Gavin Sheehan can get his mount in a rhythm early on it what I expect to be a very fast run race in testing conditions. There is so much pace on that it could turn into a proper war by the end and for those reasons I'm tempted to have a little each-way bet on Harry Fry's Beat The Bat at big odds. He looked a novice to follow last season when winning at Ascot and finishing second to Dysart Enos at Cheltenham on New Year's Day 2024. He missed the Spring but came back from a big layoff to finish second in a really hot handicap at Haydock in November in bad ground over a slightly further trip. He was put up three pounds for that but I don't think this mark is beyond him considering his relatively unexposed profile. He's a proper galloper and hated the speed favouring nature of Windsor last time out when he finished seventh. He will show up better here and he's five pounds better off with Secret Squirrel now. 

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16:10, William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Novices' Limited Handicap Chase

Pic Roc 9/2, 2pts win (Bet365)

This looks a hot little novice handicap chase but I like the chances of Ben Pauling's Pic Roc here. He finished second in a big field handicap at Sandown last March when showing real staying properties. He's been kept to intermediate trips since but I expect him to come into his own now stepped up in distance. He travelled like the winner at Exeter last time before being battled out of it after the last but that was effectively his first proper run of the season having come to grief on seasonal/chasing debut at Carlisle in November. He improved with his racing last season and I see no reason why he can't do the same again.