Replay our Saturday racing blog as Total Recall won the Ladbrokes Trophy for Willie Mullins following a thrilling battle with Whisper at Newbury.
Ladbrokes Trophy day, Newbury
All times GMT
1536: And with the Ladbrokes Trophy and the Rehearsal Chase done and dusted for another year we'll bring a halt to today's blog. Thanks for joining us, stay tuned on the site for all the reports, reaction and free video replays following this afternoon's sport.
1530: Remarkable performance from Beware The Bear up at Newcastle to win the Rehearsal Chase. A slipped saddle gave Sean Bowen all sorts of problems but he galvanised Nicky Henderson's charge to record an unlikely victory over Bishop's Road and give the Lambourn trainer some consolation for narrowly missing out at Newbury.
1521: If you backed your each-way bets with Sky Bet, you'll want to know the 5th, 6th & 7th.
They were:
5th Pilgrims Bay
6th Missed Approach
7th Potters Legend
1514: Nicky Henderson rues that Kempton success for Whisper saying: "I shouldn't have got him that penalty at Kempton should I? Davy's given him a great ride. It was a great race."
It was a great race and Whisper looked the winner for most of the straight, trading at 1.12 on Betfair in the run. He's just, just, just reeled in by Total Recall in the dying strides to give Willie Mullins a first Ladbrokes Trophy in thrilling style.
Regal Encore was third at 66/1 and Braqueur D'or fourth at 33s.
1511: TOTAL RECALL wins the Ladbrokes Trophy in a thriller from Whisper!
1510: Total Recall and Whisper joining in three out!
1509: Coneygree drops back. Five to jump. Missed Approach leads from Potters Legend.
1508: Missed Approach jumps up to join Coneygree and Potters Legend in a prominent position.
1507: Royal Vacation gets reminders before fence number 10. Present Man jumps through to join Coneygree up front with a circuit to go.
1506: Present Man up there as well. Cogry sits just off the leaders. American nice position mid-division.
1505: Coneygree leads the way with Double Ross early doors.
1504: A bit of a delay as Present Man was reshod, but now THEY'RE OFF for the Ladbrokes Trophy.
1455: It's the big one next. The Ladbrokes Trophy is coming up and that bit of rain this afternoon sees American regain the market leader spot at 9/2.
Don't forget SKY BET are paying seven places on each-way bets (1/5 the odds)!
1435: Excellent ride from Alex Ferguson and it's gamble landed on High Bridge at Newbury. Available at 9/1 very early in the week he's gone off 9/4 favourite and seen it out in style.
Trainer Ben Pauling says: "Brilliant as there was no pace and I said to Al you might have to bob away. I was terrified he would be a sitting duck but it was bloody brilliant from Alex and I'm thrilled for him, John and the whole team.
"He'll stay every yard at two and he loves the ground. He could be quite useful, we might have to come out of handicaps."
1426: Meanwhile, who fancies a Discorama tonight? You will if you backed this 66/1 shot (ignore Dessie's commentary...)
1417: The handbrake doesn't come off as Buveur D'Air sluices up in the Fighting Fifth up at Newcastle. As easy as you like for the Champion Hurdler.
Sky Bet go 3/1 from 7/2 about Nicky Henderson's horse for the Champion Hurdle and spokesman Michael Shinners says: "Although he won as you would expect of a 1/6 shot the lack of opposition to the front two in the market means we shortened last year's Champion Hurdle winner as we await news of his next target."
1411: It's impossible not to love Bryony Frost's infectious enthusiasm for the game. After winning on Old Guard she tells Racing UK: "His nickname's Olly, he lives in the barn and he's just a dude. He's a massive part of the team and we all love him."
1403: PICK 7 UPDATE: 95,679 of you have played today's free-to-play £50,000 and good luck to each of the 11,000+ that are through following Old Guard's victory.
1357: Old Guard wins the races under Bryony Frost who makes it third time lucky for the afternoon. She was handy on the Paul Nicholls-trained horse throughout and it was a lovely ride off a sedate gallop.
Remiluc ran a cracker for Value Bet fans and he finished second, just ahead of Air Horse One.
The worst thing about it all is that Jeremy Kyle co-owns the winner. Let's look forward.
1345: Nice handicap hurdle coming up at Newbury and Alan King prefers Dino Velvet of his pair, saying he's better handicapped and will enjoy the trip.
Our Ben Linfoot fancies Remiluc at a price as the first of the day's Value Bets run.
Here he is in the parade ring (ah, we appear to have chopped Paul O'Brien's head off!):
1333: Nico de Boinville is delighted with that and he thinks Gold Present will easily get three miles. He also says of Coneygree's chances in the Ladbrokes Trophy:
"The rain's got in a bit and it's opened the ground up so it should suit him."
1331: One for Catching Pigeons and the Festive Fancies as Gold Present wins the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase cheekily in the end from Warriors Tale and Gentleman Jon. A loose horse hampered Warriors Tale a little in the finish but Nico de Boinville coolly delivers Gold Present on the line.
Nicky Henderson tells Racing UK: "Nico gave him a lovely ride as I think he had to take a little breather down the bottom. It was a good performance. I thought he was beaten but it was his first run of the year and he'll come on for it. He will get three miles."
1307: A winner at Bangor for our columnist Daryl Jacob aboard Uno Valoroso and he was hopeful of a couple of winners in Wales today. Click here for his full column.
1255: And it's Tizzard that wins the Ladbrokes John Francome Novices' Chase with Elegant Escape who leads from pillar to post under Harry Cobden. Fountains Windfall was still in there pitching when falling in the straight but it was too far out to know what would've happened, as Tizzard says...
"Jumping's the game, we don't know what would've happened," said Tizzard. "Black Corton put it up to him and he outstayed him, it was a lovely performance. He did look very well."
Tizzard hopes Elegant Escape is an RSA Chase horse and Sky Bet go 25/1 first show for that race.
1243: Lydia Hislop catches up with Colin Tizzard at Newbury on Racing UK and he reflects on Thistlecrack's return yesterday:
"When you reflect on what he's done the last 10 months it was perfectly acceptable. We were talking a good story weren't we, probably a bit too much. Until the second last it looked right, but I'm sure he blew up. Loads of horses improve for a run, it's a month away so I'm sure we'll be fine."
And on today's Ladbrokes Trophy hopeful Royal Vacation he says:
"He's had a prep race, been good since, his shins are fine now. It's a competitive race, but if he's bang on he has the form to run a big race."
Hmmm. I keep looking at that 10/1 available about Thistlecrack for the King George. I keep looking at it...
1223: Winning rider Richard Johnson tells Racing UK: "She won a bumper being ridden positive and she settled nicely down the back straight. You never quite know how they're going behind you, I kept squeezing and she jumped the last really well. She's obviously a very decent mare."
And on his Ladbrokes Trophy mount Missed Approach he says: "Warren was keen to get a run into him and for whatever reason he's never run well at Wetherby. They were pleased with him in his work the other day, the blinkers seem to have sharpened him up at home. Maybe he could've done with more rain."
Sky Bet go 12/1 first show about Dame Rose for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
1217: Well, well, well. Cap Soleil is beaten as she has no answer to a superb front-running performance from Dame Rose and Richard Johnson. Beaten over 11 lengths by Cap Soleil last time, an 8lb swing at the weights has helped her reverse that form emphatically. One for Richard Hobson and he looks delighted.
1207: WHAT A PICTURE
The latest photos from the Newbury parade ring...
1202: Right, almost ready at Newbury for the first of the day, the Ladbrokes Mares' Novices' Hurdle (Listed) at 12.10. Cap Soleil is a very hot favourite for Fergal O'Brien after an impressive win at this very track last time...
1200: Act Of Valour wins the first race of the day, the 11.55 juvenile hurdle up at Newcastle. One for Paul Nicholls and Sean Bowen.
1155: Don't forget to do your Sporting Life Pick 7 picks today. It's free-to-play, there's a £50,000 jackpot prize and all you have to do is find the seven winners of these races:
Leg 1 - 1350 Newbury
Leg 2 - 1410 Newcastle
Leg 3 - 1425 Newbury
Leg 4 - 1445 Newcastle
Leg 5 - 1500 Newbury
Leg 6 - 1520 Newcastle
Leg 7 - 1535 Newbury
Click here to log-in/register for today's Sporting Life Pick 7.
1128: What a wonderful horse he was. Imagine if Coneygree 'did a Denman' today.
1127: 10 (TEN YEARS) SINCE...
1115: AUDIO SCENE SETTER
Our Mike Vince catches up with Sky Bet's Michael Shinners to set the scene on Ladbrokes Trophy day at Newbury. Click here to listen to The Two Mikes.
1108: TIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH-TIP-A-DEE-DAY
Today's Tips:
Ben Linfoot, Value Bet:
REMILUC, 1.50 Newbury
A GENIE IN ABOTTLE & MISSED APPROACH, 3.00 Newbury
Simon Holt:
SINGLEFARMPAYMENT, 3.00 Newbury
BORIC, 3.20 Newcastle
Catching Pigeons:
GOLD PRESENT, 1.20 Newbury
WHISPER, 3.00 Newbury
Sky Bet Trader Tip:
JET SET, 12.40 Doncaster
Winning pointer Jet Set made an encouraging start to life under rules when finishing third in a hot Aintree bumper at the end of October. The front two in that race have since filled out the first two positions in a listed event at Cheltenham giving the form plenty of substance. The sixth place horse has also managed to win a Wetherby novice hurdle, so it’s likely Jet Set is well above average. He takes on the penalised Redemption Song with the step up in trip likely to suit, and is therefore a confident selection.
1100: THE MARKET MOVERS.
Jonjo O'Neill looks to be bouncing back to a bit of form after a Donny double yesterday and there's been some significant money for his Doesyourdogbite in the 1.50 Newbury today. This horse has shown absolutely zip, zilch, nothing on his last four starts, but he's now 2lb lower than the mark he won off in a good handicap at Kempton on Boxing Day and the drying ground will help him.
Meanwhile, Wakanda has been very well backed at Newcastle as he bids to win the Rehearsal Chase for the second time.
Newbury
1:20 - Gentleman Jon 16/1 into 9/1
1:50 - Doesyourdogbite 25/1 into 16/1
Newcastle
12:30 - Maxed Out King 7/1 into 9/2
1:40 - ACDC 4/1 into 9/4
3:20 - Wakanda 7/1 into 9/2
Doncaster
2:20 - General Mahler 16/1 into 10/1
2:55 - Brown Trix 8/1 into 11/2
1050: THE GROUND.
It's Good to Soft, Soft in places on the Newbury hurdles track and Good to Soft on the chase course after a dry night. It's dry and a bit warmer at 7 degrees after a couple of really cold days this week.
Up at Newcastle it's Soft, Heavy in places for the Rehearsal Chase card.
And if you want more than that, click here for all the latest ground updates.
1045: Good morning everyone and welcome to live coverage of Ladbrokes Trophy day, aka Hennessy day, as 21 horses do battle over 21 fences around Newbury. It's a different name but the same old special race and, as ever, it's an intriguing puzzle.
It's that time of year where we've got an AM start and there's just over an hour until things kick off up at Newcastle, so we'll get straight into the ground updates and market movers as we build up to the big one.