We round up the notable horses among this week's entries, including Saturday's big meetings at Warwick and Kempton.
Thursday
Newcastle’s Flat card features a conditions race over a mile and a quarter with some smart older performers entered up. They include the John & Thady Gosden pair Harrovian and Forest of Dean who finished third and fifth respectively in a listed race at Lingfield in November which has thrown up some winners since. This looks a bit less competitive, though handicappers King of The South and Via Serendepity are talented all-weather performers, the latter shaping like the best horse at the weights when a close third in a useful contest at Wolverhampton on Boxing Day.
Catterick’s North Yorkshire Grand National will take some getting, though conditions will suit top-weight The Galloping Bear who might have made the frame in the Welsh National last time but for falling four out. Lower down the weights, Sam’s Adventure was another who failed to complete last time but attracted support at Haydock and has dropped a long way in the handicap since his last win in the 2021 Eider. Also proven over long distances is Eclair de Guye who made the frame in two other ‘Nationals’ last month, the London and Lincolnshire editions at Sandown and Market Rasen respectively.
Over in Ireland, Clonmel’s card includes the Munster Hurdle, a conditions event which looks a good opportunity for the ante-post favourite for the Betfair Hurdle, Gaelic Warrior, to follow up a very wide-margin win in a maiden at Tramore last month. He only just failed to land a gamble in last season’s Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival.
Friday
Some above-average juveniles look set to contest Huntingdon’s Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle. Perseus Way sets the standard judged on his third place in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow last time, though Samuel Spade and Chaos Control, who finished one-two on their hurdling debuts at Kempton the same day and Start In Front and Polyphonic, winners at Wetherby and Fontwell respectively just after Christmas, all have some potential.
For the second day running, Newcastle stage a good-quality conditions race, this one over a mile. Fox Tal has as much ability as any in this field but plenty of temperament to go with it, while a lengthy absence coupled with his best form being over further makes him look opposable here. More interesting are Excel Power and Intuitive who weren’t beaten far in a handicap at Wolverhampton last time.
Saturday - Warwick
The Classic Handicap Chase is the big betting race at Warwick, with thorough stayer Lord du Mesnil one who’ll be very well suited by all the rain this week. He’s kept good company for Richard Hobson since winning the Grand National Trial at Haydock in 2021 and shaped encouragingly with his sights lowered a bit at Bangor in November, without his usual headgear, when runner-up to subsequent Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos. He was reunited there with Paul O’Brien who struck up a good partnership with him earlier in his career so that would be an encouraging jockey booking.
Chris Honour has a couple of interesting entries in the lightly-weighted Tile Tapper, who would be trying a new trip here but saw out three miles well last time when chasing home Remastered at Kempton (where he also has an entry on Saturday), and Grumpy Charley who proved again that he goes well in the mud when winning the Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury with a strong staying performance two weeks ago. Other entries to note include Threeunderthrufive, successful in the novice chase on this card last year, Movethechains who was a well-held fifth in the Welsh National last time after an absence but still has potential and last season’s Welsh National winner Iwilldoit who has been sidelined since.
After Threeunderthrufive last year, Paul Nicholls has a couple of options in the Grade 2 Hampton Novices’ Chase, including Complete Unknown who made a winning debut over fences with some accurate jumping at Ffos Las last month and looks sure to improve, particularly coming back up in trip here. Galia des Liteaux is much better than her performance in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton last time would suggest, when her jumping let her down, while Gordon Elliott could make this more competitive if sending over either Minella Crooner or The Goffer who have options in Ireland too this weekend but would need respecting here.
The other Grade 2 on the card is the Leamington Novices’ Hurdle with plenty of promising sorts among the entries. Elliott has options here too, including Landrake who has won both his starts over hurdles in Ireland, while Knowsley Road, winner of both his hurdles at Chepstow this season, could represent Nicholls whose novice hurdlers have carried all before them in recent weeks. Ginny’s Destiny was a ready winner over course and distance for Tom Lacey in November and is interesting up in grade, while Grey Dawning landed a gamble in a handicap at Kempton on Boxing Day and continues to go the right way for Dan Skelton.
Saturday – Kempton
A competitive field looks assured for the Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle, with Outlaw Peter and Green Glory the pair vying for favouritism at this stage. The Nicholls-trained Outlaw Peter (also entered in the three-mile novice hurdle) was a course-and-distance winner last May and more recently outclassed his rivals in a novice at Exeter but looks only averagely treated for his handicap debut. Green Glory is no standout at the weights either, though he looks one to keep onside for Charles Byrnes after winning a novices’ handicap at Leopardstown last time.
Last season’s Challow runner-up West Balboa is one of the least exposed after just three runs for Dan Skelton and shaped encouragingly at Sandown last time, while among those who could be interesting at longer prices are Rathmacknee, a winner at Doncaster last time for Nicky Henderson, and Le Patron who shaped very well on his first start since joining Gary Moore from France when runner-up at Plumpton last month.
In contrast, there will only be a small turn-out for the Silviniaco Conti Chase but there’s not much between a few of these at the weights. However, this looks tailor-made for Pic d’Orhy who won the Pendil Novices’ Chase here last term and added to his fine strike-rate over fences for Nicholls when winning last month’s Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon, his enthusiasm and quick jumping seeing him to best advantage there and likely to serve him well again here. Paint The Dream, a winner at Newbury, has been found wanting outside of handicaps in the past while Coole Cody, who upset Saint Calvados in a match for the 1965 Chase at Ascot last time, could renew rivalry again.
Sunday
Punchestown hosts the best racing in Ireland this weekend with some promising types in both the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle and the Grade 3 Kildare Novice Chase. Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s horses are on a roll at the moment, and that could very well continue in the Moscow Flyer thanks to French import Impaire Et Passe whose reputation preceded him when hacking up on his debut for Willie Mullins against a big field of maidens at Naas just before Christmas, looking one to follow. Mullins has won the Moscow Flyer with the likes of Vautour, Douvan and Min in the past.
The Kildare Novice Chase has a fine roll of honour too, Bob Olinger and Envoi Allen being the last couple of winners and A Plus Tard a former runner-up, and there are several with the potential for better things over fences among this year’s entries. Gentlemansgame, who made a successful chasing debut at Leopardstown recently for Mouse Morris, Journey With Me, in the same Robcour colours, who won well at Naas last time for Henry de Bromhead, and Ha d’Or, an easy winner on his first start over fences at Fairyhouse for Mullins, all look above-average chasing recruits capable of winning a race such as this.
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