Newbury Super Saturday preview and tips from Sky Sports Racing's Alex Hammond

What was your personal highlight of the Dublin Racing Festival?

Can I say that it went ahead? Joking aside, we all saw the footage in the week, and it looked highly doubtful that Leopardstown would beat the weather but with plenty of hard work and fluid thinking, the meeting survived, which was great for all of us racing fans.

Aside from that, the performance that lit my touchpaper was the win of Fact To File in the Irish Gold Cup. He looked flawless in beating Gaelic Warrior and Galopin Des Champs who were left trailing in his wake. The performance reminded us of what he did in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham festival last March when he looked outstanding. That was a performance that earned him a rating of 172. He has festival form of course because he also has the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase on his CV having won that grade 1 back in 2024. His Cheltenham festival form stands up to the closest scrutiny having also finished second in the Champion Bumper on his first appearance at the meeting in 2023. He’s Sky Bet’s 7/2 favourite now to win the Gold Cup (he needs to be supplemented into the race as he doesn’t hold an entry) and the firm are offering non-runner no bet. He’s 4/5 favourite to win the Ryanair again!

Is there a horse to follow from the DRF meeting you think can win at Cheltenham next month?

Fact To File if he runs in the Ryanair Chase, and I’d also be keen on him if he takes the Gold Cup route instead. Away from that horse, his trainer Willie Mullins is now in top gear, and he will have enjoyed seeing Narciso Has win the grade 1 juvenile hurdle to harden his position at the top of the betting for the Triumph Hurdle. He’s now Sky Bet’s 11/10 favourite to win the opening race on Gold Cup day.

I wouldn’t be put off Marine Nationale in the Champion Chase either as he didn’t seem at ease on the very testing ground in the Dublin Chase on Sunday. He has an excellent record at the Festival with a win in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and last year’s Champion Chase and he’s now 2/1 second favourite behind his DRF conqueror Majborough for next month’s race.

How do you weigh up this weekend’s Denman Chase clash between Jango Baie and Haiti Couleurs?

I’m really looking forward to heading to Newbury for Super Saturday and hot on the heels of Gold Cup gauntlets being thrown down in Ireland, some of Britain’s leading hopes clash in the Grade 2 Denman Chase. Welsh National winner Haiti Couleurs brings all the stamina to the table and Jango Baie tries the three mile trip for just the second time having finished a close fourth in the King George on Boxing Day. He’s always threatened to stay well but he’s up against a horse who thrives in that particular arena.

This is no two horse race though with L’Homme Presse in the mix. He may be eleven years old now, but he ran a gallant race to finish runner up to Spillane’s Tower in the Cotswold Chase on Trials Day at Cheltenham two weeks ago. In doing so he ran better than many of trainer Venetia Williams’ horses have done in recent months. It’s not pleasant to see a leading trainer endure such a barren spell, so to see him run as well as he did was encouraging, although most of his stablemates haven’t followed that trend. Whilst most of the horses from that yard appear to be in the doldrums it’s impossible to side with him with any degree of confidence.

With both L’Homme Presse and Haiti Couleurs in the line up the field may be small but the pace is likely to be strong. That is going to stretch the elastic of Jango Baie to the limit, so he’s going to need to tap into those stamina reserves.

Track and trip will hold no fears for Leave Of Absence as he won a novice handicap chase here back in March and followed that up on his return from a summer break when beating Pied Piper over three miles one furlong at Cheltenham in novice company. His first run out of novice company came at Ascot just before Christmas when only just touched off in the Silver Cup Handicap Chase. Despite his trainer Anthony Honeyball enjoying a marvellous season (he’s on track to reach 50+ winners for the campaign which is a target he hasn’t hit before) this horse will need to continue to improve and needs underfoot conditions dry out, as soft ground isn’t his preferred surface.

My gut instinct tells me that Jango Baie, who is Sky Bet’s 5/4 favourite at the time of writing, is the class act in the race and if he has the stamina to go along with that class, he’ll take some beating, but Haiti Couleurs (13/8 second fav) looked superb at Chepstow and it’s wonderful to see him at Newbury having missed the Dublin Racing Festival due to travel issues caused by the wet weather. It should be an excellent race.

Where is the early value in Saturday’s William Hill Hurdle?

At last, I hope we can find something at a tempting price in this. Having mentioned trainer Anthony Honeyball, it was remiss to overlook Dance And Glance for the in form handler. He’s 14/1 with Sky Bet, so each way value if you’re so inclined. He’ll enjoy conditions. Another for the shortlist is The Hardest Geezer who has been quietly progressing for Philip Hobbs and Johnson White and he’s a 16/1 shot. He ran well at the Winter Million fixture at Windsor last month and there should be more to come. It’s a little way out from the race at the time of writing but that duo are worth keeping in mind come Saturday.

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