Andrew Asquith, John Ingles and Tony McFadden tackle the big questions ahead of Newbury's Super Saturday fixture.
Can you see anything beating Haiti Couleurs in the Denman Chase or Lulamba in the Game Spirit?
Andrew Asquith: I find it unlikely to be honest. Haiti Couleurs proved better than ever when carrying a big weight to victory in the Welsh National last time, and it wasn’t the slog it can be, either, run on ground Timeform described as good to firm. He’s been freshened up since and if he gets into a rhythm this bold-jumping sort will be hard to contain in the Denman Chase. Lulamba moves out of novice company for the first time in the Game Spirit, but it is a path Nicky Henderson has trodden with other exciting novices, Sprinter Sacre and Altior, in the past and he’s of a similar ilk in my opinion. He remains open to significant improvement as a chaser and he doesn’t face stern opposition.
John Ingles: Lulamba has easily the most potential in the Game Spirit field and Nicky Henderson has won this with novices before, namely Sprinter Sacre and Altior, so Lulamba will be in very good company if he can emulate those two which I think he will. On paper, Haiti Couleurs has less of a clear-cut chance up against L’Homme Presse who is actually top rated, but again Haiti Couleurs has the more potential of the pair and I’d be worried that this will come a bit soon for L’Homme Presse after he gave his all in the Cotswold Chase just two weeks ago.
Tony McFadden: I'd be stronger on the claims of Lulamba. He's taking on more experienced rivals in the Game Spirit Chase but they are largely smart handicappers, whereas he's potentially a top-notch performer. I'd still expect Haiti Couleurs to win the Denman Chase but his chief rival L'Homme Presse arrives on the back of a creditable second in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago and is unlikely to be easily brushed aside if able to replicate that sort of form after a quick turnaround.
Who's towards the top of your shortlist for the William Hill Hurdle?
AA: A couple of progressive types in Let It Rain and All In You head Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and they have the right sort of profile for a modern-day William Hill Hurdle. However, I still feel that Lanesborough is quite a way ahead of his mark, and he’s the one I want to be with. He was very impressive when beating a well-treated rival – who has franked the form since – on his return over this trip at Doncaster and, though he never went with the same fluency up in trip in the Lanzarote last time, I’m willing to forgive him that effort. The ground may have been a little quick for him that day, while all of his best form has come at left-handed, galloping tracks. Conditions look like they’ll be testing, which will suit him better and will also bring his proven stamina into play back at the minimum trip.
JI: Un Sens A La Vie faced a thankless task trying to give 6 lb to Old Park Star when runner-up to the Supreme favourite at Kempton two starts back so that makes him very interesting contesting his first handicap from a BHA mark of 130. He’s since made the most of a much easier task at Ludlow and remains totally unexposed, so his profile as a novice is similar to Ballyandy and Al Dancer who have won this for the Twiston-Davies stable in the past.
TM: Let It Rain caught the eye with how smoothly she made headway when third on her reappearance at Ascot in December, moving through that race like a well-handicapped mare. She was unable to fully sustain her effort and had to settle for a close-up third, but it's possible she needed the run on her first outing for more than a year and will progress with that under her belt. The form of that Ascot run was also given a boost when the first two home, Dance And Glance and All In You, filled the first two places, albeit in reverse order, at Sandown next time. They both run here but Let It Rain meets them on better terms and is open to improvement.
Is there anything else this weekend that catches your eye?
AA: I’m looking forward to seeing Chancellor back out in the listed Tandridge Stakes (19:30) at Southwell on Saturday. He’s a horse I’ve always thought has stacks of ability ever since his debut win at Doncaster and he’s proven that on the all-weather in recent months. He produced a smart effort when beating another exciting type – who has won since – in a handicap at Kempton in November, and he bettered that form in defeat in the Hyde Stakes at Kempton last time. Chancellor was only narrowly beaten by Holloway Boy on that occasion, but he conceded first run to some extent and was closing all the way to the line. That was his first try at a mile, so he’s totally unexposed at the trip, and could yet have even more to offer.
JI: Sober Glory and Kadastral are both exciting prospects with Cheltenham entries so it will be interesting to see how they match up again in the novice hurdle (13:00) at Newbury. Sober Glory beat Kadastral by 12 lengths when they met at Chepstow in the autumn, but there’s unlikely to be that much between them this time, particularly with Kadastral in receipt of 4 lb now. Both landed the odds with something in hand on their latest starts, but maybe Sober Glory, who won the valuable bumper on this card a year ago and has only been beaten once in six races, can come out on top again.
TM: Goshhowposh flopped on his only start over fences in October 2024 and hasn't been seen out since, but he's been given a chance by the handicapper and is able to run in the three-mile handicap hurdle (13:35) at Newbury off the same mark that he comfortably defied in a Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton a couple of seasons ago. He has a long layoff to overcome but has gone well fresh before and won his handicap hurdle debut at Exeter on his seasonal reappearance in 2023.
What's one Cheltenham Festival view you took away from the Dublin Racing Festival?
AA: That Doctor Steinberg should run in the Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle not the Albert Bartlett. He’s a horse who has plenty of natural speed, paired with stamina, and that’s the combination you need. He was very free in deep ground on Monday, but still found plenty to readily stretch away from his rivals from the final flight, and to me he has a bit too much class for the Albert Bartlett. Doctor Steinberg is rated only behind Old Park Star and Talk The Talk on Timeform ratings, who are currently favourite and second favourite for the Supreme, so for me the Turners is the obvious route for him.
JI: Neither the Champion Hurdle nor Gold Cup picture were any clearer afterwards, but Majborough’s performance in the Dublin Chase made me see him in a different light. Whether it was the cheekpieces or being allowed to make the running, or a combination of the two, his jumping was a lot better than it has been on occasions in the past. He’d need to prove that wasn’t a one-off at Cheltenham, of course, but he’d have to be taken more seriously for the Champion Chase after that.
TM: Talk The Talk is likely to pose a serious threat to Old Park Star in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. He may have won only narrowly but did well to reel in a couple of unexposed rivals who were much better placed when the steady tempo lifted. He'll need to improve again but won in the style of one likely to progress granted a stronger gallop. It's a bit of a shame connections seem set to go down the Supreme route and challenge Old Park Star, as I'd make Talk The Talk very much the one to beat in the Turners Novices' Hurdle.
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