16:10 Newbury

Saturday 8 February 2025

All13:1513:5014:2515:0015:3516:1016:45

William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

Off time: 16:10 | Winning time: 6m 9.7s

Saint Davy²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 137| D

11/2

Made a promising start in this sphere when third at Sandown but held in third when fell 3 out in Towton Novices' Chase at Ffos Las (19.4f, heavy) 28 days ago. Worth another chance now going into handicaps.

Form: 9/116-3F

Pic Roc²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Ben Jones| T: B Pauling| OR: 135| BF

9/4

Useful winning hurdler who posted a promising second of 6 in handicap chase at Exeter (19.2f, heavy) 26 days ago. Open to more improvement now stepping up in trip. Considered.

Form: 2122-F2

Emailandy^t,p⁴⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Freddie Gingell⁽³⁾| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 133

20/1

Lost lots of ground at the start when pulled up in handicap hurdle at Kempton (21f, good to soft) 44 days ago. This useful winning hurdler is no forlorn hope now going chasing.

Form: 2319-0P

Toss Of A Coin^p1⁵¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 129| BF| C

7/1

Lightly-raced hurdles winner but he failed to build on his chasing debut Uttoxeter second when pulled up in handicap chase at Exeter (24.2f, soft) 51 days ago. Cheekpieces go on for first time and he's not one to be writing off.

Form: 1/114-2P

Lord Of Thunder^t²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Brendan Powell| T: J Tizzard| OR: 129

11/2

Progressive over hurdles last term and on the up in this sphere too, tongue tied when an excellent second in Towton Novices' Chase at Ffos Las (19.4f, heavy) 28 days ago. Not taken lightly back up in trip.

Form: 211-F42

Herakles Westwood²²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: James Bowen| T: W Greatrex| OR: 129| CD

2/1

Has taken really well to fences, scoring over C&D in December and in 6-runner handicap at Windsor (24.2f, good to soft) 22 days ago. Has to be taken seriously despite a 5 lb rise.

Form: 442-211

Non-Runners

Hillcrest²⁸

Weight: 11-8| Age: 10

T: H D Daly J: Sam Twiston-Davies

Menaggio⁴²

Weight: 11-5| Age: 6

T: A King J: Tom Cannon

Forecasts

Herakles Westwood (2/1), Pic Roc (9/4), Lord Of Thunder (11/2), Saint Davy (11/2), Toss Of A Coin (7/1), Menaggio (12/1), Hillcrest (14/1), Emailandy (20/1)

None of these can be ruled out but HERAKLES WESTWOOD still looks ahead of his mark despite going up 5 lb for his recent Windsor victory so gets the vote. Towton Chase runner-up Lord of Thunder heads the list of dangers, with Pic Roc and Toss of A Coin both with the potential to make a mark too.