The pick of the prices at Newbury & Fairyhouse....

Friday, 1st December 2023

The pick of the prices at Newbury & Fairyhouse….

It’s one of them weekends….

…. when the weather threatens to turn out the lights on the racing….

They’ve already had snow up at Newcastle….

…. and the track undergoes inspection at 14.30 today….

Meanwhile racing goes ahead at Newbury this afternoon….

…. but temperatures could drop as low as -5C overnight….

…. and whether or not racing goes ahead tomorrow afternoon will depend on an inspection of the track at 07.30 tomorrow morning….

Like I said – it’s one of them weekends….

All I can do at this point is proceed as though the racing will take place as scheduled….

…. and prepare to be disappointed….

Let’s crack on with it….

• The big one….

First up it’s the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury (2.50) – where I’m throwing two darts at decent prices….

First up DUSART at the 20s….

He’s the only runner in the field not to have had a prep run leading into the race – and you might look on that as a negative….

…. but trainer Nicky Henderson has a good record in this prestige contest….

…. he’s 2-6-30 – since the turn of the century….

His participants aged between 6 & 9….

…. on marks higher than 150….

…. and making their seasonal reappearance….

…. have a race record that reads 2-3-8….

…. and that gives me total faith that Henderson will have Dusart spot-on for tomorrow’s job….

The 8yo is the price he is because last term went pear-shaped….

…. but Henderson has made positive noises in recent times….

…. and the horse was running a cracker under top weight in the Scottish Grand National in April – when brought down through no fault of his own….

He’s won at the track over hurdles, the ground is right, and I like the price….

My other selection is TWIG at the 20s….

He’s in deeper water than ever before and hasn’t hit the kind of RPR that most previous winners would have done coming into the race….

…. but I think he ran a cracker in adversity at Cheltenham in October….

He’s a flat-track horse who likes better ground than he got that afternoon….

…. but he still went up the hill to produce a career-best effort….

He runs off a mark just 3lbs higher – and he can improve again with that run under his belt….

• My other bets….

I’m backing THE BIG CHAP at 10s in the EasyFix Equine Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse (2.00)….

He’s had just three goes in chases – unseating in the first….

…. but he’s already proved 10lb better over fences than hurdles….

…. and there’s more to come off an opening mark of 134 over fences….

He logged a course and distance win in October – beating My Mate Mozzie 2-lengths in receipt of 7lb….

…. that one franked the form at Cheltenham….

…. and The Big Chap won again three weeks later at Galway….

He’s a decent jumper with a good attitude – battling hard in both completed chases to date….

He’s stepping up in levels but he’s in form, progressive, and enjoying the game….

NASSALAM was out of sorts hen stepped up to 3m at Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring….

…. but his seasonal return in the Grand Sefton was encouraging….

…. and a step back out of Open company into the calmer waters of tomorrow’s Peter O’ Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase at Newbury (12.30)….

…. might be what’s required to get back to winning ways….

…. and the blinkers are back on for the first time since he won at Fontwell in 2022….

He’s down to a mark of 141 – a pound over his hurdle mark….

…. and he’s surely better over fences….

…. he was considered good enough for a Coral Gold Cup entry….

I think he’s been given every chance of scoring tomorrow….

…. and I’m happy to swing the bat at the 9s….

Finally, two of the top four in the betting for the Coral Racing Club Handicap Hurdle at Newbury (1.40)….

…. have been off the track for 336 and 602 days respectively – on account of problems….

Nicky Henderson thinks a lot of Jet Powered….

…. Alan King thinks similarly well of North Lodge….

…. and the market likes them too….

 …. but will they be ready to rock and roll first-time-up? Who knows….

OFF TO A FLYER at the 9s could be the value play

…. he was progressive last term – signing off with a win at Ayr that’s been franked by the second and the third in the meantime….

…. you can forget his run at Cheltenham on seasonal debut – he was hampered by a faller at the second last and had no chance of recovery….

…. and he might just get a relatively easy time of it up front tomorrow afternoon….

• Finally….

That’s all for today….

I’ll be back next week….

Meantime – win, lose or draw – enjoy the racing….

Stay tuned….

Against the Crowd