The Weekend Winners team are back with a look at a stellar day of racing at Newbury on Super Saturday – live on Sky Sports Racing – and a look ahead to the Cheltenham Festival.
Host Kate Tracey is joined by BetVictor’s Sam Boswell and Declan Rix of attheraces.com to pick out their best bets for this weekend and they also look ahead to the Cheltenham Festival with some ante-post angles.
The Betfair Hurdle sees 24 runners go to post and provides a stage for the likes of Ocastle Des Mottes and Iberico Lord to clinch Premier Handicap glory.
Declan Rix
“I’m going to go with the second favourite Altobelli. I do like him for the Harry Fry team and he’s been in good order this season, even last year he was considered good enough to go to Aintree and run in the Grade One. That was just too much for him but he looks more the finished article this season.
“I think on both runs at Ascot you can definitely upgrade the form because he had very wide trips in both races. Is he a bit of a claustrophobic horse that Jonny Burke needs to set up wide? I don’t know. The ground is going to be a lot softer for him at Newbury and that will really suit him. I think he’s a sporting play against the favourite, I’m just hoping that Willie [Mullins] doesn’t do me this week.”
Sam Boswell
“Willie Mullins’ record in this is questionable, it’s one of the only races he hasn’t won. Iberico Lord was the one I was willing to chance again after the Ascot run. There was a question mark about what happened that day. His Greatwood win was really taking and I felt he was going to have enough in hand to claim another one of these type of races and I have no doubt Nicky Henderson is throwing a few darts here, but this looks the best of his chances.
“I would be more worried about the Ascot run had there been more concern, but it happens with horses sometimes. He’s so young in his career and the ground won’t be a problem for him. If you were being really cheeky you could play it each way.”
Kate Tracey
“Spirit D’Aunou has won five of his last six and is now from five from seven in his career. His only defeat in his last six came in a four-year-old hurdle on his reappearance at Cheltenham. He was right back to it last time out posting a career best when he dotted up at Sandown on heavy ground. That time was four seconds quicker than the fighting fifth on the card. He comes here with a freshen up and he looks nicely saved for this race.”
The Denman Chase sees Shishkin return following his fall at the King George VI Chase at Kempton in December. He is joined in a five-strong line up by Protektorat.
Declan Rix
“Protektorat is the one I’m going to bet in the race. He’s been in good order this season, probably too fresh and too well in the Betfair Chase, then he ran a huge race in a good competitive Cheltenham Handicap off 165 carrying 12st.
“He ran very well against a rusty L’Homme Presse. With all that rain it’s going to make it more of a stamina test and slow down the speed of Shishkin. He’s a sporting play for a top team for a horse that’s versatile against the heavy favourite.
“I’ve never felt that soft and heavy ground has suited Shishkin and there’s maybe a bit of a mental fragility there with him. Will he jump off? How will his King George experience play on his mind? He was quite sore after his unseating as Nicky Henderson has said.”
Protektorat will rival Shishkin in the Denman Chase
Sam Boswell
“Shishkin has ran just the one time on heavy ground, it was the Novice Hurdle at Newbury and he beat Shakem Up’arry by 11 lengths. Watch the replay, he got through it fine. I know he’s an older horse now and he’ll have a preference for slightly better ground but his record on soft – I don’t know if that’s enough to put me off.
“My shortlist was two effectively, I thought Declan’s case was kind of where I came down. Regarding the other three in the race, Sam Brown is a lovely horse but he’s out of his depth here. Hitman, I’ve never really warmed to and that lack of consistency against two slightly classier animals at the head of the betting is going to find him out. The outsider of Does He Know I just couldn’t put on my radar. I think the class will come to the fore here and if Nicky Henderson is that worried about the ground, he’ll pull him out.
Kate Tracey
“Provided he doesn’t do anything silly, which isn’t a given with Shishkin as we know, if he jumps off and doesn’t trip over himself then he wins this quite nicely I think. I think he’s the classiest horse and all roads then lead to Cheltenham. Protektorat is running himself into form but I still think at their absolute peak, Shishkin is the classiest horse in the race.”
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