The Timeform TV Focus team pick out the best bets for the ITV racing on Saturday.
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Newbury
1.45 1 pt – 2 Spirit d’Aunou
Mr Hope Street, Mr Bramley, Rightsotom and Go To War are an in-form quartet and not easy to rule out with confidence, but their chance is there for all to see whereas there are reasons for believing that Spirit d’Aunou has better claims than his odds might suggest. He’s faced some tough tasks since an emphatic winner at Sandown just over a year ago and failed to beat a rival when attempting a repeat in the corresponding race earlier this month, but that was effectively his seasonal reappearance (fell early on his return) and it'll be no surprise if he’s a lot straighter for that. Not only that, but Spirit d’Aunou is now just 1 lb higher than for his latest win, he’s got a good-value conditional back in the saddle and is fitted with first-time cheekpieces in an attempt to sharpen him up. Finally, he gets another chance at 2½m, having shaped as though the trip would be beneficial on his final outing last season when a never-nearer fifth in a big field at Aintree.
2.20 1 pt – 3 Henry’s Friend
It’s been a great few days for Ben Pauling and Ben Jones and it can get better again with Henry’s Friend in the Mandarin. He enjoyed a good first season over fences, putting up his best effort when scrambling home in the Reynoldstown and, whilst that form is undoubtedly iffy by Grade 2 standards, Henry’s Friend proved himself on a fair mark when a good fifth in the Coral Cup over this C&D last month. This is almost certainly a handicap that’ll take less winning and, with a few potential pace-forcers in the field, the race should develop into a suitably good test for his stamina to shine through by the finish.
2.55 No Bet Advised
There have been some cracking clashes over the Christmas period and another beckons in the Challow, the unbeaten pair of The New Lion and Regent’s Stroll a couple of terrific prospects. Both have loads of potential, with Regent’s Stroll’s hurdling debut form having been given a healthy boost by the performance of Good And Clever in the Formby on Boxing Day. Whether there’s a need to have a bet in the race is a moot point, however, the market understandably taking no chances with either.
3.35 1 pt – 4 Inthewaterside
In truth, we were hoping for slightly longer odds about Inthewaterside on chasing debut – it’s a good-looking race of its type after all. But he’s such a lovely prospect for fences that we still have to side with him, especially as there’s a distinct possibility he’ll be able to grab an uncontested lead if he can get the first couple of fences right. Inthewaterside has the pedigree, racing style and, above all, the physique of a horse who can’t surely fail to make a better chaser than hurdler yet he’s shown more than enough over the smaller obstacles on his last two starts to believe he’s capable of defying a mark in the low 130s, leaving the impression the outing will have done him good when third behind Impose Toi here on his reappearance. He’s a cracking chasing prospect.
Leicester
1.25 1 pt – 2 Latenightrumble
This isn’t a bad race for the grade with a few open to improvement over fences but the lightly raced Latenightrumble looks the pick of them for both form and potential. He did well to edge out a well-backed one as the pair came clear when making a winning chasing debut at Wetherby earlier in the month, and a subsequent 6 lb rise might easily have been more. The manner of that win – he made smooth progress from behind before showing inexperience – plus his pedigree – he’s a half brother to the smart chaser Latenightpass – both suggest he’ll have even more to offer, and that should give him the edge over the likes of Superbolt, who is proving consistent but has less obvious potential, and Wild Side of Life, who’ll surely make a chaser but has been beaten at shortish odds on each of his last three outings.
3.10 1 pt – 4 High Treason
The likes of Hunter Legend and Invincible Nao are more solid options, but there’s a feeling that High Treason has untapped potential as a chaser and he’s worth chancing at bigger odds. He looked pretty cumbersome when down the field at Fontwell less than three weeks ago, but there’s a feeling but the tight turns of that figure-of-eight track didn’t really suit, and Leicester, with a couple of long, straight runs and a stiff finish, will give him more time to get organised. He’s now just 1 lb higher than when winning a handicap hurdle at Southwell in April, and his physique – he’s a strong, chasing type – really does suggest he should make the grade over fences. The Twiston-Davie yard, fresh from a Grade 1 win on Boxing Day, continues in very good form, and Jamie Brace takes over in the saddle claiming 7 lb.
Leopardstown
2.00 1 pt – 3 Bob Olinger
This isn’t a vintage Grade 1 by any means with six of the eight runners aged nine or ten and very much known quantities. Neither of the other two are massively appealing at the odds, either, so the obvious course of action is to keep things simple and side with the Timeform top rated Bob Olinger. He’s got ground to make up with Home By The Lee from their meeting at Navan in November, but a 5 lb pull in the weights should, in theory, put him ahead of that rival this time. The form of his win in last season’s Relkeel, as well as his subsequent seconds in the Irish Champion and Aintree Hurdles, are the best recent efforts on offer in this field, and while Bob Olinger is unproven over this far, the only two times he’s tried three miles came in a 2022/23 season when he just wasn’t in any form.
2.35 No bet advised
This is a fascinating race featuring another clash between the dominant staying chaser of recent seasons Galopin des Champs and the emerging force in the division Fact To File. It was the latter that came out on top when the pair met in the John Durkan last month, but returning to this trip will favour the former, who has arguably never been more impressive than when a wide-margin winner of this race last season. In truth, it’s difficult to split them with confidence, and, with nothing between them in the betting, this looks one to sit out.
You can access the TV Focus selections and rationale at 5pm the evening before racing for £7.50 on the Timeform website.
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