2024 Newbury Betfair Hurdle Meeting Tips – DS
2024 Newbury Betfair Hurdle Meeting Tips
King Of Kingsfield, our 12/1 e/w NAP, ensured we avoided the blank on Sunday by finishing third. The ground was much softer than I had anticipated and that put paid to Echoes In Rain’s chances. Top Ville Ben ran well, just not well enough to land place money. The weather has played havoc with this weekend’s racing and Warwick has fallen victim. At least the 2024 Newbury Betfair Hurdle Meeting looks like going ahead, get Dave Stevos’ previews and tips below.
1.30 – Serial Winners Handicap Hurdle (Class 3)
The going at Newbury is now heavy so this 24f handicap hurdle could turn into a bit of a slog. Two horses have already pulled out so we are left with ten runners. The market leader is Kyntara. He won by 7L off 118 on his last heavy ground start and he pushed our selection J’Ai Froid all the way on soft at Warwick off 124 last time. He’s up another 4lbs to 128 and this consistent horse should be thereabouts again.
Picanha beat Kyntara by 0.75L in a maiden hurdle all the way back in 2021. He was getting 5lbs from that rival that day, he is in receipt of 11lbs here thanks to Finn Lambert’s 5lb claim. However, Richard Phillips’ inmate hasn’t been seen since winning a handicap off 122 on good ground in April 2022 and he might find this tough going on his first run for the guts of two years.
Old Boy
The only one in here at big odds that makes any sort of appeal is On The Blind Side. Trained by Nicky Henderson, this 12yo’s last win came over C&D off 137 in March of last year. That was on soft ground and it’ll be more testing today but he has won on heavy in the past.
The best of his two runs this season came on his return to action at Sandown (23.5f hvy). He made a bold bid off 140, getting tired late on but still nicking the place money in third. Last time at Plumpton (25f sft) he threw in a stinker but this track should suit him better and he has bounced back from poor efforts in the past.
His two previous hurdle runs at Newbury have yielded a win and a second so clearly, he likes it around here. James Bowen has yet to win on him but he has finished in the frame on three of the four occasions he has got the leg up on the son of Stowaway. On The Blind Side has form figures of 214P31 on heavy ground, at odds of 28/1 hopefully he can add another place to that sequence this afternoon.
2024 Newbury Betfair Hurdle Meeting Tip: On The Blind Side e/w @ 28/1 (4 places Hills)
2.05 – Denman Chase (Grade 2)
Only five run in this Grade 2, 24f chase but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. Shishkin, withdrawn from the Fighting Fifth on account of heavy ground at Sandown in December, is a pretty warm order here at 8/13.
He did win a novice hurdle on heavy back in 2020 but all his best form is on soft or quicker. It was good ground when he made his tired mistake at the last in the King George and those odds look a shade skinny for a horse that has refused to race and unseated on his two runs this season.
170 Horse
Protektorat is rated 8lbs inferior to the Henderson hotpot. I’m not too sure there is that much between them in terms of ability and the Skelton horse is more likely to run his race. On his day he is a 170 horse and he gave L’Homme Presse a proper race over what was probably an inadequate trip at Lingfield (22f sft) last time.
The worry with Protektorat is bottomless ground. He handles it (2nd twice over hurdles) but he is 0/2 on heavy and his best form is on soft. Hitman is an old favourite of mine but he has looked a shadow of himself this season. He had a wind op after a lifeless run at Aintree in October and he was beat 27L in the Paddy Power off 156 on his only run since. He’d probably prefer better ground too.
Sam Will Love The Ground
Does He Know would also like better ground than this so that leaves Sam Brown. Anthony Honeyball’s admirable 12yo got back to winning ways at Warwick (24f sft) last time out. He beat Aye Right by 2.5L off 147 and he is back to have another crack at this prize after pulling up in it last year.
Crucially, the ground was good for that renewal and today’s ground will suit him much better. The son of Black Sam Bellamy is 3/5 on heavy ground, including a 20f G2 Novice Chase at Haydock back in 2020.
With a rating of 152, Sam Brown has a fair bit to find with the top two on the figures. However, the ground could be a big leveller here and neither Shishkin nor Protektorat look bulletproof. I think he is definitely capable of finishing third and he’ll only need one of the two market leaders to misfire to get place money. So, at odds of 14/1, Sam Brown is worth chancing e/w for small stakes.
2024 Newbury Betfair Hurdle Meeting Tip: Sam Brown e/w @ 14/1
2.40 – Game Spirit Chase (Grade 2)
Another five runner affair. Edwardstone is 13/8 to get his first win since the 2022 Tingle Creek. He is 0/6 since then but if he can repeat the form he showed when 2.75L behind Jonbon on heavy ground at Sandown in this year’s Tingle Creek, he is going to be hard to beat.
Editeur Du Gite rates as the biggest danger on this ground. Boothill has been a non-runner on account of heavy ground in the past whereas Gary Moore’s charge has won and placed on this sort of surface. He won a handicap here on good ground in 2021 and he may be able to dominate in this small field.
Amarillo Sky is returning from a year off and he was 9l behind Editeur Du Gite on his last start at Cheltenham. Better ground would be preferable for him and, unusually for a Venetia Williams horse, the same sentiment applies to Funambule Sivola. Nothing appeals from an e/w perspective here so this is a no bet race.
2024 Newbury Betfair Hurdle Meeting Tip: No bet
3.15 – Betfair Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
We have already backed Norman Fletcher for this race. You can read why here. Hopefully he’ll be able to show what he can do on this ground but in case he doesn’t I am going to put up another one at big odds that should definitely handle the conditions.
The horse that fits the bill is last season’s Imperial Cup runner up, Knickerbockerglory. Trained by Dan Skelton, Tristan Durrell takes off a handy 3lbs so he is effectively racing off a mark of 134. Durrell was claiming 5lbs when he hacked up off 130 in a valuable handicap at Ascot back in November, his first run of the season.
Came Too Soon
His next run at Cheltenham probably came too soon, just 15 days after that Ascot win. He hasn’t been seen since but that has to rate as a positive. This front running son of Fame And Glory goes well fresh. He has career form figures of 411121 after absences of 50 days or more for Skelton and he was returning from a 108 day break when running so well in last year’s Imperial Cup (16f hvy).
His form figures on heavy read 122 and while he has never run at Newbury before, he has won and placed going left handed so he should be fine. He won’t get an easy lead here with Lookaway in the field but this ground will suit him better than most. At odds of 33/1, an each way interest on Knickerbockerglory is advised.
