2025 Newcastle & Newbury Saturday Preview

Court Compliance was friendless in the betting but just missed out on the win at Punchestown on Sunday. Sarah Beara missed a place in fourth and Lecky Watson was one of four Mullins’ non-triers in the John Durkan. We have Grade 1 action to get stuck into tomorrow with the Fighting Fifth, our 2025 Newcastle & Newbury Saturday preview is below.

1.40 Newbury – Coral Bet Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)

The ground at Newbury is currently soft on the hurdles course and with showers forecast for Saturday morning, there should be plenty of cut. The horse I like here at a decent price is the Emma Lavelle trained Royal Rambler.

By Walk In The Park, this gelding finished off last season with a maiden hurdle success at Chepstow (19.5f, soft) and a fine second in a novice hurdle at Uttoxeter (2m4f, gd-sft) and it is the form of the latter race that makes him of interest here.

Solid Form

At Uttoxeter, Royal Rambler was beaten by 0.75l by The Jukebox Kid, to whom he was conceding 6lb. He reappeared at Carlisle earlier this month and hacked up in a novice handicap chase by 4l off 122. The third, 14l behind Royal Rambler, bolted up in a Bangor novice hurdle next time out. The fifth, Lieutenant Mayne, has won twice since and is now rated 133.

Given all that, it was disappointing that Emma Lavelle’s charge could only manage a 15.5l fifth on his seasonal return at Cheltenham but it was his first handicap and he may have needed the run. It is too soon to write this horse off and with that run under his belt, hopefully he’ll take a big step forward and makes his presence felt here at odds of 14/1.  

2025 Newcastle & Newbury Saturday Tip: Royal Rambler e/w @ 14/1 (4 places) NAP

2.00 Newcastle – Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Grade 1)

Not a betting heat for us but an intriguing race nonetheless. We have the new pretenders in the form of Anzadam and The New Lion, though whether 2m will suit the latter horse is debateable.

We also have the mercurial Constitution Hill, bitterly disappointing on his last three runs of 2025 and last but not least, we have the 2025 Champion Hurdler Golden Ace, who has been totally dismissed by the bookies (again).

Who do I think wins? I’m not sure, to be honest. The New Lion (2/1) is obviously enormously talented but this trip is a worry. Constitution Hill (15/8) is Constitution Hill. Anzadam (9/4) has yet to run on ground this quick and, like his main market rivals, is lacking a recent run.

That leaves us with Golden Ace at 28/1. Jeremy Scott’s stable star had a run four weeks ago, after which she scoped dirty, so she is going to come on massively for that. She beat Constitution Hill by over 20 lengths at Punchestown in May and she won the Champion Hurdle in March.

I said earlier this wasn’t a betting heat but I am after talking myself into backing Golden Ace. 28/1 is just too tempting to turn down and she owes us nothing in any case as we backed her to win the mares’ novice at Cheltenham in 2024 at decent odds. Hopefully she runs her race and if one or two of the others falter, you never know…  

2025 Newcastle & Newbury Saturday Tip: Golden Ace e/w @ 28/1

2.15 Newbury – Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (premier)

When I tipped him up at huge odds for the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2023  (just missed a place in fifth of course!), I wasn’t expecting Hot Fuss to become a more than decent hurdler. However, that is what has transpired and he might be worth chancing here at odds of 12/1.

Tom Dascombe’s charge ran a blinder in the Fred Winter in March off a mark of 122 and he is just 2lb higher here. He has run twice on the Flat since then, at Chester in May and then in the November Handicap three weeks ago, a run that should have advanced his fitness ahead of a return to this sphere.

The cheekpieces he wore for his sole success from four goes over timber return and the forecast rain is in his favour too. David Bass, who rode at Cheltenham, is back on board and at the prices, Hot Fuss has to be worth chancing each way.

2025 Newcastle & Newbury Saturday Tip: Hot Fuss e/w @ 12/1 NB

2.55 Newbury – Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier)

Myretown, who landed a monster gamble in emphatic style at Cheltenham when last seen in March, is 5/1 to complete the hat-trick. He’s 15lb higher now so he’ll need a big career best but you couldn’t discount him such was the dominant manner of his Festival success.

To be honest, this is a really tough race to weigh up. It is hard to argue that any of the ten Irish raiders are well handicapped and in any case, the home team has taken the prize for the last seven years. The one I finally came down on was the Venetia Williams trained 7yo, Victtorino.

He started off last season with a fine run to finish a 5.25l fourth in this race off 143. He then won two in a row at Ascot, off 143 and then off 146, and he pitches up here off 147, so he is not handicapped out of this.

His form did tail off at the backend of last season, as it did the season before, so this might be the time of year to catch him. He won first time out in 2023, he ran a blinder in this last year on his seasonal reappearance and as an added bonus, Venetia Williams landed a welcome winner at Uttoxeter earlier this week. Hopefully he’s fit and ready to rock and if he is, Vicctorino can outrun his odds of 14/1.

2025 Newcastle & Newbury Saturday Tip: Vicctorino e/w @ 14/1 (6 places)

Nothing really jumped off the page in the last two live races so we’ll swerve them. I’ll be back with another preview for a cracking card at Fairyhouse on Sunday, that will be posted on the TXMarkets blog before 4pm on Saturday.

-DaveStevos