Newmarket and Cheltenham Tips by Dave Stevos
Newmarket and Cheltenham Tips and Preview
We managed to save some face last weekend at Aintree with a couple of nice places. We got off to a poor start with One Night In Milan who clearly badly needed the run. Straw Fan Jack ran much better than the distance he was beaten suggests, he just faded in the closing stages. Décor Irlandais ran a cracker to land e/w bets in 4th, returning at 50/1. Calipso Collonges also ran a grand race to grab place money at 22/1 in 4th. We have a mixed card on Wednesday with jumps action from Cheltenham and flat racing from Newmarket. Check out Dave Stevos’ Newmarket and Cheltenham tips below…
1.50 Newmarket – Bet365 Handicap (Class 2)
A tricky looking 6f handicap kicks off the live racing action from Newmarket on ITV4 on Wednesday. A field of 11 sprinters are due to go to post and at a decent each way price, Concierge looks an interesting contender for Michael Attwater and Andrea Atzeni. This 5yo son of Society Rock won’t lack for race sharpness. He has already had three all weather runs this year. His first two efforts looked like they were badly needed. However, he showed definite signs he was coming back to form at Wolverhampton last time.
Concierge was drawn 6 of 7 that day and William Carson dropped him out. He was out the back as they turned for home but he kept on very pleasingly in the closing stages to get up for 4th. Attwater’s charge was beat 4L for the win but considering the way the race unfolded, it was a solid effort. This fella has won four races on the turf and his last triumph came off a mark of 86 on soft ground at Bath (5f).
However, the best of his turf form has come on better ground. Three of his four turf wins came on good or quicker from 5f to 7f. He was beat just 0.75L by Tone The Barone at Ascot on his last turf start (5f gd) off a mark of 90. Tone The Barone was in off 88 with a claimer taking off 5lb and he is now rated 100. He ran poorly on his only previous try over today’s C&D but that was off 97. He should be much more competitive off today’s rating of 86. At odds of 16/1, Concierge is the e/w pick.
Newmarket and Cheltenham Tips: Concierge e/w @ 16/1 (4 places W Hill)
2.05 Cheltenham – Silver Trophy Handicap Chase (Grade 2)
Nine are due to go to post for this 20.5f Grade 2 handicap chase and it is wide open. Now that he is back on good ground, Up The Straight could be worth backing for James Davies and Richard Rowe. This horse was well backed the last day when running a blinder at Sandown. The ground was plenty soft for him and I think he’ll be better back on a sounder surface. His last run on good ground came over hurdles at this track (21f). He ran a massive race to finish 3rd off 135, beat 2.75L for the win.
The handicapper rather cruelly raised him 4lb for his last run at Sandown. He was beaten over 6L and to get such a big rise is not ideal. However, he may well still have some wriggle room off that rating. He was only 3.5L behind Umbrigado off level weights in a Fontwell Novice Chase earlier this term. That horse went on to land the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury off 144.
Up The Straight has had just three runs under rules on ground with good in the description. His Cheltenham 3rd over hurdles, his novice hurdle win at Kempton and a Listed 3rd behind Shishkin at Huntingdon. He is still only a 7yo so he could easily have a lot more improvement in him on this type of ground and at odds of 15/2 he is worth chancing each way.
Newmarket and Cheltenham Tips: Up The Straight e/w @ 15/2 NAP
2.25 Newmarket – European Free Handicap (Listed)
The first pattern race of the day at Newmarket is the 7f Free Handicap. Just the seven 3yos will battle it out for black type and Naval Crown heads the market for Appleby and Buick. He is having his first run in the UK after his brief spell in Dubai. He had two runs at Meydan in February and he won the second one, beating Master Of The Seas in a Listed heat (8f gd). The son of Dubawi is well suited by good ground but he will need to show he is capable in handicap company off his mark of 108.
Ontario is rated 1lb higher for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. O’Brien has started the season very strongly in Ireland but his two runners here yesterday were bitterly disappointing. This son of Galileo has rock solid group form in the book, including in a G3 over 8f here when a close 2nd to New Mandate. Like Naval Crown he has to carry a lot of weight though and the performances put up by both of O’Brien’s horses on Wednesday temper enthusiasm.
Percy Interesting Off Bottom Weight
At the other end of the handicap, Percy’s Lad is a fascinating contender for Johnson-Houghton and Bishop. This son of Sir Percy won his first two starts on good ground last season over 8f and 8.5f. He signed off with a super effort in a Listed heat at Newbury (7f hvy). That run earned him an official rating of 100 and there could be a lot more to come from this talented colt.
This fella can be quite keen in his races and he pulled hard when winning on his second start. Connections decided to let him bowl along in front at Newbury and the decision almost paid dividends. I hope that he doesn’t have to lead today and that Bishop can settle him just off the pace. The faster they go early, the better it should suit this horse and with Naval Crown in the field it should be a strongly run race. The top two may struggle to concede 8lbs and 9lbs respectively to Percy’s Lad and even with just 2 places on offer, he is worth backing e/w at odds of 13/2.
Newmarket and Cheltenham Tips: Percy’s Lad e/w @ 13/2
2.40 Cheltenham – Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
The one I am interested in here off a mark of 140 is Pileon for Hobbs and O’Brien. Those two teamed up brilliantly with Thyme Hill at the weekend and this horse could give them even more to be happy about. It is fair to say that this season has not gone to plan for the son of Yeats. His chasing career was aborted after a couple of terrible efforts at Cheltenham and Ludlow. He just didn’t take to the bigger obstacles and returning to hurdles was the right move.
He made his comeback over timber back in February when he was pulled up at Ascot (19.5f sft). That made it two non-completions in a row but I am hoping that the return to this C&D sparks a return to form. Pileon was beat by a short head in the Martin Pipe at the 2020 festival and he was due to run there last month. However, he was scratched from the race late on and he now takes his chance in this lesser race off just 2lb higher than when beaten narrowly in 2020.
His last hurdle start on good ground saw him finish 4L behind Chantry House at Cheltenham in December 2019 and his bumper win came on good to soft so conditions today should be fine for him. Given his last two poor runs he isn’t one for maximum stakes. However, if he is going to bounce back it will most likely be at this track and at odds of 12/1 a very small e/w interest is advised.
Newmarket and Cheltenham Tips: Pileon e/w @ 12/1 (4 places multiple firms)
3.00 Newmarket – Earl Of Sefton Stakes (Group 3)
Just six horses will line up in the stalls for this 9f Group 3 for older horses. Globetrotting Global Giant is a short price to follow up his easy Kempton Listed win for Gosden and Frankie. He has a race fitness edge on his rivals and his Bahrain Trophy 2nd proved he is effective on turf as well as on the all-weather. The 6yo son of Shamardal looks to be getting better with age and he is definitely the one to beat.
On ratings San Donato looks the biggest threat and if he is on a going day he would be a big danger. The likes of My Oberon, Marie’s Diamond, Forest Of Dean and Sold Stone all need to find a big jolt of improvement to trouble the top rated horses. With just 2 places on offer, I’ll be sitting this one out. No bet.
Newmarket and Cheltenham Tips: No Bet
3.35 Newmarket – Nell Gwyn Stakes (Group 3)
This year’s Nell Gwyn is a cracking race and a field of 11 will go to post. The one I am interested in at a tasty e/w price is Mamba Wamba for Trotter Nicholls and Tony Hamilton. This daughter of Mehmas was a flagbearer for Nicholls last season. She was ultra consistent in her eight 2yo runs. Th only time she finished out of the first 4 was when running a blinder in the G2 Queen Mary at Ascot on just her second start. Since then her form has been on an upward curve and she finished off with a super effort over C&D when 4th, beat just over 2L, behind Saffron Beach on soft ground.
This filly handles cut but I think good ground brings out the best in her. It was that type of a surface when she gained her sole win, an easy 2L novice win at York (5.5f gd). It was good ground when she ran at Ascot too and she was doing her best work at the finish in that 5f sprint. Saffron Beach re-opposes here and I think Mamba Wamba could get much closer to her this time.
The Chapple Hyam horse got a lovely tow into that race whereas Mamba Wamba was out wide with no cover. Granted a better trip and on this nicer ground, the Nicholls horse could well turn that form around. Her yard’s last runner was a winner at Leicester and Tony Hamilton rode. He gets the leg up on this filly for the first time and hopefully he can get another one on the board today. With 4 places on offer from Skybet, Mamba Wamba is the each way pick.
