HEADS UP! LADBROKES TROPHY GETS BORICE’S VOTE: Daqman previews the weekend racing at Newbury. He finds a strong manoeuvre by Gordon Elliott, with Grand National hope Borice redirected to the Ladbrokes Trophy, and a typical plot by Nicky Henderson to capture race after race on his home track. That’s why he’s Champ!
NICKY PLOTS A CHAMPION DAY
⚠️ HEADS UP I headlined the choice for Gordon Elliott with Galway Plate winner Borice: the Ladbrokes Troytown or the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury on Saturday? Gordon’s decision, a wise one I think, was to swerve Chris’s Dream in the Troytown.
If he can win, or at least go well, on Saturday in the race that has Denman, Bobs Worth and Many Clouds on its recent roll of honour, Borice is likely to be aimed at the Aintree Grand National.
⚠️ HEADS UP Since Monday’s publication of my horses to follow (potential Fortune Cookies), Floressa has been chosen by Nicky Henderson as his sole representative in the Ladbrokes mares-novices hurdle which opens the Trophy-day card at his local track.
⚠️ HEADS UP Champ has been switched to Saturday’s Ladbrokes John Francome Novices’ Chase. Floressa and Champ look like a tricky-Nicky double, with Henderson having won with Champ in the fourth race of the card last year, the Ladbrokes Get Your £1 Free Bet Handicap Hurdle.
Did I say double? He’s got four of the seven front runners in the early market for that handicap hurdle to follow up the Champ victory last year and land himself a Saturday treble.
⚠️ HEADS UP Bang in the middle of all that, Henderson has Buveur d’Air odds-on favourite for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.
They say quality beats quantity. Henderson has both this weekend. He has 10 quoted probables on Friday and 14 on Saturday.
POSITIVE PROS FOR WETHERBY NAP
1.50 Wetherby Proschema was quite impressive last time out over course and distance and is taken to follow up under his penalty. It wasn’t just the fact that the Dan Skelton trained runner won by eight lengths – he also had the rest of the field well strung out and both the runner-up and third had won their previous starts, so the form has a solid look to it.
The race is dominated by last time out winners which should hold the market up well for the selection and the penalty factor is negated in as much as the top four are ALL running under penalties!
Ribble Valley was an easy Hexham winner on debut when landing odds of 2/7 but will find this much tougher, Sir Valentine won nicely at Newbury last time out which was a confidence booster after his debut fall at Chepstow and Multellie was a surprise 25/1 winner at Carlisle last time out.
It’s a decent contest, well above average for the course, but with the Skelton yard continuing in such good form the call has to be for Proschema.
2.20 Wetherby Ecu De La Noverie has been there or thereabouts in all five of his recent starts since winning at Newbury and he should appreciate this easier assignment today.
He started favourite at Kempton last time out and was a fairly decent third and I think the drop back in trip is a positive.
The Dr Richard Newland trained Dustin Des Mottes looks quite short in the BETDAQ market for a horse that has yet to win for the stable over a variety of trips.
A bigger danger may come form Hawk High on seasonal debut. He’s gone well fresh in the past.
6.10 Kempton Baadirr has the best form on offer here with his second at Newbury and now makes his nursery debut. He was only a modest runner-up at Southwell last time out but might well find the surface here more to his liking.
In any event I want to be against the Mark Johnston trained favourite Fuwayrit who was very disappointing on his nursery debut at Chester.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 10 points)
BET 6.4pts win (nap) PROSCHEMA (1.50 Wetherby)
BET 4.2pts win ECU DE LA NOVERIE (2.20 Wetherby)
BET 3.8pts win BAADIRR (6.10 Kempton)
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