ITV Racing Tips for Saturday 30th December from Newbury, Taunton and Haydock
1:15 Newbury
The first of five live races on ITV from Newbury gets underway at 1:15. Six runners are set to go to post for this 2m handicap chase.
I’d expect MARTATOR (2/1) to be winning this for the Venetia Williams yard. The yard remains in red-hot form and this six-year old can give them another winner. He ran here at Newbury last time out over this course and distance and finished a clear second behind an unexposed sort from the Skelton yard. He is only up a 1lb for that and this race looks significantly weaker in my opinion. He was well-backed that day suggesting the yard think he is capable of winning under these conditions off this type of mark.
1:25 Haydock
We have one race live from Haydock and it is the 1:25, a handicap chase over an extended 3m4f.
The one for me here is FORTESCUE (5/1). He’s always looked like a stayer that should relish this type of test. Things haven’t gone to plan when tried at these extreme trips in the past but all four attempts were at a much higher level. This is his easiest assignment for a while. He made a pleasing comeback effort when finishing 4th behind runaway Welsh National winner Nassalam last time out. A repeat of that effort on ground he handles looks sure to see him bang there today.
1:50 Newbury
The 1:50 at Newbury is a handicap hurdle over the intermediate 2m4f trip.
I think GET A TONIC (2/1) will prove tough to beat here. She was a decent winner of a similar contest here at Newbury last time out and this race could set up just as well for her. She made all that day and stayed on strongly to win quite comfortably. She appears to be the obvious pace angle again in this race and if she can get into a similar jumping rhythm again today, I think she can defy the 8lb rise in the weights.
2:10 Taunton
The first of two live races at Taunton comes up at 2:10. This race is a listed mares novice hurdle over the extended 2 miles.
It’s QUEEN GAMBLE (10/11) for me here. She was a top bumper performer last season for Oliver Sherwood but things didn’t go to plan over hurdles when Sherwood sent her over them. She looked far from a natural. However, she’s always had a quality engine and since joining Harry Derham she is 2/2. She jumped a lot better at Kempton last time out and if she continues to improve in that department, I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes all the way to the top of the mares hurdle division in due time. She ought to be winning this race if that’s the case.
2:25 Newbury
It’s back to Newbury for the 2:25, a handicap chase over 3m2f.
It’s FANTASTIKAS (15/2) NAP I’ve landed on here. It’s only a matter of time until he wins off a mark like this surely. He finished a close second when last seen at Ludlow beaten less than a length off a 1lb lower mark and that was certainly a step in the right direction on previous form. He has won off marks as high as 140 in the past so this mark of 124 is well within his reach even if he has declined a little. He wasn’t even disgraced off 132 in the best renewal of the Ultima at Cheltenham earlier this year. He’s only 8 so there is plenty of hope that he can return to a decent level of form sooner rather than later.
2:45 Taunton
The 2:45 from Taunton is up next and it’s a handicap hurdle over 3m.
I think HURRICANE HARVEY (11/2) NB can defy top weight here. The favourite Game Winner needs to jump an awful lot better than here at Taunton last time out to be winning so he has to be taken on at the prices.
Hurricane Harvey will relish every yard of this 3 mile contest and comes here on the back of a really strong effort when 4th in a competitive handicap hurdle at Newbury. He’s dropped a further 1lb for that effort which seems really generous and if he can hold his place early on in the race, I think he’ll be staying on the strongest.
3:00 Newbury
The feature comes up at 3:00 and it looks a decent renewal of the Grade 1 Challow Novices Hurdle. Nine are get to run in this 2m4f race.
The one I’ve landed on is JOHNNYWHO (5/1) EW at the prices. He falls into the ‘could be anything’ category as he has looked a potential superstar when we’ve seen him on the racetrack. Albeit, he has only ran three times, one point, one bumper last year and a novice hurdle earlier in the season at Carlisle. He hasn’t come off the bridle yet and looks to have a serious engine. He appears to relish soft in the going description and he’ll get that today. He is proven over this trip as well. I think the front three in the market are all very good horses but at the prices available under these conditions, it’s Johnnywho who makes the most appeal.
3:35 Newbury
The finale is the 3:35, a handicap chase restricted to the novices over an extended 2m6f.
It’s HENRY’S FRIEND (12/1) EW for me here. He was well-backed on chase debut last time out at Doncaster where he jumped well in the main but never really got into the contest. He wasn’t beaten all that far at the line and it looked as though it was a learning experience that he’d improve for. This is also his second run after a wind operation so I’m hoping he can now kick on. He could be well-handicapped off this mark of 126 based on his past exploits over hurdles and he’ll do for me in a race where nothing stands out as being ahead of the handicapper.
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