Dave Orton is in the Sky Sports Racing studio on Long Distance Hurdle day at Newbury and here he nominates a quintet of runners to note.
REGENTS STROLL
12.15 – Play Coral ‘Racing-Super-Series’ For Free ‘National Hunt’ Maiden Hurdle (Class 3) 2m ½f
The opening novices’ hurdle has been farmed by Nicky Henderson in the past decade, with big hitters such as Jonbon and Buveur D’Air among the septet of winners from Seven Barrows. Henderson relies on newcomer Ferando this year, who is bred to make his mark over jumps, but all eyes will instead be on the unbeaten Regents Stroll for Paul Nicholls.
Nicholls ended a run of sleepless nights when gathering his powerful stakeholders round to ensure the five-year-old went back to Ditcheat, having been part of former owner Chris Giles’s dispersal sale at the Goffs summer sale in July.
Watch every race of the Coral Gold Cup meeting from Newbury live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th November.
With a new price tag of £660,000 around his neck, Regents Stroll has plenty to live up to this term. However, building on last season’s bumper form, which included a penalised win over the course-and-distance, he ought to get new connections off to a winning start.
MISS ALTEA BLUE
1.20 – ‘Bet In-Race’ With Coral Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle (Listed) (Class 1) (3YO only) 2m ½f
Although still a maiden after four outings, this ex-French filly looks to have obvious claims of a winning start for her powerful new stable.
A closer inspection of the form of her two near misses at Auteuil strongly suggests she ought to be well up to this sort of standard. Her most recent second there in September, when resuming from a 105-day break, has been strongly advertised since with the third subsequently taking a Grade 2 back there this month.
Trainer Paul Nicholls wouldn’t be sending her straight into Listed company for her British debut unless he liked what he’d seen so far at home and it does look a soft enough juvenile contest for the class.
CAPTAIN TEAGUE
1.55 – Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) (Class 1) 2m 4f
Quickly moving on from the embarrassing walkover on his intended seasonal debut at Exeter earlier this month, it looks as though Captain Teague has found a decent spot in which to make a winning start to life as a chaser.
The race is essentially a re-run of last season’s Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at the course, when he had reopposing The Jukebox Man, Johnnywho and Massacio in behind. Granted, he ran a shocker when failing to confirm that form with the first two named in the Albert Bartlett next time at the Cheltenham Festival, but connections worked on his wind during the summer, and he’s certainly made to jump fences.
The former Irish point winner won’t mind what the ground rides like and a clear round should see him add to what looks like being a cracking day for trainer Paul Nicholls.
Galop De Chasse is another of David’s selections
GALOP DE CHASSE
2.30 – Coral ‘Daily Rewards Shaker’ Handicap Chase (Class 2) 2m 4f
The Venetia Williams team are on a real high after top-level success last weekend and Galop De Chasse can keep the ball rolling by taking out the Class 2 0-150 handicap chase.
This doesn’t look the most competitive affair for the grade, with five of his rivals having failed to complete last time out, and, although now 10lb higher than when scoring on his debut at Newbury in this month last year, there’s no doubt the eight-year-old is capable of taking higher rank this season.
He bumped into one on his comeback at Wetherby in October, finishing a clear second-best, and it’s fair to say the stable were yet to hit top gear at that time. Fully entitled to have come on for that outing, this surface should prove ideal, and he has the excellent Charlie Deutsch back in the saddle.
MADAKET
3.40 – Coral ‘Pipped-At-The-Post’ And Win Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) 3m
Few stables can claim to be in better nick right now than that of Philip Hobbs and Johnson White and the team from Somerset will rightly be hopeful of taking out the finale with the progressive Madeket.
It looked like a case of going to the well once too often as the six-year-old ran out of gas when signing off last season over course-and-distance in March. The time before he had bolted up at Wincanton, looking just the sort the yard has excelled with in the past, and providing that he’s summered well then bigger things really ought to await him this winter.
He’s versatile in regards to underfoot conditions and it should be remembered that he struck first time out last year too, so there’s a lot to like.
Watch every race of the Coral Gold Cup meeting from Newbury live on Sky Sports Racing on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th November.
