Top quality National Hunt action continues on Saturday on ITV Racing and our value tipster Matty Sutcliffe is back with his best bets for Newbury and Leicester.
1:45 Newbury Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-135) Mr Hope Street 10/3 1.5pt WIN
Mr Hope Street was the first of my GG Ten To Follow at the start of the season where I noted he’ll have at “least 20lbs in hand over hurdles for this season and that may even underestimate him”, and that’s certainly come to fruition.
Since stepping up beyond two miles, his form figures read 11211 and he was a comfortable winning over 2m5f at Warwick last time out, proving he has as much speed as stamina given he was a winner over three miles at Southwell on his penultimate effort.
I was of the opinion that he may be smart enough for one of the handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival (has had multiple Pertemps entries), and I’m still confident that’s the case thus he can improve beyond a mark of 124 here.
On that bare form he might have to improve again, but RPR’s are consistently on the up in each start and this galloping 2m4f at Newbury will suit this long striding son of Jet Away.
2:20 Newbury Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase (Gbb Race) (Class 2) (4yo+ 0-145) Henry’s Friend 11/2 1pt WIN
HENRY’S FRIEND should find this a touch easier than his respectable seven length fifth in the Coral Gold Cup over C&D last time out, particularly given the third has come out and won well since and the fourth is contesting the King George. He was briefly outpaced five out when losing his prominent pitch, but he was responding all the time to his riders urgings and stayed on well enough to think this 1lbs lower mark is workable.
He improved with his racing last season, landing the G2 Reynoldstown on his fourth start, and if Ben Jones can get him travelling sweeter towards the business end this time around then he’d have to have a strong chance of going close if replicating that last effort.
3:10 Leicester – Leicestershire Silver Fox Handicap Chase (Class 3) (4yo+ 0-125) Invincible Nao 1pt WIN
INVINCIBLE NAO made a promising seasonal debut over an inadequate 1m7f at Sandown earlier this month, and that should’ve put him spot on for this second start. It was a similar case last seasonal when beaten eleven lengths at Newbury on seasonal return before bolting up at Fakenham to see off a next time out winner, and his second in a G3 Sandown Novices’ Chase next time out reads strongly in the context of this race. He was half a length behind Scarface who won next time out and began this season off an 8lbs higher mark (third in G2 company at Cheltenham next time out), the mare in third has won twice since and now rated 15lbs higher, the fourth won well last time out and is 5lbs higher, and the fifth won next time out, peaking at 8lbs higher since.
His form around undulating tracks such as Fontwell, Lingfield and Fakenham bodes well for this course debut at Leicester, and he’s back on that mark of 117 he was just touched off from at Sandown. The return to this more suitable trip can see him go close.
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