The ‘Newbury Handicap Hurdle’, better know as the Betfair Hurdle, is one of the last furiously competitive handicaps prior to the Cheltenham Festival, with Iberico Lord ending Nicky Henderson’s draught in the contest since My Tent Or Yours won it in 2013 as a novice, en-route to finishing second in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and second again in a further three Champion Hurdles. The bridesmaid the last day was L’Eau Du Sud for the Skelton’s, who was second in the County next time out prior to becoming Britain’s leading novice chaser – until Sir Gino knocked him off that perch.
Last Five Renewals
2024:
- Winner – Iberico Lord (6yo)
- Official rating – 134
- Cloth number – 9
- Weight – 11-8
- General track position throughout – Towards rear
- Season – 1st Cheltenham G3 Greatwood, 7th Ascot G3 Betfair Exchange Trophy – Season prior – 6th G2 Cheltenham Sharp Novices’, Fell Kempton Novices’ Hurdle, 1st Stratford Novices’ Hurdle, 2nd Sandown Champion Novices’ Final Handicap.
- Course form – Course debut
- Headgear – None.
2023:
- Winner – Aucunrisque (7yo)
- Official rating – 138
- Cloth number – 8
- Weight – 11-4
- General track position throughout – Made all
- Season – 1st Uttoxeter C3 Novices’ Chase 2nd Newbury Novices’ Handicap Chase, 2nd G2 Kempton Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase.
- Season prior – 1st Stratford NHF, 4th Cheltenham NHF, 3rd Cheltenham Listed NHF, 2nd Plumpton Novices’ Hurdle, 1st Plumpton Novices’ Hurdle, 1st Wincanton Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, 1st Kempton G2 Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle, 4th G1 Aintree Top Novices’ Hurdle, 1st Plumpton C2 Sussex Champion Hurdle.
- Course form – 2nd Novice Handicap Chase
- Headgear – None.
2022:
- Winner – Glory and Fortune (7yo)
- Official rating – 143
- Cloth number – 3
- Weight – 11-8
- General track position throughout – Held up
- Season – 1st Plumpton C3 Handicap Hurdle, 1st C2 Welsh Champion Hurdle, 6th G3 Greatwood, 4th Newbury C2 Handicap Hurdle, 2nd G1 Christmas Hurdle.
- Season prior – 8th Carlisle C3 Novices’ Handicap Chase, 4th Ayr C3 Novices’ Handicap Chase, 13th Betfair Hurdle, 2nd C3 Stratford Handicap Hurdle, 5th Scottish Champion Hurdle, 2nd Ludlow C3 Handicap Hurdle.
- Course form – 4th C2 Handicap Hurdle
- Headgear – Tongue Tie
2021:
- Winner – Soaring Glory (6yo)
- Official rating – 133
- Cloth number – 18
- Weight – 10-7
- General track position throughout – In touch with leaders
- Season – 1st Chepstow Novices’ Hurdle, 2nd Newbury Novices’ Hurdle, Fell Wetherby Novices’ Hurdle, 3rd Ascot G2 Kennel Gate Novices’ Hurdle.
- Season prior – 1st Warwick NHF, 1st Ascot NHF, 2nd Ascot Listed NHF
- Course form – 2nd Novices’ Hurdle
- Headgear – None
2020:
- Winner – Pic D’Orhy (5yo)
- Official rating – 146
- Cloth number – 2
- Weight – 11-5
- General track position throughout – Mid-division.
- Season – Fell Auteuil G1 Hurdle, 6th G3 Ascot Handicap Hurdle.
- Season prior – 10th G1 Triumph Hurdle.
- Course form – None. – Headgear – Tongue Tie.
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Notable Ten Year Trends
- The official ratings of the winner is between 146-132 (Last ten OR’s read 134, 138, 143, 133, 146, 141, 141, 135, 137, 132).
- 6yo’s 5/10
- 5yo’s 4/10
- 7yo 2/10
- Last ten SP’s read 11/2, 9/1, 20/1, 17/2, 33/1, 5/2, 8/1 3/1, 16/1, 20/1
- Weight gap: 11-8 > 10-7 – Highest cloth number was 3, lowest was 18, but generally speaking you’d prefer to be somewhere toward the middle.
- Novice hurdlers 6/10, but 0-3 the last three renewals.
- Two of the last three winners had previously ran over fences. – General track position can differ – little bias in that respect.
Leading Market Contenders
The G1 Christmas Hurdle has fared well as a prep for this in the past and that brings Burdett Road into contention as one of three around the general 12/1 mark. The former class flat racer has taken to hurdling with aplomb despite racing freely in his early days, but having returned this season as a much more settled model of a hurdler he’s taking his form to a new level having won the Greatwood and finished nine lengths behind Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle, with Lossiemouth six lengths ahead. He’d have finished a touch closer had he not made a mistake at the last, and a revised mark of 150 could still underestimate him. Top-weight would raise an eyebrow should he compete here however, and I just wonder whether connections will have one eye on the County Hurdle instead off this mark.
Last years’ Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle winner Golden Ace would be of major interest if dropping into handicap company for the first time, as she’s evidently chucked in off 144 on that Mares success with Brighterdayshead and Jade De Grugy both coming out and winning Grade One’s. She returned this season stepping up into open company against the geldings in the Howden Ascot Hurdle, beaten two lengths when not staying the extended 2m3f. It was a similar scenario when upped further in trip for the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham when beaten four lengths again by Lucky Place, despite going off the 5/2F. She evidently doesn’t stay behind an extended two miles in stronger company, and this drop back to two miles on a more speed favouring track could easily see her take this off a mark of 144.
Another mare in the form of Joyeuse could potentially have been well placed by last year’s winning connections, who’s been backed into a general 10/1. From the family of Epatante, the daughter of No Risk Of All made a winning debut over hurdles at Taunton last January with the front three all franking the form since. She lost little in defeat at Ascot in the competitive 15k Introductory Hurdle behind Celtic Dino, who was given a mark of 133 after being beaten eleven lengths in the Formby Novices’ Hurdle behind Potters’ Charm on Boxing Day, and the second, Wade Out, has franked the form when landing a Lingfield Novice next time out now rated 128. Joyeuse was given an opening mark of 119 when a 5/2F for a competitive Mares Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, and she might’ve well landed the odds had she found a gap earlier under Nico de Boinville. The winner was completing a six timer over hurdles despite going off a seemingly unfancied 10/1 shot for Gordon Elliott, and the third had previously ran creditably in the G1 Fighting Fifth after taking a Listed Mares Race at Wetherby. She finished between the right horses there, and a mark off 123 will likely underestimate this unexposed mare in time.
Bo Zenith is another in there for Nicky Henderson at a general 14/1. The Zarak gelding was a promising juvenile in 2023 having been beaten a short head in the G1 Aintree 4yo Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle, but clearly had a setback thereafter. He was a huge eye-catcher at Cheltenham in a competitive 0-140 won by the runaway leader Mirabad, having ran the last four furlongs quicker than any, with a standout 111.29% finishing speed with the second quickest in there at 107.98%. My interpretation of that would be the ability evidently still remains, and there was likely another target on the agenda. The obvious worry would be the bounce factor, but from a mark of 138 I couldn’t put many off him.
Arguably the most interesting runner is Brave Troop for Irish raider Charles Byrnes. Having failed to come closer than seventeen lengths in his qualifying runs over hurdles, he was a well backed winner at Thurles off a mark of 95 on handicap debut in November, and a subsequent 16lbs rise failed to stop him in his tracks at Navan when easily winning by four lengths. He was snapped up by Paul Byrne earlier this week, who rarely wastes his ammo on a well handicapped horse. It’ll be interesting to see what mark the British handicapper gives him as his revised mark of 125 in Ireland looks stiff enough given he’s gone up 30lbs in two rides for just a combined success of nine lengths, but there’s no telling to where his ceiling may lie.
Outsiders To Consider
Tellherthename ran an excellent race on reappearance to finish fourth in the G1 Fighting Fifth behind Sir Gino with the Skelton mare franking that form as we’ve touched on, and that will undoubtedly have brought him on for the season. He was only sent off 14/1 for the Supreme on his penultimate effort, weakening late on to be beaten fifteen lengths having set the race up for the closers on ground soft enough for him. However, his mark of 137 could still look lenient on his novice form given he was beaten a nose by Jango Baie on hurdles debut at Ascot with that one rated 146 in that sphere, and now 152 over fences. He went one better next time out when beaten Lucky Place some fourteen lengths who’s since climbed up to a mark of 153 having took G2 honours the last twice. At 25/1, he’d rate a solid contender at this stage.
Pembroke could be very interesting if getting into the race off a mark of 130 (shouldn’t be an issue). He’s similar to Aucunrisque and Glory In Fortune in regards to not quite shining over fences, and he had some smart novice form two seasons ago culminating in a ten length fifth to Inthepocket in the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree. He was sent off the 9/2F for the County Hurdle that year though lost all chance when belting two out, with his stablemate Faivoir taking the race instead. He managed to hit the frame in two G2 Novice Chases last winter, but the larger obstacles clearly went his game and he reappeared with an eye-catching ride in the Welsh Champion Hurdle in October to be beaten ten lengths by Lump Sum off top-weight. The form of that race has worked out very well, with the winner bettering that effort when second to Sir Gino in the Fighting Fifth, the second taking a 26k handicap at Haydock next time out, the third going one place better at Doncaster, the seventh bolting up at Newbury last time out, and even the 50L 10th was second next time out. The race favoured those to the fore, so we can marginally upgrade his effort in rear. He regressed the last twice when again held right up in rear around Carlisle and Doncaster off top-weight, though there was minor promise the last day as very little came from off the pace there and he wasn’t beaten all that far in 6th. We know Skelton can get these types back, and it would be some feat if he can pull it off, for all its not out of the realms of possibility given his back for and lowering mark.
Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Tips – Get This 25/1 Ryanair Chase Selection In The Book
With the New Year settling in and the festivities wandering into the shadows, it seems an appropriate time to recap where we stand on the Cheltenham ante-post journey thus far. Our first selection was The New Lion at 25/1 for the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle. The son of Kayf Tara was exceptional in the G1 Challow at Newbury…
Tue 07 Jan 2025Verdict – Golden Ace 10/1 1pt WIN + Pembroke 33/1 0.5pt WIN
I think this test is tailor made for GOLDEN ACE at this stage, and it’s worth noting she wasn’t seen until January last season so perhaps she’s just yet to come into herself. In both races this season she’s travelled well until the business end but she hasn’t quite yet got the further distance. It’s plausible to suggest that Brighterdaysahead wasn’t suited by a sedate gallop in the mares hurdle, but the fact she’s now rated 163 having won both the Morgiana and Neville Hotel Hurdle suggests Golden Ace is seriously thrown in off 144 regardless of whether she was favoured by how the race panned out last year. She’ll be suited by being covered up off a good gallop as while she does possess some extra stamina, her finishing kick will be her key tool in unlocking that deserved victory in the finish.
I’d also like to save on PEMBROKE for the aforementioned reasons, as is mark of 130 is surely going to be exploited at some stage this season. He’ll appreciate the move away from the top weight he’s carried in his last three runs, and the wide, galloping, flat track at Newbury can play into his strengths if they have him primed.
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