Newbury Friday Preview - 24/11/21

The first runner of the afternoon is the Novices' Hurdle over 2m4 1/2f and the Paul Nicholls trained Stage Star looks tough to beat even under a penalty.

The €60,000 purchase as a three year old has been a bright spark for the yard to date, being a nice bumper horse winning on debut and then placing behind stablemate Knappers Hill twice, his last run at Aintree in the Grade Two bumper.

Sent hurdling this term he made his seasonal debut at Chepstow over 19.5 furlongs and he landed the contest by six lengths.

He has a penalty to contend with today but if improving for his debut run looks the one to beat.

Next up is the first Grade Two event of the afternoon with the Novices' Chase over 2m 3 1/2f and the Alex Hales Millers Bank looks to have a big chance.

Last season he contested the Welsh Champion hurdle on seasonal reappearance but was well beaten and finished well back in ninth. 

Dipping his toe into Listed company he again was well beaten back into eighth of nine runners, but then got off the mark with a handicap win in early January off a mark of 133. 

He’s since narrowly gone down in second in a jumpers bumper and recorded another impressive handicap win. Off a revised mark of 137 he beat useful hurdler Highway One O Two by 10 lengths. 

Quickly improving last term over hurdles he then put up a career best to finish a narrow third behind Abacadabras and Buzz in the Grade One Aintree Hurdle.

Making his seasonal debut off the back of a successful hurdles career, he went to Huntingdon over 2m4f and landed a Novices' Chase by 11 lengths.

He deserves his chance in this sphere and being the highest rated in the field he could go close.

The Class 3 Maiden over two miles sees the first siting of the expensive purchase Jonbon for JP McManus over hurdles.

The five year old was first seen in November 2020 winning a P2P at Dromahane by 15 lengths and was then bought for £570,000 and given to Nicky Henderson.

Being a full brother to the top class hurdler/chaser Douvan, he was expected to be a superstar and was given his rules debut in March at Newbury and was a facile winner of a bumper.

Bought to be better over obstacles he looks to have the world at his feet and he could be one of the most exciting horses in national hunt racing.

With no bet in the competitive Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, we move onto the Class 2 Handicap Chase over 2m4f and Fanion D'Estruval looks to be a graded horse in a handicap.

The six year old, although top weight, looks to be a class above this field, running valiant races last season in the Clarence House Chase, Game Spirit Chase and Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

This season the gelding made his seasonal debut at Aintree in the Grade Two Old Roan Chase over 2m4f finishing a close up fourth behind some nice runners and this event looks much easier.

Looks a good bit of placing.

The feature event of the day is the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle and we think the value comes from the Irish raider Mrs Milner for Paul Nolan.

The six year old mare has been this yards shining light getting better and better throughout the season which saw her finish the season landing the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival.

Looking to compete at a higher level this term over three miles, she made her seasonal debut at Limerick in a Listed event and she made a great start when winning nicely.

That would have set her up perfectly for this event, getting weight off the field on Friday and also having a more unexposed edge into the race.

The final selection of the afternoon for us comes in the three mile Class 2 Handicap Hurdle and One For You for Phillip Hobbs could be well in with the handicapper.

The six year old son of Yeats is still very unexposed over hurdles, having been seen over obstacles only six times during his career.

Needing the experiences last term he was finding his feet in his first three races, but at Ludlow in March when up in trip, he got off the mark for the first time.

Three weeks later on his final start of last term over 2m7f at Market Rasen he made it back to back successes, seeing off two nice horses.

With the handler now knowing his ideal trip of three miles, he made his seasonal debut in the Pertemps Qualifier at Newbury and he finished a close up third.

That form reads well and being a much fitter horse for this event, he is weighted to go close.