Betfair Hurdle shortlist after entries for Newbury handicap released
Ben Linfoot draws up a shortlist of interesting Betfair Hurdle candidates after the entries were released for the prestigious Newbury handicap hurdle on February 12.
Stage Star (Betfair odds, 7/1)
A fascinating entry and immediately installed as the joint 7/1 favourite by the sponsors, Paul Nicholls’ STAGE STAR brings Grade One form to the table having won the MansionBet Challow Hurdle at Newbury on December 29. That was his second win at the track having won a novice under a penalty at the venue a month previously and he could go into this unbeaten over hurdles with a Grade One in his back pocket off a handicap mark of 143. The question mark with him would be the trip, as he’s done all of his hurdling over distances around 2m4f, but his proven stamina could well be an asset and he has the course form, as well as the star quality, to play a leading role.
Knickerbocker Glory (Betfair odds, 14/1)
It’s never a bad idea to leave qualifying for the Betfair Hurdle as late as possible and we saw a couple of contenders win on their third hurdles start on Monday. First to throw his hat into the ring was Jpr One for Colin Tizzard, a five-year-old who skipped away with the 2m3f novice at Taunton and unsurprisingly he’s got an entry for the Newbury contest. However a more interesting candidate could be KNICKERBOCKERGLORY, who made all to win his maiden hurdle by 15 lengths in fine style for Dan Skelton and Chelsea Thoroughbreds half an hour later on the same card. The same connections had the 11/2 favourite for the Betfair Hurdle last year in Cadzand and though things didn’t work out for him at Newbury, it would be no surprise to see them have another market springer here. Skelton has yet to win the Betfair, but his record in valuable two-mile handicap hurdles stands up to close inspection so all three of his entries (the others being Elle Est Belle and Lucky One) demand attention.
Jetoile (Betfair odds, 14/1)
JETOILE went up 8lb to 133 after finishing second to Constitution Hill in Saturday’s Grade One Unibet Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown. That should ensure him a run in the Betfair Hurdle, firmly in the bottom half of the handicap, and he’s just the type of unexposed novice that has traditionally done well in this race in the past. Agrapart and Kalashnikov are two recent winners of the Betfair Hurdle that graduated from being beaten in the Tolworth and a big-field two-mile handicap hurdle could well play to the strengths of Ryan Potter’s horse. He stays further and usually front runs, but his chance will likely rest on how he reacts to taking a lead as it’ll be tough to dominate this race from the front end.
Sea Ducor (Betfair odds, 16/1)
Of the 39 entries just four are Irish-trained – cue a collective sigh of relief from the British training contingent. Arctic Warrior and Whiskey Sour are trained by Willie Mullins, but he’s yet to win this contest from 18 goes although he’s getting closer – his last two runners Bleu Et Rouge and Ciel De Neige both finished second. However, a bigger threat could come from County Kildare handler Arthur Moore who has entered up SEA DUCOR. On his second go over hurdles he beat Galopin Des Champs before he finished second to subsequent Grade One winner Master McShee in the big two-mile Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle at the 2020 Leopardstown Christmas Festival. He’s obviously had his issues as he’s run just the once over hurdles since – in the same Leopardstown race a year on where he was ninth – but he’s clearly got the tools for a race of this nature and his entry is an interesting one.
Rowland Ward (Betfair odds, 25/1)
Stuart Edmunds’ ROWLAND WARD has improved with racing and the six-year-old has already racked up 14 runs over hurdles. He wouldn’t be your typical Betfair Hurdle winner with a profile like that but he immediately strikes me as being underestimated at 33/1. A winner of the Pinsent Masons Handicap Hurdle over 21 rivals at Aintree’s Grand National meeting last spring, he clearly loves a big-field handicap on a flat track and he would’ve dotted up at Kempton on December 27 but for idling late on. He still won by a length from Kannapolis in the race Violet Dancer was second in before winning at Newbury and the handicapper, who now has him on 134, might not have caught up with him yet.
Royaume Uni (Betfair odds, 33/1)
I can’t draw up a list of Betfair Hurdle wannabes without coming up with a Gary Moore horse. A winner of the race three times in the past thanks to Heathcote, Wingman and Violet Dancer, he has a quartet of entries this time around and ROYAUME UNI hits the spot on the intrigue scale. Rated just 124, he’ll likely have to pick up a penalty just to have a chance of getting in but he is a possible to run at Kempton this weekend so that’s not out of the question. He’s taken his time to get to grips with hurdling but his best two runs have been his last two – and he was particularly eye-catching at Cheltenham last time out when short of room at a crucial stage. He wasn’t beaten far by one of the favourites for the Betfair Hurdle, Broomfield Burg, that day, and a real strong gallop over two miles could well bring out the best in him.
Full Betfair Hurdle Entries
Race Details for 15:35 THE BETFAIR HURDLE RACE (HANDICAP) (CLASS 1) (Grade 3) (GBB RACE) (30821), at NEWBURY on 12/02/2022
Song For Someone (GER) 7 Lady Gibbings Tom Symonds
Adagio (GER) 5 Bryan Drew and Friends / Prof. C.Tisdall David Pipe
Soaring Glory (IRE) 7 Mr P. Hickey Jonjo O'Neill
Tritonic (GB) 5 McNeill Family & Mr Ian Dale Alan King
Glory And Fortune (IRE) 7 Mr J. Hinds Tom Lacey
Stage Star (IRE) 6 Owners Group 044 Paul Nicholls
Metier (IRE) 6 Mr G. C. Stevens Harry Fry
I Like To Move It (GB) 5 Anne-Marie & Jamie Shepperd Nigel Twiston-Davies Onemorefortheroad (GB) 7 Rupert Dubai Racing Neil King
No Ordinary Joe (IRE) 6 Mr John P. McManus Nicky Henderson
Luttrell Lad (IRE) 6 Owners for Owners Luttrell Lad Philip Hobbs
Hudson de Grugy (FR) 5 Alan Jamieson Site Services Ltd Gary Moore
Knappers Hill (IRE) 6 Mr P K Barber and Mr P J Vogt Paul Nicholls
Boothill (IRE) 7 Brian & Sandy Lambert Harry Fry
Rowland Ward (GB) 6 Mr David Mitson Stuart Edmunds
Broomfield Burg (IRE) 6 Mr John P. McManus Nicky Henderson
Elle Est Belle (GB) 6 Mrs Suzanne Lawrence Dan Skelton
Jetoile (IRE) 7 Ms J. Bennett Ryan Potter
Lucky One (FR) 7 Sullivan Bloodstock & Hughes Crowley Dan Skelton
First Street (GB) 5 Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford Nicky Henderson
Hacker des Places (FR) 5 Owners Group 068 Paul Nicholls
Captain Morgs (IRE) 6 The Albatross Club Nicky Henderson
Earth Company (IRE) 6 Mr R. M. Penny Philip Hobbs
Datsalrightgino (GER) 6 The GD Partnership Jamie Snowden
Hystery Bere (FR) 5 Lady Gibbings Tom Symonds
Washington (GB) 6 Tim Syder Olly Murphy
Howdyalikemenow (IRE) 6 Vale Racing 1 Evan Williams
It's Good To Laugh (IRE) 5 Brian Verinder & Alan Baxter Jennie Candlish
Lord Baddesley (IRE) 7 Mr Richard & Mrs Carol Cheshire Chris Gordon
Royaume Uni (IRE) 5 Mrs E. Avery Gary Moore
Natural History (GB) 7 Hail Sargent Evans Gary Moore
JPR One (IRE) 5 Mr J. P. Romans Colin Tizzard
Knickerbockerglory (IRE) 6 Chelsea Thoroughbreds - Knickerbocker Dan Skelton
Fifty Ball (FR) 7 Mr Steven Packham Gary Moore
Arctic Warrior (GER) 6 Mr John P. McManus W. P. Mullins
Cask Mate (IRE) 9 High Spirits Racing Club Noel Meade
Sea Ducor (GB) 6 C. Jones A. L. T. Moore
Whiskey Sour (IRE) 9 Luke McMahon W. P. Mullins
Good Risk At All (FR) 6 Walters Plant Hire Ltd Sam Thomas