Five promising horses for Newbury's Coral Gold Cup Meeting November 29-30

PERSONAL AMBITION 12.45 Newbury, Friday Nov 29

Timeform 162p

Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup meeting often offers a platform for some exciting up-and-comers to announce themselves and this year’s fixture looks no different. In the Coral Racing Club Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (12.45) on Friday keep an eye out for Ben Pauling’s PERSONAL AMBITION who could do some damage off a handicap rating of 131. Second in a two-runner race behind Lookaway on his chasing debut at Uttoxeter at the start of the month, the softer ground should be to his liking and Pauling said this of the five-year-old in his recent stable tour on these pages: “I was very pleased on the whole with his first effort over fences. Soft ground is key to him and with that in our favour I think he will be alright. He is probably not a Grade One horse as I think he is slightly short of that, but I think he'll win a Grade Two at some point. He is probably going to be at his best over two and a half miles.” Friday’s contest is over two miles, which looks the main concern, but a left-handed, galloping track like this could be ideal and he’s on the radar.

AMBIENTE AMIGO 13.20 Newbury, Friday Nov 29

Timeform 120P

Since September 22, James Owen has had 11 runners in juvenile hurdles and won with nine of them, while one of the vanquished was sent off at 1/4. To say he’s doing well with his juvenile team would be something of an understatement, with Cheltenham winner East India Dock and Wetherby winner Liam Swagger looking particularly impressive. You can add to that list AMBIENTE AMIGO, who was allotted a ‘large P’ by Timeform after her debut hurdles win at Newcastle on October 31, where she justified short odds despite leaving plenty to work on in the hurdling department. “Should make considerable progress from this bare form,” was the Timeform analyst's conclusion and we should hopefully see the evidence of that when she lines up in the Listed ‘Bet-In-Race’ With Coral Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle at Newbury on Friday (1.20).

JOHNNYWHO 13.55 Newbury, Friday Nov 29

Timeform 156P

Paul Nicholls has opted to run Captain Teague rather than Caldwell Potter in the usually-informative Coral John Francome Novices' Chase over 2m4f on Friday. The Grade 2 race has a rich history and was the launchpad for the Gold Cup-winning careers of Denman, Bobs Worth and Coneygree, and this year’s renewal has shaped up well. The Jukebox Man also makes an eagerly-awaited chasing debut, just like Captain Teague (walkover aside), but JOHNNYWHO is another promising horse who already has a chase win under his belt thanks to a very nice victory over 2m4f at Carlisle on October 24 when he tanked through the race before picking off Cherie D’Am and Bugise Seagull (reopposes) without coming off the bridle. Jonjo O’Neill's horse was eighth in last season's Albert Bartlett and three miles looks the future for this former point-to-point winner, but Carlisle showcased his gears and that experience could be a crucial factor in the Newbury heat.

THE NEW LION 13.15 Newbury, Saturday Nov 30

Timeform 148P

It says something for THE NEW LION’s reputation at home that Dan Skelton was talking of the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle for this horse before he’d even jumped a hurdle in public. In his Sporting Life stable tour published back in October he said: “He jumps well and has a great attitude, he probably won’t start until the Charlie Hall meeting at Wetherby. He could be a Challow Hurdle horse, but we have just got to let him creep up the ladder in those first couple of runs and hopefully he can do that." The New Lion didn’t start at Wetherby’s Charlie Hall meeting but he did run at Chepstow a few days before that, running out a tremendously smooth winner and such a performance should ensure he goes off short if turning up for the Coral “We’re Here For It” Novices’ Hurdle over 2m4f at Newbury on Saturday. A possible sighter for the Challow back at the same venue next month, it will be interesting to see how he gets on against whatever Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson run in the race, the pair having won seven of the last 10 renewals between them.

EXCELERO 14.25 Newbury, Saturday Nov 30

Timeform 152p

There should be more to come from Jane Williams’ EXCELERO if the four-year-old takes his chance in the Coral Racing Club Handicap Hurdle (the Gerry Feilden) on Saturday. He’ll have gone into a few notebooks when running well behind Sir Gino and Burdett Road at Cheltenham last season, a comfortable success coming at Market Rasen after that before he finished third in a Kempton novice on his last start back in May. He saddled a penalty at Kempton and took on his elders, but he settled better for experience and is worth noting for when he goes handicapping from a mark of 120. It can be tough for four-year-olds in their second season over hurdles, but that age group have a pretty good record in this race and this horse is one of several of that vintage (others include Liari and Salver) that could take a significant step forward here.

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