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Free racing tips: Best bets for Newbury on Challow Hurdle day Wednesday December 29
Racing betting tips: Wednesday December 28
1pt win Dickie Diver in 2.00 Newbury at 11/1 (BetVictor, Coral, Ladbrokes)
2pts win Gericault Roque in 2.35 Newbury at 9/2 (General)
1pt win Fern Hill in 3.35 Newbury at 4/1 (General)
Pipe youngster on the rise
Few sports other than football enjoy as much television coverage as horse racing, and ITV4 will cover nine races from Newbury, Doncaster and Leopardstown on Wednesday, the Channel’s fourth broadcast since Christmas.
Newbury's chase course may not be too high in the affections of trainer David Pipe after Remastered's desperate late fall in last month's Ladbrokes Trophy but maybe GERICAULT ROQUE can offer some consolation in the Follow @mansionbetrace on Twitter Mandarin Handicap Chase.
I remember seeing this horse win at Plumpton and Sandown over hurdles, and a really taking individual he is too. But chasing was always going to be his game and, after finishing a staying-on third at Wetherby (2m3f) on his debut over the larger obstacles in October, he relished a step up in trip earlier in the month when just failing to reel in Pats Fancy over nearly three miles at Chepstow.
That form received a timely boost when Pats Fancy followed up over the same course and distance off a 10lb higher mark on Monday whereas Gericault Roque is just 4lb higher here.
On that basis and, with further improvement likely, he must have a very strong chance.
Fern to build on promising return
Another horse who looks likely to leave his hurdling form behind over fences is FERN HILL, who made an excellent reappearance at Uttoxeter earlier in the month when forcing the useful Come On Teddy to fight all the way to the line with the consistent Gustavian back in third and a massive gap to the fourth.
A reproduction of that form will surely see Ben Case's dual hurdles winner go close in the MansionBet Proud To Support British Racing Novices' Limited Handicap Chase over an extra two furlongs, a distance that should be well within his compass as he won over two-miles-and-five furlongs over hurdles at Wetherby last season.
The potential 'spoiler' in the field is Nicky Henderson's chasing debutant Patroclus who looked a nice prospect when winning novice hurdles at Exeter and Doncaster last season only to then flop in the EBF Final at Sandown where he raced keenly and was possibly too close to an overly-fast early pace.
However, he does need to improve to win here off 131 and from 3lb out of the handicap.
Take the plunge with tricky Henderson horse
Earlier, Henderson unleashes the lightly-raced DICKIE DIVER, along with stable companion Monte Cristo, in the Bank A Winner With MansionBet Handicap Hurdle.
The latter was unfortunate not to finish closer than 11th in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham in March when badly hampered by a faller but didn't really fire at Aintree subsequently and is still 9lb higher than when winning at Kempton a year ago.
In contrast to Monte Cristo, Dickie Diver is unexposed as he has clearly been difficult to train, but what we have seen of him has been mostly very promising, including a second to Lisnagar Oscar in a novice hurdle at Chepstow followed by a victory on the same course.
On the back of those two efforts, Dickie Diver ran in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the 2019 Festival and his fourth that day behind Minella Indo, Commander Of Fleet and Allaho (with Lisnagar Oscar fifth) certainly makes sweet reading now.
He ran just twice over fences last season, finishing second to Paint The Dream (now rated 151 and receiving 7lb) on this course and then never got in a blow, after a poor round of jumping, behind Monkfish, Fiddlerontheroof and The Big Breakaway back at Cheltenham.
When one considers the calibre of the opposition in those races, there is every possibility that Dickie Diver could be very well handicapped off 140 on this return to hurdling, albeit returning from another absence.
Published at 1555 GMT on 28/12/21
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