29th December Preview

After a very good and busy few days of high class action at both Kempton and Leopardstown, who conclude their Winter Festival, the racing on Saturday is more good and competitive without being high class.

The feature meeting is Newbury, who host the Challow Hurdle at 2.45. The two to focus on here are Taquin Du Seuil and Clondaw Kaempfer. The former i selected as a dark horse at the start of the season, and ran well in defeat behind My Tent Or Yours at Ascot, who we will touch on later. He then demolished a good field at Sandown upped in trip, something that always promised to bring out more in him. He has a huge chance. The big threat is Clondaw Kaempfer, a horse who has shown impressive acceleration in desperate ground on his last two starts, with a nice win last time at Haydock. He is potentially very smart, but I'll stick with Taquin Du Seuil at the relevant odds. Easter Day has a chance, and Ballybough Pat will be a better chaser, so whatever he does this year is a bonus.

The Novice chase at 1.35 looks a belter, with Bury Parade, Colour Squadron and Module all taking each other on. I really like Bury Parade as a horse, he is very tough and genuine, and is a recent purchase for Highclere and Paul Nicholls for 100,000gns. He will run very well. He does however have to give 7lbs to Module and Colour Squadron who are very good horses in their own right, a great race in prospect.

The Mandarin Handicap Chase at 2.10 looks very tricky. Pete The Feat is on a five timer, and has to figure on the shortlist, he must go well. AP McCoy rides the other Longsdon runner Rey Nacarado, who always runs well at this track, and with McCoy 4-11 for the yard, he could repeat his win in this from last year.

Another handicap, this time a hurdle at 3.15 could go the way of Bakbenscher, who is now 4-4 on heavy ground after a smooth success at Haydock recently, and comes here on a nice weight of 10st 6lbs as Any Given Day holds the weights down. Salubrious for Paul Nicholls is the danger.

My Tent Or Yours in the 3.50 is a very exciting horse and it'll great to see him out again. He should win but his price won't be value.

Doncaster:

The Novice Hurdle at 12.05 has 20 intended runners, and Red Devil Boys is the one I'm most interested in. He stumbled on the home turn here, before streaking clear for a facile victory in a bumper. This is his hurdles debut, and it won't be easy, but he looked above average that day. Oscar O'Scar is a horse to note after this as he is eligible for handicaps, and should be able to win a couple of those.

The solid option in the 2.25 has to be Corkage, a course specialist who ran very well here in a handicap chase last time, back hurdling and with his yard flying, he will run really well. Firebird Flyer is the danger after an easy Boxing Day win at Ffos Las.

The 2.55 sees Victor Dartnall have his first runner back since his yard illness with Richard's Sundance. Wherever he finishes, all concerned will just be happy to get a runner on track. As far as a winner goes, Fill The Power may be it, who ran a belter behind Wyck Hill at Wetherby, form that has been franked by the winner since. This is also his fourth chase start, so still has scope to improve.

Only one race of real note up at Kelso, if it goes ahead, and that's the 12.50, where Yurok takes on Red Rocco. I'll go for Yurok, a likeable, tough sort who won well at Wetherby last time out beating Aland Islands, himself a nice horse.

To Ireland and Leopardstown, the Istabraq Festival Hurdle at 2.00 the feature, where Hurricane Fly does look unbeatable. He is a very high class horse, a Champion hurdle winner for goodness sake, and has beaten his rivals here in the past, and on level weights, I see no reason why he won't score.

At Limerick, and a yard I follow Robert Tyner has his runners in fine form at present, and his best chances lie mainly with Oscars Business in the 3.20, a consistent and useful mare who should break her chasing duck. The other is Barnanely Beau in the 3.50, who may have a bit to find with the market principals on ratings, but loves the ground, and the yard are good with horses coming back from lay-offs.

Finally, just one from Wolverhampton, and Morna's Glory in the 5.10 for trainer Jason Ward and jockey Tony Hamilton. She has the best form in the book in a poor maiden, and if getting a position from her wide draw, should go very close.

I hope you have found this informative and useful, and any feedback can be entered in the box below or on twitter @willbowler2k12.

Good luck and Be Lucky,
Will