We are in for another weekend of top-level horse racing action from Newbury, Newcastle, and Fairyhouse.
To get the weekend off of a front foot, I have three selections to get us off to a winning start this week.
As well as my best horse racing bets, you can get the best online horse racing bookmaker to place your next winning bet.
Paul Nicholls wasted no time sending the four-year-old KALIF DU BERLAIS chasing, but it didn’t get off to the best of starts.
His only defeat over hurdles came at the hands of Sir Gino at Aintree, but before that, he beat Givemefive, who has since gone on to claim the Materson Hurdle at the Cheltenham October meeting.
His jumping on his chase debut was foot-perfect until he launched himself at the fourth last fence, where he jumped through the fence and took a heavy enough fall.
I’m sure he learnt a lot from that, and with that experience under his belt, he is the one horse in the race that comes in here with considerable potential.
Granted a clear run, I see him being hard to beat.
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This race has the makings of an above-average novice’s chase.
Last season’s Challow Hurdle winner, Captain Teague, comes in here on the back of a walkover at Exeter, while The Jokebox Man, the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle second, makes his chasing debut here.
So that leads me on to JOHNNYWHO, my selection for the John Francome Novice’s Chase.
Johnnywho ran to an above-average level over hurdles, which saw him finish two lengths off Captain Teague and a head behind The Jukebox Man in the Challow Hurdle.
That was a gruelling race, and it may have left its mark on Johnnywho, who didn’t reach that level for the remainder of the season.
It always looked like Johnnywho would improve for a fence, and it seems he has.
He was an impressive winner on his chase debut, where he cantered to victory at Carlise, and now looks set to surpass anything he has done over hurdles.
With that chase experience under his belt, which is a big plus when your two main rivals have yet to jump a fence in public, and now with the added bonus of the Jonjo O’Neills stable in flying form, Johnnywho looks a great bet at 4/1.
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As you would expect, with a 0-150 handicap chase, you can make a case for all runners, but the one who stands out at a price is SCARFACE.
He is a horse that has shown in the past the he needs two to three runs to get going, and his two runs already this season will have him cheery-ripe for today.
Scarface is back down to just two pounds higher than when easily beating Black Gerry in the Sussex Champion Chase.
That was his third win in four starts, so if he can recapture that form, he is weighted to go well here on a track that favours chasers who are up with the pace.
If he can get into a rhythm early on, he can be bang there at the finish with a winning chance.
🏇 Bet on Scarface each way with Betano 🏇
Andrew Halligan
My name is Andrew Halligan, horse racing pundit and founder of YouTube’s The Finishing Line Podcast. Horse racing is a thrilling spectacle that captivates audiences around the world with its blend of drama and excitement. Whether you’re a jumps or flat fan, I will use my experience of working within the horse racing industry to bring the best of what this sport has to offer.
You can follow Andrew on X (@Halligan88).
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