Ruby Walsh
15:05 Newbury – Langer Dan
Frank Hickey
13:55 Newbury – Captain Teague
14:30 Newbury – Galop De Chasse
15:05 Newbury – Strong Leader
15:40 Newbury – Madaket
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Monmiral did win the Per Temps qualifier last year at Cheltenham last year but this is probably a match race between the two at the top of the market.
Strong Leader’s run on trials at Cheltenham, he was third to Noble Yates, he then went to Aintree where he beat Buddy One. I don’t think that form is as good as Langer Dan.
So we ran into him perry pass that entry and at Cheltenham he was behind Bob Ollinger who was just behind him at it or just in front of mid entry. He won the Carl Cup. I think Langer Dan, you could argue Langer Dan’s form is better than strong leaders. He’s rated £2 higher, he’s getting £2 off him. I think he’ll stay at nine with Langer Dan.
He ran into Impaire Et Passe at Aintree and Cheltenham. He was just behind Bob Olinger at Aintree. He won the Coral Cup.
I think you can argue Langer Dan’s form is better than Strong Leader’s. He’s rated 2lbs higher, he’s getting 2lbs off him, I think he’ll stay so I’m with Langer Dan.
I will go with Captain Teague here. I do think The Jukebox Man’s going to make a much better chaser. Obviously go back to the Albert Bartlett I was very keen and the last hundred yards was absolutely galling. When you look at The Jukebox Man’s point form he hammered Cleatus Poolaw in Turtulla, but i just think two-and-a-half miles around here with easy ground but it’s not really testing will play more to Captain Teague’s strengths.
Go back to the Challow Novices’ Hurdle, Captain Teague was a length-and-three-quarters ahead of The Jukebox Man that day. That was two-and-a-half miles on very bad ground so the trip suits Captain Teague a bit better and we know the way Paul Nichols improves these type of horses for fences as well.
I was a bit surprised to see Galop De Chasse favourite, I didn’t think he would be. He shaped well on his reappearance at Wetherby when second to Genois, that was his first start for a year. He was beaten by over three lengths and Venetia Williams’ runners weren’t in particularly red-hot form at the time.
His only start last year he won over this course of distance, beating Kandoo Kid off a mark of 123 and it was 32 lengths back to the third. He got 9lbs but the second and third won next time out the sixth was touched off ahead and won two starts later so that’s really good for him.
And obviously we saw what Venetia did last week. She’s five from 15 the last two weeks – that’s a strike rate of 33%, so Galop De Chasse will be the one for me.
I’m the opposite to Ruby on this. Monmiral has an outside chance but Langer Dan has been notoriously difficult to get right in the autumn and winter over the last couple of years.
But it’ll be interesting to see now with there’s no handicap in the spring agenda, will it be a little bit easier to get him ready through autumn and winter? That’s something I’m going to keep an eye on.
With Strong Leader, the thing with him is that I don’t think Cheltenham particularly suits him. His best form is at Aintree. Even when you go back to the Cleeve, he jumped terribly and looked like he was going to be in trouble, but he was actually staying on really strongly up the hill and obviously built on that winning at Aintree.
He’s finished second in a Grade One as a novice over two miles as well at Aintree. And I just think Newbury, a flat track, really suits him. He has to give 2lbs to Langer Dan but I just thought he was the one more likely to give his running.
Madaket is the one I’m looking at. I think the price will drift a bit and I’d play him each-way. Philip Hobbs and Johnson White have been really doing well in the last six weeks. This horse only has six starts in handicaps. He won his reappearance last season, so the fact he’s coming off a break here wouldn’t be that big a concern.
He won that off a mark of 102 and was wide-margin winner at Wincanton back in March over three miles on heavy ground from a mark of 107 and he wasn’t disgraced when sixth n a three-mile handicap here at the end of March when he was beaten by eight lengths by Zain Nights with Take No Chances second. That’s solid form in the context of this race.
The drop back in trip is no issue, so that’d be the one I’d side with.
Ruby Walsh
15:05 Newbury – Langer Dan
Frank Hickey
13:55 Newbury – Captain Teague
14:30 Newbury – Galop De Chasse
15:05 Newbury – Strong Leader
15:40 Newbury – Madaket
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at the time of publishing but subject to change.
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