IN-FORM EVAN DOUBLES UP

HAVING reached the landmark of 1,000 winners last month, Evan Williams makes a strong case for more success in Saturday’s Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.

The Glamorgan trainer, currently on fire with his recent runners, has Mack The Man and Quoi De Neuf earmarked for the fiercely competitive handicap.

“Both horses are in great nick and so is the yard,” said Williams.

“It’s one of those embarrassing times when I’m a little scared to say anything in case something goes wrong.”

Williams is in a fortunate position with his Newbury hopefuls as contrasting ground conditions favour the pair.

He said: “If the ground really dries up, it wouldn’t suit Mack The Man but it would suit Quoi De Neuf.

“He’s a little bit of a forgotten horse. He ran a very, very good race in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham when fourth behind Harambe in November.

“So, to some extent, I’m very lucky as I have one horse that will handle soft ground and another that handles better ground.”

Both horses will carry the silks of William and Angela Rucker who celebrated a memorable victory at Newbury with the Williams-trained State of Play in the 2006 Hennessy Gold Cup.

Williams added: “It has certainly been a lucky old track for us. We’ve had a lot of fun there so let’s hope we can keep the ball rolling.”

Hughie Morrison will make a late call regarding running Not So Sleepy, the 6-1 favourite.

Mack The Man was cut from 7-1 to 6-1 with the race sponsor along with Thebannerkingrebel, now 8-1 from 10-1. Quoi de Neuf is 14-1.