Improved ground conditions at Newbury will play into the hands of Neil Mulholland’s tough veteran
ENJOY a slice of Village life in the BetVictor Veterans’ Handicap Chase.
(1.15) will love the decent ground at Newbury and he looks nicely handicapped at the foot of the weights.
Talented conditional rider Millie Wonnacott, who has been booting home the winners recently, takes off another 7lb.
Her boss, trainer Neil Mulholland (right), has also been in great form and Shantou Village ran well in a similar race behind Present Man at Chepstow in October.
He needs to turn that form around with the winner but he didn’t have much room to play with in the closing stages. Have 2pts to win at
It’s worth chancing
(2.30) later on the same card.
He looked a cracking prospect last season when completing a hat-trick of wins in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton. The switch to fences didn’t work out and he’s been ridden more patiently than he was last year since returning to hurdles.
This is a whole lot easier than the Betfair Hurdle he ran in last time out and he won’t have a lot of ompetition for the lead if they decide to make the running with him. Have 1pt each-way at
(3.05) looks his handicap well weighted debut.
He made a promising debut behind useful novice One True King in October and he bumped into another decent youngster when third behind Galice Macalo at Stratford.
That gives him a bit to find with Eaton Collina but Above Suspicion was the only one to put it up to the winner that day so it for probably wouldn’t be wise to get too hung up on the bare form. The decent ground should help this nephew of smart hurdler Get Me Out Of Here and trainer Tom George has hit form in recent weeks. Have 1pt to win at
Philip Hobbs is another trainer firing in the winners after a relatively quiet winter.
His (2.55) looks the best bet at Doncaster. He jumped quickly and accurately when winning his second chase start at Exeter in October.
It’s worth forgiving his subsequent effort at Newbury as he couldn’t get near the front and his challenge was ended with a mistake at the crucial cross fence. It should be easier to get on the lead in the early stages today and he has ground conditions in his favour with Richard Johnson in the saddle.