Ahead of a busy Saturday filled with quality racing, the Weekend Winners team discussed their best bets for Newbury, Doncaster and Kelso.
The panel of Kate Tracey, Sam Boswell and Declan Rix paid special attention to Newbury’s BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase – which is live on Sky Sports Racing at 3.45pm.
Vincenzo and Twinjets are towards the head of the market for this contest over two miles and four furlongs, which was won in sensational style by Booster Bob last term at the expense of the former.
Declan Rix
“It’s obviously a competitive race. There’s a combination of horses that have been walloped for wins last time out and horses who are not well-handicapped. I kept going further and further down and ended up with Josh The Boss for two reasons.
“Firstly, he’s a novice and is unexposed to a degree over fences. He’s had more runs than I’ve had hot dinners this year. This will be his seventh start of the season. He is backing up after running at Newcastle last week but he clearly takes his racing well. He jumps well for a novice and I thought last time out he had the run of the race and jumped well aside from nodding on the back of four out.
“His old nemesis Prairie Wolf will not be in to beat him this day and although it’s a worry that he won’t be able to dominate this field, I do believe he wants a good, even gallop over this trip because he’ll probably stay a little further. If he’s bounced out of the race alright, with Jamie Neild taking 7lbs off he has got a handicapping chance.”
Kate Tracey
“Vincenzo is a standout for me, he looks as if he’s got so much more to come. Last time out at Ascot he won by two lengths from Bad. It was a messy race overall but it was really good form in terms of talented horses and a testament to him that he can still produce this kind of effort, sticking to his task really well after hitting the front at the last.
“He’s only been given a 2lb rise for that and I thought that was very fair and he could be even better going back left-handed, which suits him really well. I hope he’s got plenty more mileage in his mark.”
Sam Boswell
“The good news about Heltenham, if you like him like I do, is he loves it around Newbury. He’s had one bad run from about six efforts, with three wins and a second to his name. His second was on seasonal reappearance this year against Twinjets. He got beaten by 10 lengths but there’s a stone in favour today in favour of Heltenham, which is a massive plus point.
“I know we don’t get the services of Harry Skelton but these are the types of races they’re winning en route to a championship and Heltenham is going to be a massive plus point through the spring. He obviously went up against Jonbon last time, which was effectively a run to get round – he managed that.
“I do hope going back to his favoured Newbury will bring out the best in him. Charlie Todd has ridden the horse before to reasonably good effect when finishing third. We’re a double digit price and he’s an each-way play, I don’t know why he won’t be all out to take a really valuable prize.”
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