The dust has finally settled on the Cheltenham Festival 2015 and National Hunt fans are now looking forward to Aintree and Punchestown. Newbury provides some decent jumping action on Friday with all of the top stables represented.
Alan King’s festival was saved by Tony McCoy’s inspired ride on Uxizandre in the Ryanair Chase. He has a useful hurdling prospect in Inner Drive in the opening race at 2.10. The son of Heron Island was runner-up in his two bumper races but returned after more than a year off the track to thrash a decent field at Huntingdon. Wayne Hutchinson barely had to shake him up to storm clear by fourteen lengths.
This is a tricky little contest and I am always reluctant to pass over Nicky Henderson’s runners here, even if his older novices disappointed last week. He still saddled a Triumph Hurdle tri-cast and a big handicap winner so all is not doom and gloom at the Lambourn yard. Champagne Express had his form boosted by the runner-up yesterday and is feared most.
The three-mile handicap hurdle looks no easier to solve but it may pay to side with Tony McCoy on top weight Last Shadow. He is going up in trip but the first two pulled right away when he was second at Kempton last time. He does not look to be up against a great lot here with the lowly weighted Bold Adventure one of the few with winning form over three miles. He would have a chance but is unlikely to find much improvement at the age of eleven.
Whatever the fate of Champagne Express in the first, I expect Henderson to score with Medieval Chapel in the Brown Chamberlin Trophy at 3.45. The grey races in the colours of Simonsig and gave a pretty good impression of that horse at a couple of his fences at Fakenham last time. He won with any amount in hand and a 6lbs penalty looks lenient. Desert Joe carries the same penalty but looked flat out to score last time for Alan King.
Gassin Golf will be fancied in the two-mile handicap hurdle but I would go each-way if you are putting your faith in this one. He ran well when third in the Imperial Cup but has finished runner-up nine times since he last put his head in front! I prefer to take a chance with the lightly-raced Baby King for Tom George. He looked like beating Royal Guardsman here last time out but faded on the run-in. He is 4lbs better off here and will be having only the fifth race of his career.
Inner Drive 2.10 @4-1 Betfair
Last Shadow 3.10 @9-2 Bet365
Medieval Chapel 3.45 @4-1 Ladbrokes
Baby King 4.20 @8-1 Paddy Power
