Sam Twiston-Davies’ William Hill blog: Kingwell a great chance to get Burdett Road’s head back in front

William Hill ambassador Sam Twiston-Davies previews Burdett Road’s Kingwell chances and reacts to the Grand National weight announcement.

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Last weekend, Master Chewy put in a fantastic performance to win the William Hill Game Spirit Chase in style. It was a particularly satisfying result, as luck hasn’t always been on his side, but he more than bounced back here. I gave him a patient ride, and as always, he was a willing partner. It was great to see him secure another Grade 2 victory.

Looking ahead, he holds entries for both the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. Given how he stayed on in the Game Spirit, we may step him up in trip for the Ryanair, but no decision has been made just yet.

Wincanton, Saturday

On Saturday, I’m heading to Wincanton to ride Burdett Road (1.36pm) in the Kingwell Hurdle, where he’s the favourite. I’m picking up this ride for James Owen, as Harry Cobden heads to Ascot for the Ascot Chase on Pic D’Orhy. A big thanks must go to Dad for allowing me to go to Wincanton for this — it’s a great opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to it.

James gave me plenty of notice about the ride, so I’ve had the chance to sit on Burdett Road at home, and he’s been working well. The Kingwell is a great race in its own right—I was lucky enough to win it with I Like To Move It a couple of years ago.

Burdett Road ran an impressive third in the Christmas Hurdle behind Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth, and this looks like a great chance to get his head back in front in the Kingwell. From here, he holds entries in both the Champion Hurdle and the William Hill County Hurdle at Cheltenham, so he could be an exciting one for the Gredley family next month.

Grand National weights announced

At the start of the week, the Grand National weights were revealed, and we have two strong contenders in Broadway Boy and Beauport, who both seem to have fair marks.

I haven’t yet decided which one I’ll ride in the National — that will depend on how they perform in their upcoming races. Beauport is in great form, having won the Berkshire National and backed that up with a solid third in the Long Walk Hurdle. He runs this weekend in the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock, which should give us a clearer picture.

Meanwhile, Broadway Boy is likely heading for the Ultima at Cheltenham, a race that has been a proven stepping stone to Grand National success, most recently for Corach Rambler. Both Broadway Boy and Beauport have proven their quality and both travel and jump well, so I’m confident they can handle the modern National test. It’ll be exciting to see how they shape up in the coming weeks.

Next week, we’re looking at running Guard Your Dreams at Kempton in the Ladbrokes Trophy, so keep an eye out for that one!