Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Don’t Panic, Attack the action at Windsor

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty looks over the first day of the Winter Million Festival from Windsor and picks out his best bets.

Windsor, Friday

The Lightning Novices’ Chase (1:50pm) is a good contest but all four runners need a bit of forgiveness after their most recent efforts. Gidleigh Park had an irregular heartbeat on his last start at Kempton so he has to bounce back after that. Personal Ambition looked as though he was going to win last time out at Ascot until a mistake at the last but he will have to step up in what looks a better race. You could make a case for You Wear It Well on her hurdles form but she has been disappointing in two starts over fences this season. CALDWELL POTTER sets the standard on his Grade 1 form over hurdles but he was beaten tamely at Cheltenham last time over a trip that I thought would have been ideal for him. It’s really interesting that Paul Nicholls is bringing him back to two miles here and you’re taking it on his trust that Caldwell Potter will be better over this trip. Soft ground is probably a plus for this horse as he won on very heavy ground at Leopardstown last season. He gets the nod in a tricky contest to work out.

PANIC ATTACK is the one I like in the mares’ handicap chase (2:25pm). She’s run two good races over hurdles this season, especially last time over two miles at Newbury. She always raced over further last season, so I’d say the step back up in trip on slower ground is going to suit her. Returned to fences, she could well be ahead of the handicapper.

BLUEKING D’OROUX wasn’t beaten far behind Crambo in the Long Walk before Christmas and this Class 2 hurdle (3:00pm) represents a decent drop in class for Paul Nicholls’ six-year-old. I’m not fully convinced he saw out the three-mile trip there and he should be happier now back over two-and-a-half miles. He’s consistent, has form on the ground and a strong level of recent form. I think Grade 1 company finds him out but this looks like an ideal opportunity to return to the winners’ enclosure.

The two-mile handicap hurdle (3:35pm) is highly competitive and you can make cases for plenty of them. Reckless Eric was probably unlucky last time to be trapped so far off the pace when the winner dictated the running. Navajo Indy was a good winner at Newbury last time when beating a strong rival in Queens Gamble. The one I like though is KABRAL DU MATHAN, who finished a narrow second to a horse that was very well-in in Fiercely Proud. He travelled really well that day at Ascot but was just edged out at the finish and the pair pulled around 17 lengths clear of the third. The way this horse travelled at Ascot suggests he has a lot of pace and this flatter track should suit him. He did go up eight pounds for his last run but he did everything bar win and I think he can go one better here.