Nick Luck’s blog: Hoping Hendo’s can win at Newbury by a Street

We might be a little over a month away from Cheltenham, but the top-class racing keeps on coming with Newbury and Warwick hosting some great action.

Our man Nick Luck has previewed all races in front of the ITV cameras.

Newbury

Bravemansgame is clearly the most likely winner of the opener at Newbury (1.15pm), but with doubts over the Paul Nicholls stable form, I’m going to take a punt on GALLYHILL at 20/1. This horse has always been held in very high regard and I must admit to being more impressed than the majority with his first two starts over hurdles – the form of which doesn’t make him badly handicapped here. A second wind op could be the answer and if it does work the oracle, he could be a big price.

THE BRIMMING WATER looks the percentage play in the three-mile handicap hurdle (1.50pm) at 3/1. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty in here at bigger prices that I’m wary of, but the selection has been pretty solid this season and his defeat of Unexpected Party over Christmas looks pretty tidy form now. I’m not sure he definitely needs soft ground, and he should go well under Sam Twiston-Davies again.

He does come with risks attached, but I do think IMPERIAL AURA is the play at the prices in the Denman Chase (2.25pm). Granted the form of his last four starts reads UP-FP, but I’m not sure he has a jumping issue, and you can forget the run at Aintree last time where the ground was absolutely awful and barely anything got into it. He was running a mighty race in the Betfair Chase the time before and although he fell a fair way out, to my mind he wouldn’t have beaten the reopposing Royalle Pagaille. He has some very solid form after a break and I like his chances at 13/2.

I do think SCEAU ROYAL is a very solid favourite in the Game Spirit (3.00pm) at 2/1, despite having to give weight away to his three rivals. A speedy two miles on good ground is exactly what he wants, and he’ll get that here. He’s shown no signs that he’s regressing despite now being a 10-year-old and he’d probably be a bit shorter had he not run at Cheltenham last time. You can ignore that run as the race just wasn’t run to suit and I’d expect him to take a fair bit of beating here.

Nicky Henderson might end up winning the Betfair Hurdle (3.35pm), but I’m not sure it will be with his first string as I’m quite keen on his other runner FIRST STREET at 12/1. It was hard not to be impressed with the way he surged clear at Kempton last time and although he’s up nine pounds for that, we surely haven’t reached his ceiling yet. If you take out one bad run at Chepstow, his form is starting to stack up quite nicely and he’s much preferred to Broomfield Burg, whom I’m pretty lukewarm on. The fact James Bowen is riding out of skin is an added bonus.

Of the remainder, last year’s winner Soaring Glory is more than likely to run his race again under a big weight, while I wouldn’t put anyone off Glory And Fortune at a double-figure price either.

Warwick

This is trappy, but you’d hope MARIE’S ROCK would have too much speed for Indefatigable in the Listed mares’ hurdle at Warwick (1.35pm). She looked to get the hang of it again when a dominant winner at Kempton on Boxing Day and you can forget her run in the Lanzarote where she was basically brought to a standstill. She gets six pounds from her chief market rival and that should be enough at 11/4.

Edwardstone and Third Time Lucki are clearly two very good novices, but they might have their work cut out giving weight away to BRAVE SEASCA from the all-conquering Venetia Williams stable in the Kingmaker (2.05pm). I, like many, was pretty taken, albeit in receipt of weight, by his performance over course and distance last time where the seven-year-old really powered through the line. This is of course much harder, but he’s won his last three and he’s worth taking a chance on at 9/2.

The ITV action at Warwick culminates with the Warwick Castle Handicap Chase (3.15pm) and while plenty in here having interesting profiles, the eye is drawn to DINNY LACEY at 17/2. He’s not the most consistent, but he bounced back to form at Limerick last time and while that was on heavy ground, his form, particularly earlier in his career, suggests a sounder surface will be more to his liking. The fact Robbie Power comes over to ride him might be a tip in itself and he looks a very interesting contender.