Nick Luck
Nick Luck’s William Hill blog: Newbury Super Saturday and Warwick tips
William Hill ambassador Nick Luck previews Newbury’s William Hill Super Saturday card, as well as action from Warwick.
Newbury, Saturday
FANTASY WORLD can make a winning hurdling debut at Newbury to earn himself a tilt at the Triumph Hurdle (1.00). He was a pretty high class, unexposed flat horse, and a stout stayer, a prerequisite in these conditions. The weight concession to one as streetwise as him is huge, and this looks a neat piece of placing by Nicky Henderson.
BELOW THE RADAR is hardly that, but warrants plenty of interest in a rather uncompetitive handicap hurdle (1.35). There’s some pace on here over a trip in soft ground, and I’m not 100% convinced that likely heavy favourite A Pai de Nom wants a grueller. By contrast, the selection looks a pretty dour customer, whose heavy ground form suggests he should relish this.
L’HOMME PRESSE has probably gone from being the most overrated horse in the country to the most underrated, despite essentially just maintaining a near-top class level of form for about four seasons (2.10). He is rated and weighted to beat Haiti Couleurs on a track and in conditions that should suit perfectly. The market may have this the wrong way round.
LULAMBA is hard to oppose in the Game Spirit, even against some hard knocking older horses (2.45). Having wondered whether two miles was a bit sharp for him, I was bowled over by how he hit the line in the Henry VIII. That was a decent effort on the clock, and this more galloping track should suit him ideally. There’s no knowing where the bottom of him really is.
TUTTI QUANTI should give it a pretty good stab off top weight in the William Hill Hurdle (3.20). The handicapper hasn’t gone crazy raising him 8lbs for his win in the Gerry Fielden – after all, the well held second has won very impressively since – and he has been deliberately put on layaway for this race. The more rain that falls, the better, and Cobden has saved himself this week to be cherry ripe.
Warwick, Saturday
LA PINSONNIERE might be value to overturn old adversary Jubilee Alpha in the mares’ race at Warwick (1.15). She got the hang of it with cheekpieces applied on her final start, and looks to want a bit of a test at this trip. Jubilee Aloha has had a couple of pretty hard races in defeat this season, and it might pay to have freshness on side.
MAMBONUMBERFIVE gets a narrow verdict in the Kingmaker (1.50). I’m huge Steel Ally fan, but fancy that Mirabad might just soften him up a bit, thereby giving Mambonumberfive the perfect stalking trip through the race. He’s very strong at the finish, and will relish conditions.
KNAPPERS HILL is a tentative pick in the Veterans’ race (2.25). He’s a pretty classy and relatively unexposed horse to be running round in a race like this, and he’s run well both times this season, perhaps bouncing a touch on the second start. A repeat of the Haydock effort should be good enough, with a slight reservation if the ground became very deep.
