It’s Newbury and it’s February and that means only one thing, it’s time for the Betfair Hurdle, one of most keenly contested handicaps over timber at the Berkshire venue.
A famous race that often throws up Cheltenham Festival contenders, the Betfair Hurdle typically goes to an improving sort with their best days in front of them – with eight of the last ten winners aged five or six, although the last two runnings have gone to seven-year-olds.
25 runners have been declared for Saturday's race and our expert has picked out a pair to follow.
- SELECTION: KINCKERBOCKERGLORY
- NEXT BEST: SPIRIT D’AUNOU
WATCH IN THE ZONE WITH MIKE TINDALL
Don’t Discount Knickerbockerglory
Dan Skelton has a superb record in big 2m handicap hurdles like this one and he saddles three runners this year. His brother Harry appears to be on the stable’s first string, L’Eau Du Sud, but the yard looks to have a better contender in the shape of KNICKERBOCKERGLORY under Liam Harrison.
Skelton won the County Hurdle at Cheltenham with his second string Faivoir last season, with Harry finishing well behind in 17th on stablemate Pembroke, proving jockey bookings can often be meaningless.
Knickerbockerglory has the form to win this race. He produced an impressive performance when making virtually all of the running to land a hot handicap at Ascot on his seasonal reappearance in November and that took his form figures after breaks of at least 50 days to 1411121.
He evidently has a remarkable record when fresh and almost certainly found the Greatwood Hurdle coming too soon after his Ascot win. He ran flat that day, but still finished a respectable seventh.
Knickerbockerglory has been given an 83-day break since and there is every chance he can bounce back to form and, if he does, he could still be well-handicapped.
Some Moore Magic A Possibility
Top trainer Gary Moore has won this race three times (2007, 2008 and 2015) and he appears to have prepared SPIRIT D’AUNOU specifically for a crack at the contest. He hasn’t run since an easy win at Sandown in December and returns from a 63-day break from a mark 10lb higher than for that last success.
The five-year-old took a big step forward from a low-key reappearance at Cheltenham on that occasion and he was well on top at the finish, pulling three-and-a-half lengths clear of fellow progressive four-year-old Bucksy Des Epeires. The front two were 14 lengths ahead of the rest.
That came on heavy ground and Spirit D’Aunou has now recorded two of his three highest Racing Post Ratings on such conditions. He will evidently be well suited by the forecast rain and, while he needs to improve to defy a hefty rise, he was extremely impressive at Sandown last time.
Caoilin Quinn is on board claiming 3lb and he proved he can do it on the big day when landing the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow in December. A big run is surely on the cards.
