Between Newbury and Newcastle on Saturday, both live on Sky Sports Racing, Declan Rix puts forward five horses to follow.
HIGHSTAKESPLAYER
12.40 Newbury – Coral Sir Peter O’Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase (Class 2) (4yo+) – 2m6f93y
A field of 12 will do battle in the 2024 Sir Peter O’Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase with seven of the runners making their seasonal debuts, in a race that looks to have a fair bit of early pace on, on what may be quickening good to soft ground. Sharpness and fitness are likely to be tested, along with jumping ability meaning HIGHSTAKESPLAYER looks a good fit.
Tom Lacey’s inmate started his campaign 28 days ago at Ascot, chasing home second-season chaser Chianti Classico in the Sodexo Live! Gold Cup with leading Rehearsal Chase contender Neon Moon back in third. It was a run typical of what we have come to expect from an in-form Highstakesplayer; professionalism accompanied with accurate jumping and a high-cruising speed.
Although twice a winner over 3m, I’ve always had a slight inkling that trip stretched him so Saturday’s extended 2m6f contest looks absolutely perfect in terms of his stamina requirements. This son of Ocovango does all awful lot right and in a race where quite a few have question marks, he looks a big each-way player.
Mystical Power is one of Rix’s selections
MYSTICAL POWER
2.10 Newbury – BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+) – 2m46y
At the five-day stage, we only had 11 horses confirmed for the Fighting Fifth and it looked a race that could cut up badly, not only leaving us with a small field, but also a race lacking pace. Thankfully, nine horses were declared, although Brentford Hope is now a non-runner.
Harry Derham’s inmate being out will likely be music to the ears of those associated with Tellherthename, who now looks likely to get an easy lead in a race lacking pace. His presence is much-welcomed, because without The Megsons horse, we may well have had a messy Grade 1.
With Sir Gino and Mystical Power both strong travellers, their jockeys’ jobs will hopefully be made a lot easier with some pace to chase, but I think the bookmakers have got this race wrong, albeit not massively; I would have MYSTICAL POWER favourite.
For me, it’s quite simple: Mystical Power has the strongest form of the pair. Not only that, but this has been Plan ‘A’ for the Willie Mullins raider, while just two weeks ago, Sir Gino was set to go chasing and only runs here in place of a lame Constitution Hill.
This is often a difficult campaign for last season’s juvenile hurdlers, something Sir Gino must also face while on the other hand, Mystical Power improved with every single run last in 2023/24, the penny finally appearing to drop in a gritty Punchestown Grade 1 success in April.
As a solid jumper who will thrive on Newcastle’s good ground, the son of Galileo x Annie Power is taken to climb the Champion Hurdle ladder further.
Aston Martini could put out a big performance
ASTON MARTINI
2.25 Newbury – The Gerry Feilden (Premier Handicap) (Class 1) (4yo+) – 2m69y
Unfortunately, by the time this piece had gone live, all the double figure prices about ASTON MARTINI had disappeared. Hopefully that’s a sign that her connections expect a big run, and they should, based on the mare’s fantastic comeback run at Bangor 17 days ago.
The daughter of Getaway looked on great terms with herself, travelling and jumping well in a race that didn’t fall too kindly, especially late on. Early, she had plenty of pace to run at, but the contest fell apart 3out, leaving her in front far too soon, travelling strongly.
Still looking raw in front on only her fifth career start, Nicky Henderson’s inmate appeared to have the measure of her rivals heading to the last, but a bad jink saw her lose plenty of momentum and she was nabbed late on the line by Might I over the 2m3f123yds trip.
It’s not hard to argue however, that Aston Martini shaped as much the best horse on the day, despite her inexperience and somewhat unfortunate run. Saturday’s drop in trip will hopefully prove no issue while she is entitled to sharpen up further and step forward for the run.
The Seven Barrows team have won four of the last ten renewals of this race, including with two five-year-old mares, Epatante and Floressa. Hopefully Aston Martini can make that three.
BROADWAY BOY
3.00 Newbury – Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (4yo+) – 3m1f214y
By race time on Saturday, I hope the ground hasn’t dried out too much for BROADWAY BOY to show his very best. To be fair, it won’t be as quick as the ground he ran on at Cheltenham last time out, but as he showed twice at Cheltenham last season, he is a horse who clearly stays well.
Despite being a six-year-old of huge stature, Broadway Boy is clearly a precocious sort for his size so I wouldn’t let the fact only one six-year-old (Native River) has won the race in the last decade. Further back in time this age group faired better in the Coral Gold Cup and the number to concentrate on is 148.
That’s the official rating the son of Malinas will run off on Saturday, a mark still workable based not only on last season’s best form, but also on his highly-satisfactory comeback at Cheltenham 35 days ago.
On the day, he was no match for the first-time cheek-pieced Senior Chief, who reopposes, but on softer ground and with an 10lb swing in the weights, I can see the Nigel Twiston-Davies inmate reversing the form, with his front-running style tailormade for this track.
Not only that, but Broadway Boy shaped much better than the distance beaten (12¼) last time out, tiring badly on the run to the last. Given his size, that’s no surprise, and I hope he will take a big step forward tomorrow.
NEON MOON
3.20 Newcastle – Rehearsal Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (4yo+) – 2m7f91y
It’s no surprise to see The Changing Man to the fore in the betting of this year’s Rehearsal Chase, a horse, who, on his best form, is certainly well-handicapped off 130. Once or twice, he has shown jumping frailties however, and it would be a concern he comes here on the back of a fall at Wincanton 21 days ago.
NEON MOON however, heads to Newcastle off a career best effort, where he looked in the form of his life, travelling and jumping with real purpose before possibly not seeing the race out in the closing stages.
That’s maybe no surprise given how he travelled, while he had a wide trip taken on a second-season chaser like Chianti Classico. The Changing Man aside, there likely isn’t a Chianti Classico in here, while the slight drop in trip and a return to a left-handed flatter track are further positives.
With Jack Tudor at Newbury, Conor O’Farrell links up with his old boss David Pipe, who I hope can reel back the years.
