Jul 05, 2018

Newton Abbot Race Preview Friday 6 July 2018

Herefordshire trainer Tom Lacey, who has made a good start to the season as he looks to top last year’s best score of 39 winners, can land today’s feature race at Newton Abbot with Sword Of Fate, who makes a quick reappearance having run at Stratford only three days ago.

Sword Of Fate has to give weight to his three rivals in the feature Betfair #racingstaff Week Novices’ Handicap Chase but, with experienced amateur Tommie M O’Brien reducing his burden by 5lbs, looks the one to beat. At Stratford, Nico de Boinville soon had him making the running, but they were joined at the third-last fence by Our Three Sons who looked to going the better.

However, Sword Of Fate showed a real fighting quality to come back and stay on the stronger from the final obstacle and can win again under his 7lb penalty, with Paul Nicholls’ Capeland, who makes his debut over fences today, the likely danger.

The opening Betfair Supporting Racing Staff Week Maiden Hurdle could go to point-to-point winner Ballydun Oscar, who made an encouraging start to his career under Rules when finishing runner-up to Settie Hill over the course and distance last month, with Nicholls’ Ringa Ding Ding six lengths behind in third place.

Settie Hill looks to be a useful recruit and won with plenty in hand that day, but Ballydun Oscar stayed on well in the closing stages and should step up on the run to record his first win.

Petrou, last seen out over hurdles a year ago when pulled up at Cartmel, tops the weights in the Class 3 Betfair Supporting Racing Welfare Handicap Hurdle over three and a quarter miles for Dan and Harry Skelton, who have been blazing a trail since the season started two months ago.

A four-timer at Uttoxeter on Sunday took Dan past the 50-winner mark more than a month earlier than last season and Harry reached that milestone when riding Hatcher to victory in the opening race at Stratford on Tuesday evening. Even though his hurdles rating is 5lb lower than over fences, Petrou has it all to do off 11-12 and could be vulnerable to one or two lower down the handicap.

Trainer Seamus Mullins runs two, with course and distance winner Lillian, certain to be sharper for her last run when returning from a 249-day break, and hat-trick seeking Kentford Heiress, who will need a career-best performance to win again.

The biggest field of the day lines up for the Betfair Thank You Racing Staff Selling Handicap Hurdle over two and three-quarter miles, with Jeremy Scott’s Beau Phil, a maiden hurdle winner over the course when trained by Paul Nicholls, set to concede weight to his 16 rivals.

That win came in September 2016 and Beau Phil has been lightly raced since but, if he can recapture his earlier form, would go close off a mark of 100.

Another to look out for is the veteran Ladies Dancing, who will need to race with a little more restraint over this longer distance than on his most recent run, but the one to beat should be Ice Konig. Unplaced in the race last year, Ice Konig ran well to be third in a non-handicap back in May and will be fancied to land a win for the Frost Racing Club.

Champion conditional jockey James Bowen is an interesting booking by Wellington trainer Alexandra Dunn for her top-weight Thahab Ifraj in the betfair£racingstaffweek@racingwelfare Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle. He has not been seen out over jumps since making all the running to beat Mister Universum at Stratford last August, but is fit from running on the Flat and should go well.

But, the one that catches the eye is Tamarillo Grove, winner of a similar race with today’s jockey Sean Houlihan at the course a month ago, who still looks well-weighted from a mark of 103.

A competitive-looking field of 12 has been declared for the Betfair & Racing Staff Make Racing Happen Handicap Chase over three and a quarter miles, including Strumble Head, winner of two hunter chases at the course this season, and the five-year-old Worcester winner Fifty Shades, who reverts to chasing after a couple of runs over hurdles.

Of those that have run, Full Bore looks the best bet in the concluding National Hunt Flat Race, but check out any market move for Philip Hobbs’ unraced Good Little Wife, who comes from a winning family.

As well as the regular card, the meeting will see the inaugural running of the Racing Staff Week Cup over a trip of one mile and four furlongs and amongst those riding will be Philippa Hyne from the Jimmy Frost stable, Laura Parker who works for Philip Hobbs and Clare Wyatt from the David Pipe yard.

Find out more about the Racing Staff Week Cup here. Tickets for our fixture tomorrow can be found at our online ticket store until 10am tomorrow (Friday 6 July) or can be bought at the gates on the day.