Jun 26, 2023

Racing Preview - Tuesday 27 June 2023

With prizes for the Best Dressed Lady, Best Hat and Best Dressed Gent adding to the occasion, Ladies Day is one of the social highlights of the Newton Abbot season and Kauto The King, twice a winner over the course last summer, can regain winning ways and land the feature Class 3 Get Daily Tips On attheraces.com Handicap Chase.

Kauto The King’s rating has dropped to 115 compared to 128 for the second of his two course wins in 2022 but, even with bottom weight, he will have to step up if he is to beat Farouk De Cheneau, who benefited from a change of scenery when winning first time out for Dorset trainer Anthony Honeyball, and Fat Sam, another who looks well treated, reverting to chasing on a 7lb lower mark.

The seven-race card gets underway at 5.15pm with the Janet Denning Fifehead Farms Memorial Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle over two miles and one furlong. Newmarket trainer James Owen runs two of his three entries with the race-fit Enthused, a winner at Huntingdon, looking the more likely to feature. Devon trainer Nigel Hawke also has two, with Professor Calculus having run well when third to Good Impression here earlier in the month, but they all have to give weight to Urabamba, dropped 2lbs following his fourth to Vin Rouge over course and distance.

Only two of the seven runners in the St Austell Brewery Juvenile Maiden Hurdle have jumped a hurdle in public before and they met at Hexham last month when Max Of Stars finished second and Uncle Matthew fourth. Max Of Stars failed to win in four starts on the flat and made a bad mistake at the last flight on his hurdles debut, but can build on that promise for champion jockey Brian Hughes.

The biggest field of the evening lines up for the EBCS Leisure Giddy Up Novices’ Handicap Hurdle over two and a quarter miles and Escobedo, the choice from two entries for trainer Milton Harris, could go well on his second run since wind surgery. He may not be able to match Sassified, however, sent off favourite when third to Vin Rouge here two weeks ago and edging ever closer to a first hurdles success.

Despite carrying top-weight, the consistent Jersey Wonder is back on a winning mark in the Racing Partnership TRP Handicap Hurdle over an extended three and a quarter miles. He was beaten in a match by Presenting Yeats at Exeter, but is 2lbs better off here. Nickelsonthedime has won just twice from 23 starts over hurdles, both races coming at Warwick where he just lasted home to win by a neck from Premier D’troice at the end of May.

Laura Hurley, who combines training with running the Red Lion Hotel at Oakford, saddles both her entries in the Class 3 Strategic Solutions Chartered Financial Planners Novices’ Hurdle, but they will be amongst the outsiders in a race that looks a good opportunity for Bala Brook to build on his second to Basford here last month.

Junior Massini has been in good form this season and is chasing a hat-trick after wins at Warwick and Bangor-on-Dee. He has been raised 4lbs for his latest win, but that might not stop him in the closing newtonabbotrace On Twitter Novices’ Handicap Chase.

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