DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 8
1.15 NEWBURY
RUBBER BALL (best price 7-2) is easily the most physically imposing member of today’s party, and he also has the form on the board to create a little bit of a shock against two rivals with arguably sexier profiles.
After an inauspicious start to his life under rules, Neil King’s gelding posted his first performance of note in a hot race at Huntingdon two starts ago and with the winner, second and fifth all winning again since, it was no surprise to see him follow suit at Uttoxeter three weeks in advance.
The way he travelled before powering clear in the closing stages in testing conditions at the Midland venue suggests he is improving all the time and with the clock backing up the visual aspect of his display, this future chasing type is fancied to put up a bold bid from the front.
RUBBER BALL – 1-point win@7-2
1.50 NEWBURY
Haiti Couleurs is one of the most interesting runners on today’s card with this being presumably his last run before having a crack at the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham but whether he will be all guns blazing on this occasion is open to question and MAGICAL KING (best price 13-2) and UP FOR PAROL (best price 13-2) are the pair who look poised to pounce if the class horse in the race comes up short.
The former has shaped well on both his starts so far this season and he impressed with the way he stuck valiantly to task of trying to keep tabs with the relentless nature of gallop maintained by Supremely West at Haydock last time.
Back on a slightly more buoyant surface, Stuart Edmonds’ inmate can go close to posting his first success over three miles.
The latter, as he proved at Ffos Las last time out, wouldn’t be averse to plenty of moisture underfoot and if the clock is a fair guide, his winning effort 28 days ago was easily his best on the data.
No match for the useful Henri The Second at Sandown previously, the winner along with the third home, Super Survivor, have both advertised the form since and with Gavin Sheehan likely to adopt his usual position towards the rear, expect the nine-year-old to be delivered with a potent challenge in the long home straight.
MAGICAL KING – 1-point win@13-2
UP FOR PAROL – 1-point win@13-2
3.23 UTTOXETER
EL GRANJERO (NAP) (best price 5-2) rediscovered his best form when a creditable runner-up to Don Hollow over today’s C&D last time out and now seemingly back in the groove, the six-year-old makes plenty of appeal at the prices in his to go one place better.
Whether the cheekpieces were the key component to his improved effort is open to debate but either way, the time figure he posted in defeat suggested they are certainly worth keeping on in future.
To press home the view the race at the Midland track was good for the grade, the third placed horse, Haarar, was just narrowly touched off by Golden Maverick at Carlisle next time and providing he is taken out wide again to search for the better ground, the son of Youmzain looks the one to beat on paper.
EL GRANJERO – 1-point win@5-2
4.10 NEWBURY
Herakles Westwood must be respected arriving here on top of his game following back-to-back victories, but he might find life tougher up against LORD OF THUNDER (best price 7-2), who had the misfortune of bumping into the very smart Handstands at Ffos Las last time out.
The form will tell you Joe Tizzard’s gelding was well put in his place at the Welsh venue by a horse clearly of going on to better things, but had he not been brought to a virtual standstill by a faller halfway down the back straight, the contest might have been a fairer one.
A faller at the notorious second last on his chase debut before going on to finish a respectable fourth behind the upwardly mobile Lowry’s Bar at Exeter, he has all the right weapons to inflict plenty of damage off a mark of 129 in handicaps of this nature and he rates the value call at the morning odds.
LORD OF THUNDER – 1-point win@7-2
Already advised
NAVAJO INDY – 1-point each-way@16-1 (3.35 Newbury)