The weekend starts early for armchair racing fans as the ITV squad split their resources between Windsor, Market Rasen and Newcastle.
Having recently returned from a 20-year jumps racing hiatus, Windsor stages Day 1 of the inaugural Berkshire Winter Million fixture, with the valuable card dominating the TV coverage and attracting a host of intriguing contenders.
Here, we pick out our top four selections from the eight races on offer as we bid to head into the weekend on a high.
14:10 Newcastle – Weekly £5 Free Bet with BetUK Handicap
Our first selection comes in the only race from Newcastle as the sprinters tackle 6f of Newcastle’s Tapeta track. With £45,000 up for grabs, the contest has attracted a typically competitive field, with the James Fanshawe-trained Heathcliff shading favouritism at the time of writing.
Making only his seventh start in a handicap, the four-year-old is one of the less exposed runners and arrives fresh, having been given a 91-day break after a 7f success at Kempton. Showing a liking for this course and distance when scoring off 80 in August, there’s a lot to like about his chance despite this 11lb higher mark.
Likeable as Heathcliff is, the one to be on is Cajetan. Trainer Jack Channon identified this Advertise gelding as a horse to follow back in October, and, whilst he has taken a little while to find his stride, he arrives in flying form. Catching the eye when blocked in the run at Southwell two starts ago, he showed what he could do with a clear passage when hacking up by five lengths over this track and trip last time out – taking his record over course and distance to two wins from as many starts. He’s up 10lbs for that but could scarcely have done it any easier and can progress further.
Recommended Bet: Cajetan to win @ 6/1 with bet365
15:00 Windsor – Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle
This £100,000 affair may be one of the best Class 2 contests of the season, with all five entries having previously lined up in Grade 1 company. Whilst none have managed to score at the top level, Salver, Langer Dan, and Nemean Lion all finished third. Despite that, the Paul Nicholls-trained Blueking d’Oroux edges favouritism in most betting lists. A winner over just short of this trip in the Grade 2 Coral Hurdle, he arrives on the back of a fair sixth in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle and shouldn’t be far away.
Langer Dan is the clear pick on ratings but attempting to guess what the Dan Skelton runner will produce at this time of year is beyond our powers of prediction.
In receipt of 4lbs from all bar Langer Dan, we can’t resist the Nicky Henderson runner Iberico Lord. This one went into the notebook following an unlucky second to Under Control at Sandown in April 2023 and rewarded support by landing both the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle and Betfair Hurdle. The second of those efforts suggested a Group horse in the making, seeing the JP McManus star start as third favourite for no less a race than the Champion Hurdle. He was pulled up that day, but that didn’t come as the biggest surprise considering the widely reported issues affecting the Henderson yard at the time.
Following a disappointing effort over fences, he returns to the smaller obstacles for this assignment. The step up in trip poses a question, but we like his chances of seeing it out. The mount of Nico de Boinville is once again the third choice in the market in a race which is some way short of Champion Hurdle class.
Recommended Bet: Iberico Lord to win @ 9/2 with bet365
15:10 Market Rasen – Unibet Alan Swinbank Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race
As is typically the case in valuable Bumper affairs, there isn’t too much form to go on here, and most of that available casts the contenders in a positive light – of the ten who go to post, seven won last time out.
Hailing from the yard of Fergal O’Brien, who claimed the 2024 edition with Dysart Enos, Dream Shadow is out on her own at the head of the market. A winner in the Point-to-Point sphere, she broke her duck under rules at the second time of asking when scoring at Uttoxeter in October. Having handled the forecast good to soft ground well that day, she should go well, but we prefer another.
Alan King is no stranger to a smart bumper performer, suggesting that Charisma Cat must have shown all the right signs at home to be sent off as favourite on debut at Southwell. She made no mistake that day and was even better last time out at Warwick when scoring by a widening 4½l. This demands more from the daughter of Nathaniel, but at 5/1, we are prepared to bet that she is up to the task.
Recommended Bet: Charisma Cat to win @ 9/2 with bet365
15:35 Windsor – Fitzdares Sovereign Handicap Hurdle
A pair of quality performers head the weights in the concluding handicap in the shape of Brentford Hope, who finished second in Grade 2 company last time out, and Hansard, who also boasts several solid Graded efforts on his CV. It wouldn’t be the biggest surprise to see either prevail. However, shouldering 12st in soft ground asks a lot of Brentford Hope, whilst Hansard disappointed us a little on his return at Kempton.
Knickerbockerglory and Beat The Bat are others to note, but we will take a chance on the improving Kabral Du Mathan. Having won his only start in France, he ran just once for new trainer Paul Nicholls in 2023/24, when comfortably claiming a decent novice event at Huntingdon. Fast forward to 2024/25 and he made a mockery of an opening mark of 123 to score easily at Kempton before losing out by just a short head in a Premier Handicap at Ascot. An 8lb rise for that looks a little harsh, but he would surely have won but for an error at the second last. With a 17l gap back to the third, the form looks solid and he can go one better here.
Recommended Bet: Kabral Du Mathan to win @ 9/2 with bet365
A £1 Lucky 15 on the above selections at the recommended prices returns £2196 with bet365 if all four horses win.
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
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