Rory Delargy

NEWBURY SATURDAY

12:10 LADBROKES MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE (LISTED) 2M 69Y

Cap Soleil will be short here, but justifiably so, and Fergal O’Brien’s mare stretched her unbeaten record to four when bolting up over this course and distance on her hurdles bow last month, with Dame Rose back in third having set a strong pace. Richard Hobson’s daughter of Network shaped better than the distance beaten suggests, and she appeals as the best value to chaser the favourite home.

12:45 LADBROKES JOHN FRANCOME NOVICES’ CHASE (GRADE 2) 2M 7F 86Y

Black Corton has been a revelation in recent weeks, belying his low-key introduction to fences by rattling up impressive wins at Cheltenham’s first two meetings of the season, and the fact he’s coped with wildly different going at that demanding track augurs well for his prospects here. He’s built up a great rapport with Bryony Frost, who is riding superbly and deserves every opportunity which comes her way. She’s already ridden a couple of high-profile winners on TV, which has helped her profile, but to get an idea of her ability as a rider, I’d recommend anyone to watch her scoring aboard a horse called Triple Chief at Taunton the other day – it was a ride Tony McCoy would be proud of.

1:20 SIR PETER O’SULLEVAN MEMORIAL HANDICAP CHASE 2M 6F 93Y

Bouvreuil will carry the famous O’Sullevan silks in the race which commemorates the great broadcaster, who bequeathed his colours to J.P. McManus; whether that means that we should be backing the top-weight is open to debate, and a gamble on In The Rough, who sported the black and yellow livery a year ago, went badly astray.

On Tour was given a superb waiting ride by Mitch Bastyan when winning a competitive handicap at Aintree last month, and hasn’t been overly punished for that. He will once again have the race run to suit, and the long straight at Newbury should play to his strengths, although a tendency to bleed in the past tempers confidence, and preference is for Gold Present, who has reportedly been slow to come to hand, but will be primed for this. He was often a weak finisher as a hurdler, but simply didn’t have the strength to match his physique, and looked a different horse over fences in the spring, finishing an excellent second at the Cheltenham Festival before being knocked over at Aintree. He has always appealed as the type to improve further in his second season chasing, and looks attractively handicapped on balance.

1:50 LADBROKES HANDICAP HURDLE 2M 4F 118Y

Perhaps not as competitive as the numbers suggest, and Remiluc makes plenty of appeal having run well in a strong race at Fontwell last time. Chris Gordon’s charge won at this track earlier in the year, beating subsequent Scottish Champion Hurdle winner Chesterfield, and he looks well treated off just a pound higher now. He needs a good test at the minimum trip and stays two and a half miles well, so appears to have plenty in his favour. Gordon is a fine trainer, but his runners are often ignored in the betting, and 14/1 looks much too big on balance given there are few in this field who look ahead of the handicapper.

2:25 LADBROKES INTERMEDIATE HURDLE (LIMITED HANDICAP) (GERRY FEILDEN) (LISTED) 2M 69 Y

I’m keen to oppose talking horse Charli Parcs here, and High Bridge, whose only defeats in his first two seasons to race came when regular rider Alex Ferguson was unable to utilise his claim in Grade 1 contests, looks a much more solid option. He was third to Elgin on his return at Ascot in October when Ferguson did take weight off, but that effort was very meritorious, and has been franked by the winner’s subsequent victory in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Runner-up Limited Reserve is another to have scored impressively since Ascot, and the form of that listed contest now looks red-hot. High Bridge is up 4lb in the weights for being beaten, but that looks generous in hindsight, and he was an impressive winner at this track last season.

3:00 LADBROKES TROPHY CHASE (HANDICAP) (GRADE 3) 3M 1F 214Y

Plenty to consider in the first running of this prestigious contest under the Ladbrokes umbrella, and while Irish stables have had no formal success since Michael O’Brien landed the Mackeson/Hennessy double with Bright Highway way back in 1980, it should be remembered that punters were paid out on Be My Royal, who scored for Willie Mullins in 2002 before a subsequent disqualification for failing a post-race dope test. Willie doesn’t have a great record aside from that 33/1 shock, but then he’s rarely had a horse get here under the radar in the way Be My Royal did – until now.

Total Recall may well start favourite for this having gained a lenient handicap mark when struggling for Sandra Hughes last season, and he looked a different proposition when hacking up in the Munster National on his stable debut in October. He’s clearly of interest on the back of that effort, but this is a stiffer test altogether, and he’s been well found in the ante-post market.

I very much respect his chance but believe that Noel Meade has an equally well-handicapped horse in the shape of A Genie In Abottle, who looked a smashing prospect as a novice chaser, and has clearly progressed well, winning both his starts this autumn, including a defeat of subsequent Troytown Chase winner Mala Beach at Galway, and it’s significant that he comfortably overturned National Hunt Chase placings with Tiger Roll at Wexford last time. He was also behind Missed Approach in the Four-miler in March, but was patently unsuited by a change of tactics, and is a better horse when in the van, for all he doesn’t need to dominate.

He is essentially a bold-jumping stayer who lacks tactical pace, and it’s to be expected that Sean Flanagan will make plenty of use of him again.

RECOMMENDED

GOLD PRESENT 1:20 Newbury – 2pts win @ 4/1 (general)

REMILUC 1:50 Newbury – 1pt e/w @ 16/1 (general)

HIGH BRIDGE 2:25 Newbury – 1pt win @ 4/1 (Hills, BetVictor)

A GENIE IN ABOTTLE 3:00 Newbury – 1pt e/w @ 12/1 (Coral, BetVictor)

WINNER

Rory’s selections last week included; Sam Spinner @ 6/1 and Top Notch @ 5/2.