ITV Racing Tips: Saturday Each-Way Double for Newbury

The Coral Bet Bundles Handicap Hurdle looks very competitive and the market is headed by the Dan Skelton-trained Pikar, who landed a very good novices’ hurdle event at Chepstow on his return in October.

That form received a welcome boost when the runner-up, Hullnback, won a class-two event at Haydock on his next start, while the third, Master Chewy, would have won at Ascot next time but for falling at the last before finishing second in a decent race at Cheltenham since.

Dan Skelton’s charge has to be considered a leading player of an opening handicap debut mark of 130. The only issue I have with him though, is the step up in trip, but if he improves for it, he should go well.

I do think Alan King’s Nina The Terrier can outrun her double-figure odds given the fact she has course-and-distance form in her locker due to her second in a Grade Two here in April. Her chances weren’t helped by the omitted hurdles when fifth in the Greatwood at Cheltenham and she’s better than that.

She is effectively a pound lower in this easier race plus the return to this longer will see her to better effect and Sam Twiston-Davies is an interesting jockey booking here. If you are looking for an outsider to consider, she could easily reward each-way supporters.

The vote instead, however, goes to the unbeaten mare LADY ADARE (best price 11/2), who is four-from-four under rules and three-from-three over hurdles and has a solid each-way chance on her reappearance.

She was made to work harder than most would have initially anticipated at Newcastle on her penultimate start but relished the step up in trip to 2m3f when last spotted, winning by 16 lengths in a canter. That wasn’t much of a race but she could only beat what was put in front of her and an opening mark of 130 with Lorcan Murtagh claiming three could prove essential here.

Her seven-length defeat of Get A Tonic, who subsequently went close at Haydock off a mark of 133 when second in the Betfair Exchange Stayers' Handicap Hurdle, makes her dangerously well-treated off this mark.

She goes well fresh with figures yielding two wins from two and should get the ideal set-up with Martello Sky likely to ensure this race is run at a decent tempo. I can envisage her travelling into this race smoothly and, if she his fully wound up after her break, this talented mare undeniably has the credentials to play a significant role in the outcome of this race. I’ll be disappointed if she can’t figure prominently here and there’s a bit of buoyancy about her taking her form to another level this season.

UNDERSUPERVISION (best price 17/2) is overpriced in the Coral Racing Club Mandarin Handicap Chase despite conceding weight to the whole field. This six-year-old ran vey well when third on his return at Cheltenham last time behind two race-fit rivals, who are course specialists at Cheltenham, and that run should have sorted him out fitness-wise plus he takes a big drop in grade here. 

He won the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster in March off only a four-pounds lower mark, which is a higher-graded race than this, and that form has worked out strongly since. The fourth, Les Milos, has won twice since, including the Ladbrokes Trophy whilst the third, Cloth Cap, is a former winner of that latterly-mentioned race as well, so he is clearly well-treated off 136 here. 

That is the best form on offer in this field and the conditions will suit here. He isn’t always fluent but he has bags of talent and all of his chase form has received a boost. He should be seen to good effect at this course, as he stays well, and will be having just his ninth chase start. His trainer is in excellent form too, so he looks set to give another good account of himself with improvement to come.