Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Newbury

Leg 1 Selections: McFabulous, Coeur Serein, Unanswered Prayers 

Just the three runners for the opener, leg 1, but this is good opportunity for the Paul Nicholls-trained MCFABULOUS to resume winning ways. He has taken well to this sphere and beat Brown Advisory second-favourite Thyme Hill over course-and-distance on his penultimate start in good style. 

The latter reversed the form in emphatic style in the Kauto Star on Boxing Day but I don’t think Paul Nicholls’ charge was at his best. He has a big weight to carry but is undoubtedly the one to beat back in handicap company with the best form on offer. 

COEUR SEREIN was well beaten at Doncaster when last spotted but is well-treated based on his hurdles form and could produce a better showing, while UNANSWERED PRAYERS could feature getting weight from his two rivals if able to put aside a lesser effort here last time. 

Leg 2 Selections: Regarding Ruth, Barbados Buck’s

REGARDING RUTH has a good record on good ground and while she has a large absence to overcome, she is only a pound higher than when winning by six lengths when last seen. She had previously won over course-and-distance (this race in 2021) beating a Welsh National winner and gets a good claimer onboard, who offsets a valuable ten-pounds. With her stable very much amongst the winners as well, the nine-year-old has to be a serious player. 

BARBADOS BUCK’S was highly tried in the Albert Bartlett as a novice and while his form slightly tailed off afterwards, Paul Nicholls’ charge has returned to form this season, making the frame in a pair of class two events. I think he is the one to beat and is the back-up option but my main hope here is the former, who has a great chance. 

Leg 3 Selections: Does He Know, Fanion D’estruval

DOES HE KNOW is very effective on good ground, which is what he will get here, and his form on good reads 11121 from five starts. He produced a classy weight-carrying performance at Cheltenham when last spotted and his bold jumping under an aggressive ride will be a major asset. 

Kim Bailey’s charge has two previous wins at this level and with his confidence high after that latest win over further, the eight-year-old, who’s the only one of these to have won last time as well, gets the vote to extend his fine strike-rate in this sphere with plenty in his favour. 

FANION D’ESTRUVAL got going far too late here on his penultimate start but ran well behind Sounds Russian when last seen and the fitting of headgear could help him concentrate in the early stages of this race. He is two-from-four at this course and is the biggest danger. 

Leg 4 Selections: Greaneteen, Elixir De Nutz

GREANETEEN is clear of these on official ratings and ran a good race in defeat behind Edwardstone in the Tingle Creek when second. I know he could only finish third in this two years ago but he is proven at the highest level, saves all of his best form for good ground and should be very hard to beat. 

ELIXIR DE NUTZ is a former Grade 1 winner over hurdles and really flourish in headgear when returning an easy winner at Wincanton when last spotted from the front. He should be inconvenienced by the drop in trip and is likely to be ridden forward again here. This is much tougher than last time but if he gets into a nice rhythm, he could give the former a lot to think about. 

Leg 5 Selections: Icare Allen, Yorksea, Glory And Fortune 

The feature race is the Betfair Hurdle and ICARE ALLEN, who ran a good race when third on his handicap debut in a large field event at Fairyhouse back in December, has excellent place claims at least despite his big weight. His fourth in the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival behind Vauban last season is high-class form and he should pose a threat here for the Willie Mullins team. 

YORKSEA has a really nice profile for this, with graded-placed form, a low-weight, more to come, a nice mark and conditions to suit. He has won two of his five hurdle starts and warmed up for this with an easy win at Fontwell when last spotted. This race of course is a much stiffer task but he is open to further improvement, has lots in his favour and Niall Houlihan retains the ride. He merits strong consideration for the Moore’s. 

GLORY AND FORTUNE hasn’t had much luck in his last couple of starts over fences but reverts back to hurdles off a mark that is only five-pounds higher than when he won this twelve months ago. He only just did enough but got the front too soon having travelled “too well” and having finished fifth in a Champion Hurdle, he looks too big of a price to not be included with a chance of winning this again despite the welter burden. 

Leg 6 Selections: Arqoob, Holetown Hero 

ARQOOB, a smart operator on the Flat, who was last seen competing in the Cambridgeshire in that sphere, made an encouraging start to his hurdles career. He ran well to finish second and is sure to have learnt a lot from that display. He has Bryony Frost doing the steering again and, with improvement on the cards, he has a decent chance. 

Russian Ruler is clear of these based on RPR’s but he’s too inconsistent for my liking and HOLETOWN HERO seems a more solid option for the Placepot. He has won his last two in good style, including four days ago last time, and it’s interesting he’s turned out quickly here by the champion trainer. He must have come out of that race in good form and should give it a good go in order to complete his hat-trick.