Jake Price picked out four winners in Boxing Day's tipping column, check out Monday's selections here.
13:15 Newbury
There are a few interesting types going for the 2025 Hallowe’en Trophy, but at a bigger price OLD COWBOY looks worth a chance considering he is a P2P recruit who achieved a decent level of form over hurdles last season. He also made a decent enough start over fences at Warwick 18 days ago too, so surely he will be ready to strike now fitness is on side.
On debut for the yard in January he finished a very good third behind Jurancon (132) here at Newbury, before he then struggled in Sandown heavy. They tried stepping him up in trip to 2m4f just 14 days later when fourth at Ascot, but given a much more sensible break of a month he then bolted up at Plumpton in March. Connections were very much making up for lost time by running him so frequently in the New Year, and just 12 days after Plumpton he then went back to Newbury on Handicap debut - where he ran a cracker off 121 to finish in third place behind Kalium and Norn Iron, where he just faded inside the final 200 yards or so.
Making his Chase debut at Warwick in December, I thought he jumped notably well - but he was given a very patient ride in a race which Chuggy (126) dominated from the front. He never got close to challenging for victory then, but he did readily plug on into third, shaping as if he would benefit for the outing. Returning to Newbury on some quicker ground really means he does have all conditions in his favour.
13:50 Newbury
I can’t believe the price of ANNUAL INVICTUS here, who not only has the best form in the book, but he also should be able to get an easy lead which should aid his route to victory.
He might be a 10yo now, but a feature of his eight career victories has been the fact that he either led or made all - so the fact that he was never better than midfield when 13th in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury last month suggests to me that he very much needed the run on his first start for 581 days. That assertion is also backed up by his SP of 66/1, so you would imagine there will be more to come this time around.
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When he was last seen in action he enjoyed a very fruitful campaign, winning the 2024 Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase off a mark of 137 at Doncaster, before he then was only beaten a neck by Minella Cocooner in the 2024 Bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Sandown off a mark of 143 - when also having Nick Rockett behind in third place.
Having been dropped 3lbs for his satisfactory seasonal reappearance at Newbury last month in what was probably one of the most competitive Coral Gold Cups we have seen in a while, the drop back into much calmer waters here will clearly help. Chris Gordon has his string in fine form too, with four winners from his last 19 runners in a period where he has also had six places.
14:22 Newbury
The return of JURANCON at Cheltenham in November was too bad to be true, so I do want to give him one more chance now returning to Newbury where he twice won as a Novice last season. Perhaps catching him second time after a wind operation on some better ground will be the play, and David Pipe is in decent form at the moment so hopefully whatever happened last time can very quickly be left in the past.
The other worth a play in this race though is ANDASHAN, who defined what it means to ‘bump into one’ when finishing 12 lengths second behind Kabral Du Mathan (154) at Haydock last month. Although still raised 1lb for that good effort, a mark of 127 does not look beyond him. This Class 3 event looks a much more realistic opportunity for him, especially as connections fancied him quite strongly in that Haydock contest.
ANDASHAN 0.5pts EW (4 Places) @ 11/2
JURANCON 0.5pts EW (4 Places) @ 7/1
