Saturday’s racing preview

This Grade Two spectacle, over two-miles, was won by Kerry Lee’s Top Gamble last year, as was expected by most at the time. The defending trainer sends out previous distance winner Gino Trail here, but a repeat performance isn’t judged to be very likely, according to odds, and he’s outsider of the field.

A better horse to side with, on paper, looks to be Altior for Nicky Henderson, who last won this prize with Sprinter Sacre back in 2012. Now, Altior doesn’t look to be a Sprinter Sacre, not yet anyway, but he is certainly exciting enough and arrives at course having won nine of his 11 starts, and each of his last eight.

The Cheltenham Festival winning partnership of Altior and Nico de Boinville are back working together for the first time since winning last season’s Supreme Novices Hurdle, leaving the likes of Min and Buveur D’air trailing in their wake.

Nico was on the treatment table for three-months with a broken arm and would love to make this a return to winning ways in big name races on big name horses. It would be a dream, and something he surely could only fantasise about when watching the racing from home during his rehabilitation.

Altior opens as odds-on favourite, but has been popular in the ante-post betting and is sure to gain plenty of favour with backers on the day.

Newbury Selections

1.15 – High Bridge

1.50 – Tobefair

2.25 – Native River

3.00 – Altior

3.35 – Wait For Me

4.10 – Vieux Lille

4.45 – Daphne Du Clos

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