Feb 2015
Calipto and Activial joint-favourites as 32 go forward for Betfair Hurdle
Ante-post favourite Calipto headlines 32 six-day acceptors for the £155,000 Grade Three Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on Betfair Super Saturday, February 7.
Calipto has not run since finishing runner-up at Cheltenham in October and is out to give champion trainer Paul Nicholls a second victory in the extended two-mile contest. The Somerset handler took the spoils with Zarkandar in 2012.
Calipto is the 7/1 joint-favourite with Betfair Sportsbook along with the Harry Fry-trained Activial, who was a Grade Two scorer last season and took third in the Ladbroke Hurdle at Ascot on his comeback in December. Fry is also likely to be represented by Grade One Tolworth Hurdle runner-up Jolly’s Cracked It (14/1).
Dan Skelton has left in progressive seven-year-old Fascino Rustico (12/1), who is unbeaten in two starts for the Warwickshire handler.
Sign Of A Victory (12/1) is set to carry top-weight for Nicky Henderson, who is the most successful trainer in Betfair Hurdle history with five triumphs. Henderson is also intending to run Haydock Park scorer Vasco Du Ronceray (25/1) and has also left in Dawalan (20/1), successful at Musselburgh on Sunday, and Snake Eyes (12/1), who has bottom weight of 10st 5lb. A maximum field of 24 can take part.
Venetia Williams has confirmed Aso (16/1) and Baradari (16/1). Aso took a Grade Two novice event at Haydock Park on January 17, while Baradari got up on the line to land the Grade Two Holloways Handicap Hurdle at Ascot on the same afternoon.
Grand National-winning trainer Dr Richard Newland is looking to saddle Ebony Express (20/1). The Flat recruit scored impressively on his first two starts over hurdles, taking a pair of novices’ hurdles at Carlisle by eight lengths and three and a quarter lengths respectively.
However, the six-year-old will need to bounce back from a below par run at Catterick on January 8, when he came home sixth in a two-mile three-furlong novices’ hurdle.
Newland, who sent out 2007 runner-up Overstrand, said today: “Ebony Express is an intended runner on Saturday.
“He definitely wasn’t right at Catterick as he came back coughing. There’s a chance this race might come a week or two too soon for him but we will see.
“He has been working well though and seems in good form, so we are looking forward to it.”
Ireland’s champion trainer Willie Mullins has three going forward, including Wicklow Brave (20/1),while David Pipe is relying solely on Sandown Park runner-up Balgarry (14/1).
Other notables include Seedling (16/1, Warren Greatrex), who is unbeaten in three starts over hurdles this term, and eye-catching Haydock Park scorer On Tour (16/1, Evan Williams).
Betfair Spokesman Barry Orr commented today: “The Paul Nicholls-trained Calipto still heads our market at 7/1, so we have significant liabilities on the Ditcheat inmate but he’s not the only horse punters are keen on.
“Two of Nicholls protégés, Dan Skelton and Harry Fry, supply well-supported opposition to their old boss in the form of Fascino Rustico and Activial.
“Following his Newcastle win, Fascino Rustico has been very strong at 12/1 and the Fry-trained Activial has been punted from 14/1 into 7/1 joint-favourite, so it’s a typically competitive renewal of the UK’s richest handicap hurdle.”
Betfair Hurdle – Betfair Sportsbook prices:
7/1 Activial, Calipto, 12/1 Fascino Rustico, Sign Of A Victory, Snake Eyes, 14/1 Balgarry, Jollys Cracked It, Pine Creek, 16/1 Aso, Baradari, Chieftains Choice, Daneking, On Tour, Seedling, 20/1 Dawalan, Ebony Express, Goodwood Mirage, Lucky Bridle, Wicklow Brave, 25/1 Amore Alato, Arzal, Ballyboley, Cheltenian, Hawk High, Laser Hawk, Lightentertainment, Vasco Du Ronceray, 33/1 Bordoni, Forced Family Fun, Sleepy Haven, Swing Bowler, Violet Dancer
Each-Way Terms: 1/4 Odds, 1-2-3-4
The Betfair Hurdle
Class 1, Grade 3, £155,000 Total Prize Fund. 3.35pm, Newbury, Saturday, February 7, 2015. For four-year-olds and upwards, two miles and half a furlong. Penalties: after January 11, a winner of a hurdle race 5lb; of two hurdle races 8lb. Entries closed January 6, entries revealed January 7 (65 entries), weights revealed January 14. Scratchings deadline January 20 (46 go forward), five-day confirmation stage February 2 (32 confirmations), final declaration stage 10.00am, February 5.
Horse |
Age |
Wgt | Owner | Trainer |
SIGN OF A VICTORY (IRE) |
6 |
11-12 | Matt & Lauren Morgan | Nicky Henderson |
DAWALAN (FR) |
5 |
11-10 (5lb ex) | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | Nicky Henderson |
HAWK HIGH (IRE) |
5 |
11-09 | Trevor Hemmings | Tim Easterby |
SEEDLING |
6 |
11-07 | Equis & Christopher Spence | Warren Greatrex |
PINE CREEK |
7 |
11-07 | Bloomfields | John Ferguson |
VASCO DU RONCERAY (FR) |
6 |
11-06 | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | Nicky Henderson |
CALIPTO (FR) |
5 |
11-06 | Chris Giles & Ian Fogg | Paul Nicholls |
ACTIVIAL (FR) |
5 |
11-06 | Potensis Bloodstock Limited | Harry Fry |
ASO (FR) |
5 |
11-06 (5lb ex) | The Bellamy Partnership | Venetia Williams |
LUCKY BRIDLE (IRE) |
6 |
11-05 | Andrea & Graham Wylie | Willie Mullins IRE |
GOODWOOD MIRAGE (IRE) |
5 |
11-05 | Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford | Jonjo O’Neill |
SLEEPY HAVEN (IRE) |
5 |
11-05 | Alan Baxter Anthony Bloor Dave Cheetham | Jennie Candlish |
CHELTENIAN (FR) |
9 |
11-04 | Roger Brookhouse | Philip Hobbs |
JOLLY’S CRACKED IT (FR) |
6 |
11-03 | GDM Partnership | Harry Fry |
AMORE ALATO |
6 |
11-03 | Sarah Faulks | Nick Williams |
WICKLOW BRAVE |
6 |
11-03 | Wicklow Bloodstock Limited | Willie Mullins IRE |
ARZAL (FR) |
5 |
11-02 | The Hennessy Six | Harry Whittington |
BORDONI (USA) |
6 |
11-01 | Bloomfields | John Ferguson |
BARADARI (IRE) |
5 |
11-01 (5lb ex) | A Brooks | Venetia Williams |
DANEKING |
6 |
11-01 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins IRE |
ON TOUR (IRE) |
7 |
11-01 | T Hywel Jones | Evan Williams |
BALGARRY (FR) |
8 |
11-00 | Brocade Racing | David Pipe |
LASER HAWK (IRE) |
8 |
10-12 | W J Evans | Evan Williams |
SWING BOWLER |
8 |
10-12 | K Alexander | David Pipe |
FASCINO RUSTICO |
7 |
10-12 (5lb ex) | John Hales | Dan Skelton |
CHIEFTAIN’S CHOICE (IRE) |
6 |
10-11 | Carl Hinchy | John Quinn |
FORCED FAMILY FUN |
5 |
10-11 | The Top Silk Syndicate | John Quinn |
EBONY EXPRESS |
6 |
10-11 | ValueRacingClub.co.uk | Dr Richard Newland |
VIOLET DANCER |
5 |
10-09 | D Bessell & Galloping On The South Downs | Gary Moore |
BALLYBOLLEY (IRE) |
6 |
10-08 | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
LIGHTENTERTAINMENT (IRE) |
7 |
10-08 (5lb ex) | The Not Over Big Partnership | Chris Gordon |
SNAKE EYES (IRE) |
7 |
10-05 | J P McManus | Nicky Henderson |
32 five-day confirmations
3 Irish-trained