Saturday's Selection

The Betfair Hurdle at Newbury is a race I have done well in over the years and I managed to find the 20/1 winner Violet Dancer last year. This year's heat looks as open as ever, and the horse I am interested in is right down at the foot of the weights. He was still going well in front when he tipped up at the 5th in last year's race, and it looks as though he has been laid out for another tilt at it this season.

Chieftain's Choice was well backed in the ante-post market for last year's race and the then 6yo was still going well in front when he came down at the 5th, admittedly before the race hotted up. He was off a mark of 134 that day, and after mixing a couple of good efforts with some poor ones he now finds himself off a mark of 129.

He showed he could be competitive at this level with a very good run in a high class handicap at Aintree last year when the ground would have been plenty quick enough. He finished 7th of 21 in that race, beaten less than 6L off a mark of 132. His comeback run this season for new trainer Kevin Frost saw him pulled up, but it was much better on his next start off 128 at Doncaster (16.5f heavy) when he was beaten less than 3L into 3rd by the useful Minstrels Gallery. Forest Bihan was 4th that day, and he went close off 140 on his next run which gives some substance to the form.

His last run saw him return to Newbury, the scene of his crashing fall last year, and he was well beaten over 20.5f on soft off today's mark of 129. However, I reckon the priority there was a clean round of jumping in order to restore the Chieftain's confidence after what happened in this race last year. He jumped pretty well before trailing home last of 6, and it is probably because of that effort that the bookies have decided to price him up at 50/1.

Brian Hughes has been booked for the ride and he is 6/29 (+33.25) for the Kevin Frost yard and 3/11 for the owner Carl Hinchy. He was fancied by former handler John Quinn for this last year, and off a mark 5lb lower he surely must have a decent chance if he can repeat his Aintree run. Prominent racers have a good record in this race and Chieftain's Choice likes to get on with things out in front. The ground should be perfect, a top jockey is booked and at odds of 50/1 he looks well worthy of a little each way support in what looks a wide open handicap hurdle.

STEVOS' SELECTION: 3.35 NEWBURY-CHIEFTAIN'S CHOICE E/W 50/1