Spirits Could Go Well At Newbury

The Betfair Hurdle, now known as the William Hill Hurdle, is the feature race at Newbury on Saturday. I put Glory And Fortune up for this race a couple of years ago after he ran a cracker in a Grade 2 behind Epatante and after Spirits Bay ran so well in the Grade 2 International Hurdle at Cheltenham, I am hoping he can follow in his hoofsteps.

Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, who won this a few years ago with Ballyandy, we backed him e/w at 100/1 for the International. My hope was that Brentford Hope and Fils d’Oudairies might falter and he would sneak second but unfortunately, he could only manage third.

However, it was still a cracking effort. He finished 2.25l behind Brentford Hope off level weights and that horse is rated 146. He was getting 4lb from Fils d’Oudairies, who is also rated 146, and he finished 3l in front of him. Constitution Hill won the race, finishing 5.25l in front of the Twiston-Davies horse giving him 6lb and he is rated 175.

Now, it would be foolish to take the proximity of Spirits Bay to Constitution Hill literally but I think the fact he split two 146 horses (and had the 132 rated Joyeux Machin 5l behind in third) suggests that he might be pretty well treated for this race off a mark of 126.

Yes, he had been beaten off that sort of rating in handicaps on his first two starts of this season but he may have needed his return when fifth at Cheltenham and I’m not sure he was suited by being ridden prominently when he was third at Haydock in January.

He ran poorly on his sole previous visit to this track in March of last year but the 2m3f trip was probably against him. On the evidence of his last run, 2m on a flat left-handed track in a strongly run race might really suit him and he’ll be fine once there is soft in the ground description (though ideally I’d like to see it soft or heavy).

Maybe he was flattered by that last run but maybe he wasn’t so at odds of 33/1, it is worth backing Spirits Bay e/w.

Newbury William Hill Hurdle Tip: Spirits Bay e/w @ 33/1 (1/4 odds 4 places)

-DaveStevos