ITV Racing Tips: Friday Best Bets From Newbury

There is a lovely appetiser for Saturday's extravaganza on Friday being broadcast on ITV Racing, with six races in total set to be shown live. Four come from Newbury with a couple at Southwell and Billy Grimshaw has two bets to set the weekend up perfectly...

13:50 Newbury - John Francome Novices' Chase

This looks a cracking renewal of the John Francome, with a case to be made for at least half of the six horse field. Wendigo is market leader and as we have seen in the past, horses who finish down the field in the Albert Bartlett do often make into very smart novice chasers. He was fifth in the big race at Cheltenham and ran a race full of promise, his final task over hurdles. On chase debut he jumped well and looked in need of the run when being outbattled by Wade Out a month ago at Worcester. This result will have disappointed some but his trainer was reportedly thrilled with the return and expects much better now with that run under his belt.

A 15/8 against a field as stacked as this and over a trip I am sure will end up as shy of his optimum however, I could not touch him. His form simply is not up to that sort of price with rivals like No Questions Asked for last year's winning trainer Ben Pauling lining up against him. He was very impressive in winning an Ascot handicap by over four lengths last time out and should he be allowed to lob along in front he will be tough to catch.

It's unlikely, however, that he is allowed a freebie as another bona-fide front runner is in this field and he is the one I am siding with, REGENT'S STROLL. Harry Cobden is quietly riding brilliantly again this season while all the spotlight is on Skelton and Bowen and there's no one I'd rather have on a pace setter over fences. This lad was only just denied in the Grade 1 at Aintree to wrap up his novice hurdling season and with Paul Nicholls the master of getting tonnes of improvement from his hurdlers going chasing, I am expecting him to become a flag bearer for the yard this season, starting with a dominant win here.

I would not be in a rush to lay 25/1 about King Of Kingsfield, either. This is a horse I have followed off a cliff somewhat until last season when he was used predominantly to pacemake for Brighterdaysahead. That seemed a waste of a horse with this much raw speed and while he did pull up last time out and is surely better over the minimum trip, if you put a line through Cheltenham due to him hitting the first fence and frightening himself, he is not a no-hoper in here.

15:00 Newbury - Long Distance Hurdle

Last weekend I made a Nicky Henderson trained horse with evidently plenty of improvement to come my NAP and Jango Baie duly obliged in the 1965 Chase, marking himself out as a King George contender. I am not quite as strong on Henderson's hotpot in here IMPOSE TOI, but he is my best Friday bet and I think he will take all the beating before marching on toward the Stayers; Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

These are lofty ambitions, granted, but he impressed last season - particularly at Cheltenham when second in a handicap to the uber impressive Jimmy Du Seuil - and has taken his form to new heights this season. He was backed like defeat was out of the question from 8/1 down to 5/2 on reappearance at Aintree and duly obliged, cruising through the race from the rear before slicing through the opposition like a hot knife through butter to score by three lengths while barely breaking a sweat. 

That race may have been no great shakes but there is an impression a horse can give when winning handicaps in such facile fashion and I certainly could tell from thar run, this lad is no handicapper. Against him here at Newbury are proven graded level stayers, with Strong Leader the defending champion and obvious chief threat. However, he has to give 6lbs to the favourite and is exposed now, we know his ceiling. Ahoy Senor and Hewick were once very classy chasers indeed, but are surely on the regression now from their lofty peaks.

Nicky Henderson's other runner Doddiethegreat is certainly not without his chance, but looks to lack the quality of his stablemate, and the other seven year old in the field along with Impose Toi Take No Chances could find this tricky up against the boys so JP's runner rates my best Friday bet at anything north of 6/4.