Charlie McCann's Horse Racing Tips Thursday, 5 November - Newbury & Plumpton
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Charlie McCann's Tips - Thursday, 5 November
Newbury have produced good to soft ground – the last couple of flat cards waterlogged – for their all-hurdle card, which will be run on the flat course.
They have, unsurprisingly, been rewarded with excellent fields for their opening jumps meeting of the season.
1:17pm Newbury - Merlin Allen
The 2m Maiden Hurdle is a belter with many of the top yards represented, although there is no Nicky Henderson-trained runner at his local track, which is a surprise.
Alan King saddles Insanity – rated 97 on the flat – although he didn’t really show a great deal in two starts over jumps (PU and beaten 11l at Market Rasen) and is best watched unless the market speaks in his favour.
Presley runs in the same colours as stablemate Sinnatra, and he ran well in defeat in both Bumpers last term at Chepstow and Warwick. He has a stamina-laden pedigree, however, and his future lies over further and fences. The hope is that the market puts him in short given he is trained by Dan Skelton.
Moments Away finished fifth in the Grade 2 Bumper at Aintree back in the spring and has valuable experience over jumps, although he hurdled poorly when second at Southwell – odds-on – last month over an additional half mile. Sean Bowen keeps the ride, and he will surely put up a better round of jumping than was the case at Southwell with that experience behind him.
The rules newcomer Youcancountonme finished second in his sole Irish point in the colours of J P McManus back in February. He, too, may need further and a fence in time before he fulfils his potential.
Moments Away finished three-and-a-half lengths behind MERLIN ALLEN at Aintree, and the latter is taken to make a successful winning hurdling debut for Jane Williams. The four-year-old won first time out last season in an Aintree Bumper in November, and jockey Ciaran Gethings blamed himself for his mount’s Kempton defeat in February when he gave his mount too much to do.
He was ridden more prominently back at Aintree at the National meeting and finished an excellent third. Her is reported to have schooled well and first time out may be the time to catch him. A fabulous race.
Recommendation: Merlin Allen - 11/4 with bet365
One Big Bang is one of my Horses To Follow for the year, which I am updating daily from the beginning of the month. That said, his primary early-season target is the Coral Cup back here later in the month, and I would be surprised if he was fully tuned for this Pertemps Hurdle qualifier.
The booking of Sean Bowen suggests – at least to me – that he will be on board at the end of the month, given Olly Murphy does not have an entry in the race.
I will back One Big Bang if the market speaks in his favour, as I am convinced he is a 140+ horse, especially over fences, but without that information you are second-guessing whether he is just using this as a prep with ground with a bit of dig in it.
Irish raider Splendid Fellow and the unbeaten Western Monkey are the others to consider, although Harry Derham suggested in a Racing Post stable tour interview that the Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton on Boxing Day was his primary target. A race best watched; but very closely!
1:08pm Plumpton - Sweet Caryline (Nap)
The enigma that is Marlacoo makes his chase debut, and since winning an Ayr maiden hurdle in February 2025 he has been a beaten favourite – outright or joint – in his last nine starts, including at Chepstow last month over hurdles on his reappearance.
He does have the ability, and he could turn this into a procession IF he takes to the larger obstacles, and it should be noted that the Tom Lacey yard were quiet when he ran at Chepstow. Having recommended and backed Myrighthandman at Lingfield on Tuesday at 8/1, I watched the horse drift out to 12s before he ran all over his field only to make significant errors four out and two out. He finished second but he really ought to have won.
Marlacoo could run up a sequence if taking to fences, but my eye was also drawn to SWEET CARYLINE (Nap) at Worcester on her chase debut when she was never placed to challenge on ground which would have been much softer than ideal under Brendan Powell, who misses the ride today following an injury at Plumpton on Monday.
Freddie Gingell takes over in the plate on the mare, and she will love the forecast good ground for Joe Tizzard, who remains in good form. All four hurdle wins came on good ground, and I thought she jumped very well at Worcester.
Klik Boum finished second last week and would be carrying 2lbs more from the weekend. Having backed Tom Taggle from the yard on Monday, I am not exactly in love with the yard at present, although, in fairness to jockey Adam Wedge, he wanted to lead at Sedgefield, but the horse propped and he lost the lead and his chance at the start.
Recommendation: Sweet Caryline (Nap) - 2/1 with bet365
This is Charlie's Nap of the Day selection - see how it stacks up against Alan Kelly's pick too.
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3:22pm Plumpton - Kdeux Saint Fray
If I had to pick one horse who summed up my autumn so far, it would be Bel Ombre, who I was so looking forward to running over fences before his chase debut at Worcester. The Neil Mulholland runners were all looking in need of the run, however, with many not put into the race.
I watched through gritted teeth the novice put on a fencing exhibition from the front – he was held up when beaten over timber when first coming to my attention at Perth and Fontwell in the spring – last month, and he has been raised 10lbs for that fluent 11l victory.
He has always hinted that he was a much better horse than he showed over timber, but I cannot go to the funeral, having missed the wedding, and he is reluctantly overlooked. I appreciate I could be over-analysing this and he just wins, but he is likely to be short enough in the betting.
Rip Wheeler and Jaipaletemps both did us a favour last season, but they lack the potential of Bel Ombre and also KDEUX SAINT FRAY, whose form tailed off last season, but he goes well fresh, and all three career wins under rules have come in the first half of the season.
Anthony Honeyball takes off 5lbs from the selection courtesy of talented conditional Chad Bament, and the six-year-old won at Cheltenham’s November meeting last season, finished third in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Kempton and was cantering at Cheltenham at their Showcase meeting last October when brought down four out on his seasonal reappearance. He gets the vote in another terrific race.
Recommendation: Kdeux Saint Fray - 15/8 with Virgin Bet
*Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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