Great Britain Preview: Filey Bay in great shape for Newbury
National Hunt Racing, Great Britain (Courtesy of RMG/Cheltenham)
February 10th, 2023
The latest stop on the trail to the Cheltenham Festival is at Newbury. The Berkshire track hosts two Grade 2 events and a rich handicap hurdle.
We will highlight the handicap hurdle and offer spot plays for the Grade 2 events.
Race 5, 10:35 a.m. ET: Newbury Handicap Hurdle, 2 miles, open hurdlers
Race 5 Selections
- #9 Filey Bay
- #13 Rubaud
- #6 No Ordinary Joe
- #2 Icare Allen
Race 5 Wagers
Very much on top in the market of this 18-horse field is #9 Filey Bay. Winner of his two hurdle races since being transferred to Emmet Mullins in November, he is improving all the time and may yet be set for further rises in the handicap. But he’s by no means a certainty.
Filey Bay’s owner, JP McManus, has two other runners, both solid chances: #2 Icare Allen, from the stable of leading Irish trainer Willie Mullins, and #6 No Ordinary Joe, prepared by Nicky Henderson. Icare Allen was fourth in the Triumph Hurdle (G1) at Cheltenham last year, while No Ordinary Joe came back from a break of more than a year to win the Fanzone Handicap Hurdle at Kempton Dec. 27 and should be better for that run.
Leading conditioner Paul Nicholls also has two very good chances: #4 Hacker Des Places, a winner at Cheltenham Jan. 28, and #13 Rubaud, whose three hurdle starts since wind surgery have produced two victories and a second at Kempton.
I’m going to stick with Filey Bay, who looks like a good horse in the making, with Rubaud and No Ordinary Joe his toughest opponents.
Race 3, 9:25 a.m. ET: Denman Chase (G2), 2 7/8 miles, open steeplechasers
A handy field of staying chasers lines up here, though few probably have Grade 1 aims at Cheltenham. The best-performed horse is #1 Eldorado Allen, who won this last year and has twice placed second in graded stakes company this season. However, he has to give up to six pounds to his rivals, which could open the door for a horse like #4 Fanion D’Estruval, third in the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase (G3) Dec. 26. #2 Does He Know and #5 Hitman are other good prospects.
- $20 win: #4 Fanion D’Estruval
- $2 trifecta: 1, 4 with 1, 2, 4, 5 with 1, 2, 4, 5
Race 4, 10:00 a.m. ET: Game Spirit Chase (G2), 2 miles, open steeplechasers
When aimed at targets just away from the best two-mile chasers, #2 Greaneteen is a formidable competitor. He’s continued to race well this year, winning a Grade 2 event at Exeter before going down to the top-class Edwardstone in the Tingle Creek (G1) Dec. 3. Even with a six-pound penalty to most of his rivals, he looks a very good prospect here.
- $20 win: #2 Greaneteen