Harry Cobden’s Planet Sport Bet blog: We have two live chances in the Challow Hurdle

12:05 (Newbury) Lime Avenue

 

I start with Lime Avenue. She’s been a little bit disappointing this season and needs to bounce back here. I thought she was a nice mare at one stage so I wouldn’t be surprised if she got back on the right track.

13:15 (Newbury) The Russian Doyen

The Russian Doyen is a lovely old horse. I’ve ridden him plenty of times and we know he goes well at the track, so I’d be hopeful he can go well again.

13:50 (Newbury) Irish Hill

 

We’re putting blinkers on Irish Hill for the first time which will hopefully bring about some improvement.

I don’t think he’s been giving his absolute amount of effort so, with any luck, the blinkers will spark him up a bit. It’s quite a competitive race but he seems in good form at home.

He felt fresh and well during the week and, if the blinkers work, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the real Irish Hill.

 

14:25 (Newbury) Striking A Pose

 

I then ride Striking A Pose. He’s got a nice light weight but he’ll need to step up to feature in this race.

It looks a pretty competitive contest but with such little weight on his back, he should run a nice race.

 

15:00 (Newbury) Captain Teague

 

I’m on Captain Teague in the Challow Hurdle. It wasn’t an easy decision between him and Farnoge but, on official ratings, Captain Teague is nine pounds better so that just slanted it in his favour. They are both nice horses and I expect both to go well here.
 
Captain Teague will improve for a flatter track and I’d hope he’ll step forward from Cheltenham too. He was the best bumper horse in this country last year and we’ve always thought a lot of him. 
 
Farnoge certainly isn’t a backmarker, and I could easily have got it wrong. He’s been good in both starts over hurdles and he could be the one that’s been a bit underestimated in the market; I wouldn’t put anyone off him each-way.

He’s a horse we certainly haven’t got to the bottom of.
 
It’s obviously a very good race with Nicky Henderson’s runner, Willmount, the favourite, but we have two live chances for sure.

 

 

15:35 (Newbury) Golden Son

Finally I’m on Golden Son. You can put a line through his run at Aintree because the ground was really bad and he just didn’t handle it.

I knew from about three fences in that he wasn’t going so I wasn’t hard on him and he shouldn’t be feeling any effects despite the relatively short turnaround.

Paul [Nicholls] has put a tongue-tie on him which will hopefully help and I was pleased with the way he schooled in the week. 
 
There was a time when I thought he could be really smart horse, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran well here.

 

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