How To Bet £20 on Saturday: Fortune beckons at Newbury

You can bet your bottom dollar that Irish trainers will be mob-handed in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham next month but, bizarrely, they don’t have a single representative in the more richly endowed William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.

One man who will not be grumbling is Alan King, whose Favour And Fortune looks a solid bet at 9-1 with the sponsors to take the spoils off a mark just 2lb higher than when landing the Scottish Champion Hurdle in the spring.

Favour And Fortune was the first British-trained horse home when sixth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle before that notable success at Ayr, having also been runner-up to Jango Baie in another Grade One at Aintree earlier in the campaign.

The fact he was competing at the top-level reflects the regard the now seven-year-old is held in, and he did well to be beaten under ten lengths at Cheltenham given an uncharacteristically sloppy round of jumping.

He was much slicker in that department the following month when landing the Scottish Champion Hurdle in tenacious fashion and the form of that race, which featured three Willie Mullins-trained runners and was at least as competitive as Saturday’s contest, has been franked time and again.

King had the Greatwood Hurdle, at Cheltenham in November ringed in his calendar after that victory, but a hock injury scuppered that long-term plan.

Instead, Favour And Fortune made a belated return in another valuable handicap at Ascot in December, but all the vibes beforehand were that he would improve for the run and he never got involved after being held up in rear and considerately handled. On the plus side, he moved and jumped well to two out in a race where it paid to be handy.

Favour And Fortune gets a 10lb pull in the weights with the winner of that contest, Fiercely Proud, and is also much better off with Secret Squirrel, who exited at the final flight and has since won at Windsor. More significant, he should be a much sharper model this time and we know he’s versatile regards the ground. Hopefully, you got on at double-figure odds earlier in the week when my colleague, Harry Allwood, suggested backing him ante-post.

Sir Gino is the headline act on the card and it will be disappointing if this exciting five-year-old does not enhance his reputation by taking the Game Spirit Chase, but you’ve got a thicker wallet than me to be tempted to back him at a best price of 4-9.

Much more interesting, for punting purposes, is the oldest horse in action at the meeting, 13-year-old Sam Brown, who looks overpriced at a general 14-1 to make the frame, at least, in the Denman Chase after his staying-on fourth in last year’s edition.

Unlike several of the opposition, he is sure to get every yard of the trip and he arrives in form, having made a valiant effort to concede 23lb to the rejuvenated Copperhead at Market Rasen last time, having been a keeping-on third behind The Real Whacker and Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in November. 

Bravemansgame, the general 2-1 favourite here, finished little more than a length ahead of Sam Brown in the Charlie Hall and took another backward step when well beaten in the King George last time. He is now tried in a first-time tongue-tie, having had three wind operations, which rings more alarm bells. 

His stablemate, Hitman, would probably decline to beat his own shadow, while Djelo, Le Patron and Fugitif must all prove their stamina, with none none of the trio crying out for 3m (Djelo was also entered in the 2m Game Spirit at the five-day stage and Fugitif is also entered for a 2m 4f race at Warwick).

Ga Law, to a lesser extent, must also prove his staying power, and he was well below his best when last in action a couple of months ago. Meanwhile, Eldorado Allen has not got his head in front since landing this race three years ago and he was well adrift of Sam Brown last time, plus is 4lb worse off.

Sam Brown has his own foibles – he can jump scruffily, hit flat spots and get behind – but he would be worse off at the weights with all bar Bravemansgame and Djelo if this were a handicap, and the all-action Sam Twiston-Davies being snapped up to ride is a big positive.

Fugitif has also been declared for the Unibet Middle Distance Series Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Warwick, but that race is his second preference. In his likely absence, the door looks open for the Ben Pauling-trained Shakem Up’arry to get back to winning ways.

He is only 4lb higher than when landing the Plate at the Cheltenham Festival last year, when he jumped with typical athleticism. This is a much easier assignment, plus he’s got the services of top 5lb conditional jockey Callum Pritchard.

We have seen Shakem Up’arry just once this term, when he suffered a surprise early fall at Cheltenham in December, but his stable continues in top trim and the £18,000 first prize on offer here is not to be sniffed at.

Finally, I’m going to have a very small each-way play on Royale Margaux at 25-1 with bet 365 in the Read Nicky Henderson's Weekly Unibet Blog Mares' Hurdle.

This seven-year-old is proving tricky to win with and has got no chance on official ratings, but she usually travels strongly in her races and her consistency is hard to fault.

You can get some funny results in these mares’ races and the front three in the market – Gala Marceau (off 280 days), West Balboa (not at best this term and now tried in headgear) and You Wear It Well (reverts from chasing) – all have question marks hanging over them.

West Balboa is quoted at only 2-1, but keep in mind that she finished 8½ lengths behind Royale Margaux at Kempton last time. She is a stone better off, but the gulf in their prices looks too wide. 

2.25 Newbury: Sam Brown £2 win and £1.50 each-way at a general 14-1 

2.40 Warwick: Royale Margaux £1 each-way at 25-1 with bet365 

3.15 Warwick: Shakem Up’arry £4 win at 11-2 

3.35 Newbury: Favour And Fortune £3 win and £3 each-way at 9-1 with William Hill (five places)